A Yogi’s Holiday Gift Guide

Gift-giving during the holiday season carries a lot of cultural importance for many people. In the spirit of this season of gratitude and generosity, we wanted to offer some ideas for your loved ones that support a sustainable future.

We recognize that materialism and gift-giving are often associated, but aren’t necessarily the same. Supporting local businesses and pampering your loved ones can take many different forms.

Before we recommend a few products, we wanted to highlight the ways you can give the gift of experience. In a year where we have been restricted,

• Consider supporting local restaurants by getting a takeout meal.

• Donate in the name of a loved one to nonprofits/organizations you believe in.

• Plan a day to enjoy the outside.

• Give the gift of yoga and support our yoga teachers by purchasing a class pass for your loved ones!

In addition to these gifts of experience, we wanted to offer a selection of yoga-inspired gifts, all from companies making commitments to sustainability!

Activewear/Clothing

• The Girlfriend Collective – This eco-friendly, recycling-focused, fair trade, slow fashion company hits all the boxes in terms of sustainability. Their activewear runs in sizes XXS to 6XL, and they make a point to feature diverse models.

  • Lila Flow recommends: High Rise Bike Short

• The Onikas – Located in Miami Beach, this sustainable textile company collaborates with global artisans to produce beautiful clothing, all while preserving cultural heritage by supporting the production of traditional crafts like the art of block printing and weaving.

  • Lila Flow recommends: Comfy Linen Shorts

• Electric & Rose – This Venice Beach-based tie-dye activewear company merges unique activewear with sustainability. In addition to making their clothes locally in Los Angeles, they partner with local organizations that emphasize social and environmental justice.

  • Lila Flow recommends: The Sunset Legging

• Outdoor Voices – This Austin-based activewear brand quickly spread to New York City and across the country online. They sell sustainable clothing for all genders and boast a generous student discount. Lila Flow yogi Mason Gray is an OV ambassador and recommends their leggings for any kind of movement.

  • Lila Flow recommends: Core 7/8 Legging

  • Use this code for 20% off: DOER-MASON

• Indosole – This company combats tire waste in Indonesia by repurposing the rubber into flip flops and slides for all genders and ages (they have kids’ shoes too!). Not only are they sustainable, but super comfy and long-lasting!

  • Lila Flow Recommends: Slides in Black

Yoga Mats

• My Custom Yoga Mat - Founded by Lily Feldman, a Lila Flow yogi, My Custom Yoga Mat provides embroidered yoga mats in all colors for your practice!  

• Flex-n-Fly – This wellness company offers relaxation and stretching classes for travelers, as well as portable yoga mats that can be easily fit in a suitcase!

Bathroom Products/Hair Care/Skin Care

• Habitat Botanicals – This Canadian company has a series of sustainable bathroom products. I recently ordered their shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bars, and I absolutely love them.

  • Lila Flow recommends: Aloe Shampoo Bar

• Mario Badescu – This company has coconut oil-based products and is available online via their website, as well as through major makeup retailers, including Ulta, Macy’s, and Nordstrom.

  • Lila Flow recommends: Lavender Hand Cream

• Bathing Culture – This San Francisco company revolutionized soap to be safe for your skin, your household, and the planet! They sell a variety of gentle and sustainable soaps and sanitizers – a perfect gift for this holiday season.

  • Lila Flow recommends: Bathing Culture Gift Set

Books

Before you buy a book for a loved one this holiday season, consider checking out this comprehensive list of Black-Owned Bookstores by state.

No bookstore near you? Trying to avoid in-person contact? Buy online! In an effort to compete with Amazon, Bookshop.Org finds books from local stores and gives them a cut. It is accessible online, which is a great safety feature for this year, and it still drives traffic to local stores.

Patricia’s Book Recommendations

• Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

• 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

• After Dark by Haruki Murakami

• The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami

• The Tao of Wu by The Rza

Gillian’s Book Recommendations

• They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

What is one way you plan to share your gratitude and generosity? Let us know in the comments here or on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter by tagging us and #LilaFlowYoga in your posts.

Post Author: Gillian Ebersole, Lila Flow Graduate 2020