Cool Yoga Gifts

No More Slip Sliding Away - NamaSTAY Yoga Towels

Have you been having trouble with sweaty palms and feet on your yoga mat? Do you worry in those hot classes that you might lose your grip and hurt yourself by slipping and nose diving into the floor? I have to say – that used to be one of the biggest factors that kept me from staying fully present in class. Now, I depend on my NamaSTAY towel to keep me securely planted in my downward dogs.

Cleveland, Ohio-based Cherie Greenwald has developed a pretty damn innovate non-slip yoga towel that has sleeves to hug yoga mats so that the towel stays flat. You can read my review of NamaSTAY yoga towels, and if you decide you want to purchase one, you can order direct through the Daily Downward Dog to save an extra 20% off of your order.

NamaSTAY yoga towels fit most standard size mats and come in a variety of gorgeous colors, including darker, manly colors for the yoga dude in your life. When you give the gift of a NamaSTAY yoga towel, you show how much you care about the safety and well-being of your yogi friends.

Yoga Crack

Indu Lotion, otherwise known as Nectar of the Moon, and sometimes affectionately described as Yoga Crack, is perfect for anyone on your gift list who needs a little something (legal) to help them relax. No prescription required – this all-natural lotion is made with essential oils of bergamot, lavender, and geranium to create an aromatherapy potion that helps ease anxiety and tension, fights fatigue and stress, and (the product feature near and dear to my heart) helps promote clear thinking. The creator of this product, Marni Task, lives and teaches yoga in northeast Ohio (and she also puts on a pretty fierce kirtan too)! You can read more about Indu and can order it right here on The Daily Downward Dog.

 

Memory Foam Meets Yoga Mat

Say goodbye to sore wrists and achy joints. The Vernice Vita (VV) yoga mat provides three layers of comfort, one of which is memory foam, that keep you protected and comfy during your daily downward dogs. If you love savasana, imagine how much more amazing it could feel lying on those three layers of yumminess. I wrote about my experience using my Vernice Vita mat, and I have to say that once you go VV, you’ll never go back to a conventional mat. Major kudos to Rachael Ennis, the genius behind Vernice Vita.

Show the yoga lover in your life how much you really care for them with the gift of a Vernice Vita comfort  yoga mat. Their wrists, ankles, knees, and heart will have an even greater appreciation for you.

SPECIAL OFFER: ORDER A VERNICE VITA YOGA MAT from The Daily Downward Dog and you’ll SAVE $10!

The World’s Best Yoga Pants

Well according to me, the world’s best yoga pants aren’t really pants but are skeggings from Omala. These leggings feature the built-in cuteness of a skirt to cover up your bum and are made with ultra-comfortable bamboo, cotton and spandex, or recycled poly. Hop on over to read my full review, but don’t take too much time, because these skeggings fly off the shelves! You’ll need to put your order in soon, and when you visit the Omala site, be sure to check out all of Kate’s (the founder of Omala) gorgeous new designs, including the Bamboo Cowl Neck Top (shown here). Use the promotional code – DDDOMALA – to get 20% off your purchase (pre-shipping cost).

 

The Ultimate Shop Local Gift

I can’t think of a better gift to give someone you love than the gift of yoga. Why not encourage a friend or family member to start by inviting them to practice with you, or by purchasing a yoga gift certificate for them to try classes in their town? You’ll be supporting your local yoga community and doing something really extraordinary (and maybe even life changing) for your recipient.

If you are looking for recommendations in the Richfield, Ohio area, I highly recommend Nirvana Yoga, and in the Akron, Ohio area, Yoga Bliss (both owned and operated by awesome yoginis). If you live in a remote area with no local studios, you have to try out MyYogaOnline, an online yoga video resource that lets you pick from hundreds of classes whenever it’s most convenient for you.

Organic, Handmade Soaps, Mat Cleaners and Muscle Balms

Is your mat, or the mat of someone that practices next to you, starting to give off a little unwanted aromatherapy? Here’s a gift I’m sure every yogi could use -organic mat cleaning sprays. These natural sprays come in two scents, Lavender Peppermint and Tea Tree Eucalyptus, to get your mat clean and smelling like a dream.

And, if you’re tired of using commercial soaps full of chemicals and ingredients that dry out your skin, how do these handmade organic soaps in scents like Lemon Clary Sage, Sweet Basil Mint, and Berry Delight sound?  Made from natural ingredients, my good friend and fellow yoga teacher Katie Buettner-Dzananovic whips up these clean-loving concoctions that will leave your skin feeling healthy and refreshed.

Read my review of the Sweet Basil Mint soap and of Katie’s sweet smelling Thieve’s Oil, and then hop on over to her Etsy shop to purchase her soaps, mat sprays, and new muscle balms before they run out.

Oh, and if you have a baby, Katie also has another cool website, milabean.com, that features organic, fair-trade, and eco-friendly products for babies.

Sanskrit 101

One of the most hotly debated topics on the D.D.D. this year was my post about teaching yoga classes in English versus Sanskrit. It seems that many of us need a little refresher course on the fine art of speaking Sanskrit, and if you or one of your buddies belongs to this camp, why not invest in someSanskrit training? The awesome yogini Cheryl Hall can get you over your fear of mispronouncing poses like Padangusthasana, Ardha Chandrasana, and Parivrtta Parsvakonasana in under 45 minutes. If you want more information, please read my review of Cheryl’s online training sessions (done via Skype), and then contact her direct (azvedicchant at gmail.com or by phone 480-216-2602) to purchase a gift certificate. Mention the Daily Downward Dog, and Cheryl will give you $5 off the 45-minute class (which is normally $35).

 

Seva – The Best Gift of All

Please take a moment to consider giving back some of the goodness you’ve received this year. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention at least one organization that could use some love and support this coming year.

I just recently learned about the efforts of Street Yoga, a non-profit organization that teaches yoga, mindful breathing, and compassionate communication to youth, families, and their caregivers who are struggling with homelessness, poverty, abuse, addiction, trauma, and behavioral challenges. This practice encourages them to grow stronger, heal from past traumas, and create for themselves a life that is inspired, safe, and joyful.

Mark Lilly founded Street Yoga in 2002 by organizing a handful of yoga teachers to teach yoga at a day shelter and school that serves homeless youth. Lilly says his life was deeply bettered by yoga. He started Street Yoga partly because of a song by Neil Young; there’s a line from the song that goes, “We were giving, that’s how we kept what we gave away.” To keep what yoga gave to him, Mark Lilly said that he had to give it away as fast and as much as possible.

Over the last ten years that giving has reached thousands of kids!

Please visit the Street Yoga website. There are plenty of ways to get involved, either through volunteering, starting Street Yoga in your community, or by making a donation.

Wherever you shop, please support local businesses, your local yoga studio, and spread the love.