To paraphrase the eternal words of Slade, IT’S (nearly) CHRISTMAS! Christmas is an excellent time of year, where everyone gets to sing about reindeers and indulge themselves in the manner of a slightly less restrained version of George IV. But unfortunately, drinking cream for breakfast and raucous carolling aren’t the whole story. We have responsibilities too at Christmas – and if there’s one thing that can make the festive season more stressful than attempting to ace a yodelling competition while soothing an angry ostrich, it’s buying gifts for our friends and loved ones.
Don’t get us wrong: when everything falls into place it can be lovely buying presents, warm in the knowledge that whoever will receive them is going to be bowled over by our thoughtfulness and impeccable taste. “I always knew they were a fabulous and also very attractive person” our friends will say to each other, nodding wisely as they admire their new toe-warmers. But what happens when you can’t find anything to buy and there are only a few days left until Christmas? That’s when the Yuletide nightmare begins.
Luckily, this list is here to provide you with last-minute present ideas – and not any old presents either! These are the most calming, meditative and wellbeing-boosting presents anyone could wish to receive. During the festive season, when our heart aches in anguish to see hours of careful wrapping ripped aside in seconds, and cooking the Christmas dinner becomes an arduous yet ultimately doomed task akin to Napolean invading Russia, we can all feel in need of a little pick-me-up.
So take a peek at our calming Christmas gift list for meditation and wellbeing, and help someone you know find some much-needed relaxation.
Himalayan Salt Lamp
https://www.glowhimalayan.co.uk/
We like salt, enjoy the Himalayas and absolutely LOVE lamps – so what could be better than an amalgamation of all three! As pretty as your favourite Hollywood starlet wearing a gown made of tinsel and as wholesome as a raft of avocados, this lovely gift comes with benefits galore – from providing a relaxing glow to its air purifying properties.
Some Fancy Teaware
Whether it’s a Matcha green tea set or a classy, calming blend from Whittards or Fortnum & Mason, giving someone more ways to stick on a brew is a guaranteed way to improve their life and lower their stress levels. Years of scientific research have proven that no one ever has been angry or upset while drinking tea (citation needed), so tea-themed Christmas gifts are always going to be a winner.
East by West
Jasmine Hemsley
http://www.jasminehemsley.com/read/
Jasmine Hemsley is a fantastically dressed wellness wizard, and East by West would be a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. This particular book is focused on the ancient art of Ayurveda; with plenty of advice on how to tailor your diet to your body type, simplifies the philosophy and practicalities behind eating to nourish, sustain and repair. What’s more, given the 140 delicious recipes, there’s the added bonus that you can drop heavy hints about popping round for dinner to whoever you give it to.
The Worry Box
There’s quite a lot to worry about in the modern world – from scraping together the rent to puzzling over the exact meaning of covfefe – and having an outlet for all these worries can be a very helpful thing. There are lots of variations on the concept of the ‘worry box’, which allows people to write down their concerns and put them away, and they can make a brilliant gift for someone who needs to put a little bit of space between themselves and their worries.
Buddha Board
One of the less meditative aspects of painting is trying to make it look good. That disappointing moment when you realise you’ve not so much captured the beauty of your subject as crushed it in your clammy hands is enough to ruin any relaxing afternoon, so it can be useful to distance ourselves from this stress.
Buddha Boards are an awesome solution to this issue. A ceramic plate that you paint onto with water, your creations appear as black as ink for a few minutes before slowly fading away, giving you an endless opportunity to doodle and create – but with none of the pressure. As a medium where we can enjoy the process of painting rather than the result, a Buddha Board is the perfect meditative gift.
The Effortless Mind
Will Williams
We can’t very well do a Christmas gift list without plugging our founder’s first book (let no one say we meditators aren’t PR-savvy), and it really is a must-have for anyone interested in meditation. Framed around the personal stories of people whose lives were transformed by meditation, this book explains exactly how the technique can help us become the best version of ourselves – and who doesn’t want that?
Ayurvedic tongue scraper
The words “tongue” and “scraper” may sit a little queasily together (we promise it’s not like anything from Saw), but if you have a loved one who is interested in wellness, they could really appreciate this gift. From promoting oral hygiene to enhancing our sense of taste, this daily ritual is both a form of self care and a traditional element of Ayurvedic practices – should someone you know happen to be into that kind of thing.
Tabletop Zen garden
Gardening isn\’t all trowels and turf. For the Japanese, the Zen garden is all about simplicity and elegance – making it easy to replicate in miniature on your desktop. Therefore, you don’t have to be a Borrower to enjoy an implausibly tiny garden, and you’ll struggle to find a more relaxing bit of decor for your desk at work. Some come with candles, others with mini water features, and raking the stones into patterns or contemplating a nice pebble is a genuinely enjoyable way to while away a few idle minutes.
Singing bowls
Singing bowls come in many shapes, materials and sizes, and they have the enviable Beyoncé-esque quality of being beautiful to look at as well as to listen to. For spiritual types, singing bowls are credited with all sorts of mystical benefits, but for others they are a pleasant way to make soothing sounds that relax and unwind us.
Prices vary immensely for singing bowls, so they can be everything from a stocking filler to a not-so-subtle way of telling someone you intend to marry them. Whatever the price, however, they all make a brilliant and calming gift.
We hope this list has provided you with some Christmas inspiration. There’s not long to go now – we hope you have lots of fun counting down the days!
The Benefits of Beeja Meditation
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Greater clarity and calm
- Increase focus
- Enhance relationships
- Sleep better
- Feel energised
