Gosh, I hope my yoga teacher Pio does not read this or else my Christmas gift won’t be a secret anymore!

It is hard enough thinking of Christmas gifts for guys and I always am in a dilemma when it comes to thinking of gifts that they would find useful and practical (isn’t it so much easier to buy a gift for girls???). So, what do you give your yoga teacher when he/she lives a very simple life, cannot eat most of the goodies being sold during Christmas, does not drink wine, and is vegan?

Well, I did some sleuthing around the web and found ideas from several sites which I am gladly sharing with you. Here is what you can get your favorite yogi:

1. A selection of teas – you may choose a flavored, decaffeinated green tea and some other selections that do not have caffeine, like chamomile.

2. A scented eye pillow or silk eye bag – your busy yoga teacher is so focused on helping others that he will need some time for himself to relax and meditate. You could use lavender scent for relaxation or flax seeds which keep the eye area cool. An ideal eye pillow is one that comes with an outer, washable covering.

3. A bath basket you can fill with natural, mineral-based items.

4. A CD of yoga chants

5. Meditation CDs

6. A new yoga mat or yoga bag

7. A massage gift certificate – Now who would not welcome the gift of massage? I would! So gift your teacher with this. You cannot go wrong.

8. A yoga calendar – This is great, if you can find one available locally. A good one would be one that includes the moon phases as some instructors do not practice on certain moon days.

9. A yoga book or a book on the human anatomy in movement – Your teacher will probably appreciate a book on the musculoskeletal system that describes which muscles are affected by different types of movements. Or find a yoga book on the yoga masters or one which dwells on the type of yoga he teaches. Powerbooks, Fully Booked, and other bookstores would have a variety of selections to choose from.

10. Yoga wear – a great top or pair of shorts suitable for his yoga practice will always be welcome. After all, with so many classes he teaches, frequent changes can be tough on yoga clothing.

11. Green living decor – this could be anything for your instructor’s home: serene water fountains, aromatherapy candles, decor produced from things that do not harm Mother Earth, organic stuff.

I still have not set my eyes on a suitable gift but will try to make up my mind in the coming days. If you are like me, in the throes of work and have a long shopping list still to be done, I wish you good vibes and hope you do not stress out in the process of getting all your “to-do’s” done. I hope I don’t, too!

Namaste!