Fitmas Gift Guide for Yoga

It’s gift giving season! So to help you on your gift purchasing endeavour I’m bringing you a series of Fitmas blog posts that’s all about Fitmas gift giving. Now here’s the thing, these posts are meant for people you KNOW, and know that they are already into said Fitmas Gift activity. PSA: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy unsolicited fitness gifts for people who do not already partake in fitness activities. Whilst you might care about someone’s health there are better ways of giving the gift of health and fitness than a surprise gym membership. (Plus, it’ll end in an “are you trying to say I’m fat?” argument, trust me, don’t do it.)

Fitmas Gift Guide for Yoga

Regular blog readers will know that 2015 was the year of yoga for me as I became a registered yoga teacher, so naturally starting with yoga is just, well, right. I’ve spent the year reviewing a few yoga items, reading books, magazines, adding stuff to my own wishlist and basically lived and breathed yoga this year. So I’m bringing you a pretty intensive list of fun items for the yogi in your life. My Fitmas gift guide for Yoga is a varied list and contains big ticket items, smaller gifts and stocking stuffers. So choose wisely. This is also a fun post to direct gift givers to, if they need ideas to buy you stuff! Hint: This means share the post people! 

Disclosure: It’s always my policy to make you aware that links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commision on purchases made through those links.

YOGA MAT: Goes without saying that a yoga mat is a pretty essential item for any Yogi. You could do yoga without one, but it’d be pretty uncomfortable (trust me I’ve tried it!). Good news is that mats run the gamut in price. You can get the fancy expensive ones like Manduka and Jade that can run you from $50 – $150+ , or opt for a cheaper mat for around $15. I’ve been using a Veda yoga mat for my home practice and I love it. Cushioned, but supportive and non-slip. For around $25 it’s a good buy and I definitely recommend it. If your recipient has a mat, how about  a mat bag? I love my Gaiam mat bag. Also don’t forget yoga mat cleaner!

YOGA TOWEL: If you already have a mat then perhaps a yoga towel to put on the mat, or for travel? If you do hot yoga I definitely recommend a towel on top of your mat. Honestly here in So Cal I use one in the Summer because I sweat like a beast in the heat. I have a couple of yoga towels but love my Veda Towel, because it matches my mat.

YOGA BLOCKS & STRAP: Props add dimensions to your practice you never knew existed. From assisting in difficult poses, to making others a little more challenging. Personally I always have my blocks and strap(s) handy and I’ve been practicing 30 years. People need to get over the “I don’t need HELP!”, yes you do. There is a difference between forcing yourself into a pose and BEING in the pose. I love the Veda Set because you get 2 blocks and a strap, just what you need!

BALANCE PAD: If people think props make things easy they never tried this balance pad. I got one earlier this year and WOW! If you’re looking to challenge your balance postures this is gonna do it. Not only can it make things like upward dog so much more accessible but it makes tree pose so much more challenging!  This one from Clever Yoga is amazing. Perfect size.

BOLSTER: Teacher yoga at both a yoga studio and gym I can say hand on heart I much prefer the studio, because of bolsters. LOVE LOVE LOVE these, and this year I bought one for my own home use, and for use with private clients. I hated restorative yoga when I first tried it. Now I LOVE it. Reclining butterfly pose on a bolster, supported twisted sage, heart openers, supported back bends. These make yoga comfortable, accessible and just lovely. Plus they are great for meditation, though a proper meditation cushion would be better.

EYE MASK: Ok you might think I’m crazy but a year ago I tried Pat’s class at Yoga Nook, and in savasana we place these bags over our eyes and BOOM instant relaxation. It’s a signature thing of “Pat’s Class” now. Well this month I got the chance to review a Zenik Lavender Eye Mask for free in exchange for a fair and honest review, and instantly applied. I already knew I loved them, and I wanted one for my home practice, so I could mimic Pat’s class at home. Let me tell you, it’s amazing! What I didn’t know is that you can use them hot/cold too!!! Spritz with water and heat for 30s in the microwave, and it stays warm for 2 hours. Or for some cool relief place in a bag in the freezer for a couple of hours. I gotta say for me, savasana with this Zenik bag is the most amazing thing ever. It helps with meditation (lavender relaxes me), helps keep the light out, and the lavender scent helps keep me present. Also it helps a lot when I’ve been staring at the computer screen too long (like now) and having some eye strain. I have light sensitive eyes anyway. I often struggle in savasana to relax, because I get distracted easily, and having this eye mask on really helps keep me grounded. This is on my gift list for some of my yoga buddies this year! Which is why I added it to my Fitmas gift guide for Yoga.

