“Let your desires unfold naturally
Don’t rush to “scratch the itch”
Feel the burn and the longing
It’s not a sign that something is wrong
Or needs to be fixed
Instead it’s an invitation
To let it gradually lead you home”
This is a poem I wrote a few months into the pandemic. While the conditions at the time required me to stay home, shelving my dreams for another day, they helped me to sit with these strong feelings and grow in ways that my soul needed.
Desire is a natural, and even essential, part of being human. I know there are some spiritual communities that say otherwise, but I think what they are conveying is a poor translation of the information.
See, every human energetic system is equipped for desire. This impulse rests at the sacral chakra, which is called “the dwelling place of the self.”
I love that the ancient yogis named it as such, because it is our desire residing deep in our bellies that pulls our way forward. When we follow our gut it is more likely that circumstances will flow in our favor.
The point that these mystics were trying to make is not that we shouldn’t have desires, but that we shouldn’t grasp so tightly to them that we fumble the process.
Have you heard certain manifestation teachers talking about “tests”? It’s related, but from what I understand the universe is not testing you.
What is happening during the longing period is that your desire is carving a perfectly shaped space in your life for what it is that you want. By having patience and following only the next step laid in front of you, both you and what you want become a more perfect fit for each other.
The “test” is merely your desire beginning to manifest. It’s almost like planting a garden, watering it, and then seeing the first sprouts and plucking them from the ground before they become the mature fruiting bodies.
This garden isn’t testing you, it’s just taking the necessary time to develop and grow. The same thing can be said for your desire.
However, what is growing isn’t just the metaphorical garden but it is also us. We are becoming who we are meant to become during this “waiting” period. A transformation is taking place within.
So the next time you are desiring of something, truly and purely, let it gradually lead you toward it. When we seek instant gratification of our desires that’s when we miss a whole lot.
We may grab at the first thing that barely resembles what we want. Or we might settle for something less.
We might miss the path that our desire is leading us down, which inculdes all the gifts and treasures that our spirit was trying to lead us to along the way.
Because ultimately, there is no destination, it is all journey. What happens along the way is your life.
Live the mystery, follow your desire, be patient, be present, open to everything, and receive all that the universe is desiring to give you.