Holiday Gift Guide
This year, we did things a little differently. We asked the YogaCity NYC team what they would really like to receive. Here’s what they came up with. With prices ranging from $10 to $150 dollars, we don’t think there is one thing on this list that your bff yoga buddy wouldn’t love.
Wear Your Pose Proud And Pretty With A Delicate Necklace
Your friend just mastered dancer pose and she holds it with strong, steady grace—her leg the bow and her heart the arrow. Wouldn’t a necklace of the pose look great around her neck? Or the wheel, tree, or scorpion? Yoga teacher Deborah Stotzky and her husband artist Erwin List make these beautiful yoga people necklaces using the lost-wax method. Cost: $65-$95. Click here for more information.
Great New Indian Cook Book!
Do your foodie friends know about Nandini Sharma, the chef who will be teaching at Eddie Stern’s new studio in Brooklyn? She has a great new book out, Sakahari: The Plant Eater's Cookbook ($12.95), which not only is loaded with recipes, but gives great tricks and explanations for the spices used in Indian food, and how to maximize their flavors. This is one you might stick in your own stocking.
Learn To Make Your Own Yoga Pants (And Dresses, Skirts, And Curtains)
Rachel Blackmon teaches absolute beginners how to choose fabric, use a pattern, and put clothing and pillows together on her machine. She also teaches jewelry-making and art classes. Most importantly: She is patient and easy-going with newbies. In January, she will have small classes in sewing, jewelry, and art, as well as private lessons. Classes of 3-4 students are $40 for a 2-hour lesson, less if you sign up for a series. Individual classes are $40 per hour. Check her website for information about all her classes by clicking here.
Meet Your Spirit Animal
Nadiya Noddingham, who hales from the shamanic culture of Ireland, where ancient
traditions are still highly respected, will take you on a deep journey to connect with your spirit animal. Turtle, turkey, cheetah—don’t be surprised by who shows up to greet you and keep you safe through this period of your life. Check for prices by clicking here.
Green Cardio Transportation
Give a gift that will be a lot more useful all year than another sweater: a membership to Citi Bikes. A year-long membership might sound expensive—$149—but that is about a month and a half of subway rides. The rest of the year, you will be getting free transportation. And you will be keeping the city greener and probably moving faster than the traffic. Think about that as a gift for your favorite enviro friend!
Christmas From Harlem Artisans
From handmade coconut oil and beeswax soap flecked with clove, to exotic sauces inspired by traditional African recipes and jams made with locally-grown fruit, each item tells the story of the artisan who crafted it. Like Maya, her mother Irinel, and her grandmother Beatrice, who make mouth-watering jams from recipes passed on through five generations of cooks. Or Hawa Hassan, who creates traditional Somali sauces that make Martha you-know-who swoon. Send a box or savor it yourself by clicking here and enjoy the best products from one of the most interesting and colorful neighborhoods in the city - Harlem.
Give The Hot Gift This Year: Adult Coloring Books
For a meditative experience, give a book full of doodles or repetitive patterns like The Secret Garden or Zolocolor. While some color-enthusiasts go for precision with colored pencils, a new box of perfectly sharp Crayola crayons opens a world of possibilities and allows one to let go and truly color like a kid again. Coloring books are $6-$10. Crayons about $4 a box.
—The editors of YogaCity NYC, who put this together, want to wish you the happiest holiday season ever!
—Top illustration: Kris Mukai
