How do I know if I'm suppressing my desire or honoring my boundaries?

This is the question Mirabai lived inside of—the difference between denying what's true in you and protecting what's sacred. Suppression usually feels like shame, a tightening, a voice that says "you shouldn't want this." Boundaries feel different. They're clear-eyed. They say "I want this, and not with this person" or "I want this, and not like this." Start by getting curious without judgment. When you feel a pull away from desire, pause and ask: Am I afraid of how I'll be perceived? Or am I actually sensing a mismatch in values, safety, or readiness? One contracts you. One protects you. Mirabai danced in the streets when society said a widow should hide. But she also didn't take every lover who asked. She distinguished between the world's shame and her own knowing. That's the examined heart at work—feeling fully, choosing consciously. Journal this difference for a week. Notice which "no's" feel like relief and which feel like resignation. The ones that feel like relief? Trust those. They're your boundaries speaking. The ones that feel like resignation? That's worth examining more closely with someone you trust.