Manifest, little ones!

Having opened a yoga school three years ago, working day and night with fierce passion and finally finding what feels like my dharma (up to this point anyway) I realized that I had neglected a few things. Things like romantic vacations with the hubby where we lay in the sand half naked and drink margaritas all day. Lately, our “romantic vacations” involve me teaching yoga in tropical places, having discussions on dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, and entertaining a group of yogis all week long. Great stuff but it can take a little of the spark away.

Family vacationing is another that have fallen to the wayside, and my six year old was starting to question this, reminding me that we promised her we would go back to Disneyland when she was six and her sister was three. That was three years ago. She was right on schedule and I wanted to be truthful to her.

To me the most important part of parenting is to follow through with your word.

I looked up from my computer and told her to pray for it because we did not have enough money right now, but if she prayed and believed it would most likely work out.

Less than a month later we have our room booked and we are driving to Disneyland. Wow, these little ones sure can manifest! I aspire to teach my daughters to have faith and that they are co-creators, but how do I make sure I do not cross the line into the spiritual materialism that many of us have encountered over the past decade?

Other comments I have heard this week are “me and God did this.” Cool, she sees herself as a co-creator! And then: “Mom, some kids don’t know Jesus or Santa Claus.”

Strike! There it was—the confusion that I knew would kick in at some point for a child being raised in a family of yogi philosophers who seek spirituality over religion, plus an evangelical Christian grandmother and an atheist grandfather who I can just picture mocking me over my daughter’s quandary on Jesus and Santa Claus.

I taught her to have faith, about being a co-creator, and that God is like Santa Claus—oh, and by the way, you will learn one day that all adults are big liars.

Even though my first rule of parenting is based on truthfulness, all I could do in that moment of my disparity (while images of my family swirled around me, leering, shaking their heads in disapproval of what a lousy mother I am) was to look her deep in the eyes and over the lump in my throat, say “well honey, they are not really the same thing.” Thankfully the comments stopped there—for now.

I have since decided that all I can teach her is to be strong in her relationships with faith, God, and with the gifts that we receive.

I paid off my car last week and received an overpayment check of two cents. My husband laughed, and almost threw it away. To me it was important to make the trip to the bank and deposit that check because it represents my relationship with receiving gifts and abundance in my life. We should not reject the gifts that come into our lives; we should go to the source of the gift with Gratitude whether it is from Santa, the bank, or the Divine.

It always goes back to the Divine.

I will continue to teach my daughters the truth, and that is when we are grateful and faithful we just may discover our strength and feel a glimpse of just how much we are loved. As for the Santa myth, I will deal with that later.

 Dani McGuire is a yoga teacher, business owner, yoga therapist, and asana addict that loves Love, Life, Family, Food, God, and, of course, Yoga. “Since I am unable to quiet the mental chatter and control thirst for earthly pleasures I live, write, and laugh and my human-ness.” Dani leads yoga workshops and teacher trainings, and takes her yoga off the mat through Pranayoga Foundation, a nonprofit teaching yoga to people with cancer and chronic illness. For more about Dani check out her personal website or PranaYoga.

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Editor: Seychelles Pitton