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION/BOOKS: Yoga Journal is pretty much the magazine to have for yoga, and I’ve been a subscriber for a while now. With each magazine I get a great mix of pose information, teacher/education resource, indepth breakdown, as well as yoga related articles and reviews. Plus at just $7 for a year (auto renew) it’s a great gift that keeps on giving all year! For books I recommend anything by BKS Iyengar, Easwaran, and Krishnamurti.

SOCKS! Everyone gets socks at the holidays and yogi’s are no exception. So get your yogi some Yoga Socks. I own a few pairs of these grippy socks, including some from Toe Sox and Gaiam. I need to review both of these more in depth, I’ll make a note to do that! I love yoga socks though, especially at this time of year because I get cold feet easily. For those that get cold hands there are also yoga gloves! My preference is for toeless but there are also those with toes, with long socks, short socks, bright colors, solids, patterns and well everything in between. If you’re giving socks, then maybe think Yoga Socks for your yogi!

YOGA JEWELRY: Yes you can get yoga jewelry. I have a few pieces, including bracelets and necklaces. I’ve bought a few pieces of yoga jewelry for friends too! Icons for yoga jewelry are the OM symbol, tree of life, buddha, lotus flower, hamsa, and  Mala beads are also popular. I’ve used earrings as zip clasps on my yoga mat bag, or hoodie.

HEADBANDS: One of the most useful items I got to try this year was a ponytail headband. This item is gonna pop up in a few Fitmas gift suggestions because it’s great! Keeps hair off your face and you have a hole to thread your ponytail through! GENIUS! Seriously, genius! I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get a headache from having my hair up all day and this allows the hair to be off your face, comfortably, and tied in a ponytail without the semi-facelift tightness from a hair band. Again, genius!

SINGING BOWL: Something else on my personal wishlist is a singing bowl. These are great for yoga and meditation. The two really go hand in hand. Not only relaxing but just so beautiful. Love that they come on a little cushion. Great for bringing your yoga practice to a start and close.

YOGA CLASSES/RETREATS: Whether online, DVD or in person you can buy some classes for your yogi friend. I just signed up for YogaWorks Online for the year because frankly I can’t get to many classes and sometimes I just want someone to tell me what to do rather than think about it myself. I got a great groupon deal, which is also a place I’d look for classes, lessons, and retreats. I also booked tickets to the Yoga Expo for me and my yoga buddy in Los Angeles in January so that’s also something to consider. If you’re friend LOVES a particular yoga teacher, maybe ask about a private session for her?

CLOTHING: Oh this one is always good! Unless you get the wrong size, then it can turn ugly. So make sure to get the right size or put in the gift receipt. I love Champion C9 at Target, but also Lululemon, Lorna Jane, more recently I’ve been trying Fabletics (waiting on my December outfit), and I am amassing quite the collection of yoga pants and tops.

OTHER YOGA THEMED STUFF: You can get just about anything for the house now that’s yoga themed. How about Pewter Yoga Pose figurines? Yoga wine glass? posters, prints, oil warmers, yoga dogs calendar? For under $10 how about an OM sticker for the car, phone, helmet, binder? Looking for something larger, maybe a wall decal? This lotus flower with the OM symbol is something I have in my wishlist.

GIFT CARDS: Whether to the yoga studio, lulu, lorna jane, Target, or Amazon, or other fun yoga place gift cards can be the ideal gift for someone you know, but don’t know their clothing size or what they have lurking in their yoga stash.

 

There are so many great yoga gifts available you are sure to find something for the yogi in your life.