Distraction and Evolutionary Desire

I must admit, I have started and erased a few times in this attempt at some coherent and inspiring words. It's because it's the fall and my kids have gone back to school. Of course, I treasure my children, and being able to devote so much time to them, but when I am no longer on call 24/7 the transitory phase is a flurry of tasks I put on hold, and thoughts and desires I never fully formed or responded to. I am grateful that i can focus a little more on these things. I am also grateful to be living in a time, place, and circumstance where I am permitted to aspire towards something.

..And what has been arising amidst the busyness? The impulses that precede our actions, are something powerful to consider. Tantric yoga meditation practices examine the process of desire arising as a tool to recognize the way the Shakti, or creative, evolutionary life force is moving within. Desires can be fairly superficial, stemming from a need to satisfy the senses. These desires can have a life of their own, and become habits that may not serve us, like spending too much on something you really didn't need or couldn't afford. Marketing plays off of these desires. We sometimes forget that we have a choice in these matters. Often these impulse reactions are regretted after the fact. A desire to express yourself in words or get married, according to Sally Kempton (one of my favorite meditation teachers), is rooted in "deeper karmic tendencies that have created–and continue to create–your personal self, with its skills and tastes and very particular personal destiny. The wish for transformation is an impulse of your higher self, or Essence, that part of you that is naturally connected to the All, and intends for you to experience that wholeness through your body and mind. She also points out that "if you know how to direct the power of desire towards growth, it can help you create a life of abundance, love, and even enlightenment. The bad news is that, if the desires you follow are unhealthy or not brought fully to consciousness–or if you continuously follow the distracting impulses of momentary desires–you are likely to find yourself in situations that don’t serve your highest goals at all. And sometimes, it seems as if you just can’t help it." The yogic process of becoming centered in your power, the power of choice, through breath, movement, and awareness is key to staying aligned with your intentions. By cultivating the ability to recognize desire as it arises, and stop our unintended actions right in their tracks,

we can embody the yogic fire of Shiva, who incinerates the lord of desire with one glace from his third eye.