Gift Guide for Yogis and Meditation Lovers

The best gifts for yoga and meditation lovers in your life (or a list to send through to your loved ones as a sneaky hint)… We’ve tried to blend supporting independent creators, and tools to deepen your practice alongside some of the more covetous gifts too. Let us know in the comments below if you know of small producers who could do with a shout out, or books and resources that changed your life.

Why do we know what yogis want? Well, on the days we’re not running, we can usually be found doing yoga and/or meditating. We love them all so much that we’ve even worked with yogis to create Roga, so that we can do them at the same time.

Our friends at Yoga Hero have some incredible Christmas gift collections available, including everything the new or experienced yogi could possibly need, from yoga accessories to bespoke yoga practice plans. They way the packages are bundled means that there are massive savings compared to buying individually – so you might be forgiven for treating yourself for Christmas too. (We won’t tell…) I particularly like the sound of the True Yoga Hero package, which includes a one to one yoga session and an unlimited class pass for a month. Miserable January would be a delight if Santa were kind enough to pop that under the tree.

A photo posted by Veggie Runners (@veggie_runners) on Jan 6, 2015 at 3:57am PST

My yoga space at home was completed when I bought this mandala drawn by artist Christie Clark. We actually met through a local vegans and veggies forum online, and I liked her work so much I ended up meeting her in a car park to furtively buy some prints and originals. I’m sure that came across on the CCTV(!) She posts worldwide if you live further afield, and want to avoid looking like a criminal. Prints are only £5, or 3 for £10 including postage, and original drawings are up to £20.  We love donating to charity in someone’s name. It’s hard to highlight some charities over others, so go with what you and your loved one feel most strongly about. These are some of our favourites.

• You can support Unicef’s work with displaced children in Syria
• Support older people closer to home by donating to Age UK or by entering one of their ace races (we’re doing the Harewood House Half Marathon in February if anyone would like to join us).
• Rose George’s account of how Admiral nurses helped her family when her father was dying with Alzheimer’s highlighted to us how invaluable and underrepresented they are – you can donate here.
• Oxfam also do great gifts that you can tailor to your recipient – seeds for a farmer in Africa for a keen gardener, a wind up radio to victims on natural disasters to someone who is into music. You can pop into stores, or order online to get cards with your specific gift on them.
• Lend With Care is a fantastic charity that microfinances loan to small businesses in developing countries. It’s really good fun getting together as a family round the computer to choose your entrepreneur, and your loan will make a huge difference to a whole family and community. Christmas feels like a perfect time to be thankful what we have, and to share how lucky we are.

A photo posted by Georgie Olley (@nomad.design) on Jan 19, 2015 at 9:29am PST

Nomad Design’s ikat yoga mat bags tick all the right boxes. A) They’re absolutely gorgeous, B) they’re handmade in the UK and C) they support the traditional makers of this beautiful fabric in Istanbul. I have the golden yellow ‘Sophie’ bag, and I get stopped by someone asking about it every time I go to a class. We love meditation apps, but the premium ones can get a bit spendy all in one go. They’re the perfect gift for a person who has enough stuff, and would love to deepen their mindfulness practice. We both like ‘OMG I can Meditate‘ (don’t be put off by its name), as it has a really broad range of meditations, from your ordinary ‘body scans’ to ‘my boss is a jerk’, and loads you can do with your kids.

We also have had great experiences with Zenfie and Buddhify.

We’ve heard good things about Headspace, though we’ve only ever done their free courses.We’re realising that we’re meditation app tarts, right now.

 We love Sweaty Betty’s looser t-shirts for layering on before and after class. This Be Here Now T-Shirt is a perfect reminder to stay in the moment, while still looking pretty cool doing so.

A photo posted by Veggie Runners (@veggie_runners) on Jul 6, 2015 at 7:57am PDT

For the yogi who is into running, or even just tempted by the idea, Roga are launching an 8-week course blending the best of running and yoga. Our focus for our own Christmasses this year is “Experiences over things” and this series promises to be life-changing. Bodies will be trained in core work and flexibility, while brains will focus on mindfulness and stamina. Early bird price for the whole 8-week course is just £70, and the benefits will last forever. Book here

We have both devoured Dan Harris’ Book on meditation in the last 6 months and found it completely life-altering. It’s the true story of how Dan went from TV newscaster having a panic attack live on air, to skeptical meditator, to zen master. We loved his sense of humour and how authentic and open he was about his journey. I actually bought it on Audible, and the author himself reads it in his brilliant TV-news-anchor tone. I cried laughing at how crazy he went on his 10 day silent meditation, and had to pull over the car at one point to wipe my eyes. If you sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial, you can actually get the book for free (remember to cancel before the month is up).

A bit silly, but we love these yoga cookie cutters. They’d make a perfect stocking filler for  your favourite yogi. If you bought them soonish, you could even make gingerbread christmas tree decorations. Tree pose in a tree!

Is there anything on your yoga wish list that we’re missing off this list? What would you like to see under the tree?

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means that we earn a (very tiny) commission if you buy something through them. Our authenticity and audience mean more to us than anything, so you can rest assured that if we recommend something, it is because we truly love the product.