Wanderlust + YOGANONYMOUS: The Greatness of Gifting

Reflections: A Letter From the Editor

The end of the year is always a time for careful consideration. Year-in-review stories are published, “Persons of the Year” are selected, intentions are set. Even in communities that celebrate a different New Year holiday, the end of the Gregorian calendar marks a moment where we take a collective global breath and assess where we’ve been and where we’re going. The memories we’ve shared with others are small gifts of self that we’ve given over the year. This moment of self reflection is a gift we give ourselves. I’m not a fan of doomsday theories, and I firmly believe that the feeling of impending apocalypse is one that spans generations. But—and let’s be blunt—this has been a tough year, for a lot of reasons, all over the world. Global leaders met this month in an

attempt to determine whether we can reverse seemingly irreversible damage to our environment. The scope of religious extremism has reached new levels of terror. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen, in both developed and developing countries. As I give myself the gift of self-reflection this year, I can’t help but feel like it’s a pretty dire time to be alive. But perhaps this realization is exactly what we all need to be feeling as we end the year, in order to spur the kind of actionable, honest change that both our planet and our communities need. Indeed, it already feels as if this is happening. #GivingTuesday this year inspired nearly 700,000 people to donate. When a climate protest in Paris was canceled, people left 10,000 pairs of shoes where people would have stood. A full quarter of Americans report having volunteered in the past year. That is to say, as the world becomes darker, lights shine brighter.

We talk a lot about “lightness” in the mindful community, and it’s perhaps a more crucial conversation than ever. Being a light means learning how to give of yourself—whether it be big or small. Having a difficult conversation with a friend who is preaching hate is no less important than volunteering at a soup kitchen. Teaching your dad how to meditate is as significant as marching in a protest. Donating your time is just as urgent as donating your money. We hope that this collection of articles gets you thinking about the act of gifting a little bit differently, because when we give the gift of ourselves we are able to transmute our anxieties about a sometimes-scary world into positive achievement. With that lightness, we are able to make big changes. And that’s a gift we can all use.

In love & light,
Lisette Cheresson
Managing Editor

Giving My Heart Back to Myself

by Kristin Diversi on Wanderlust

I tiptoed on eggshells, trying to get the perfect, loving man I first knew back, while he continued to increasingly degrade and shame me. Because he kept promising to change. To treat me better. The best gift I’ve ever given myself was when I realized those were all lies.

Gift Your Own Homemade Aromatherapy Perfumes

by Niki Saccareccia on YOGANONYMOUS

Create your own line of aromatherapy gifts for your friends and loved ones for a fraction of the cost of store bought products. You can make beautiful gifts by customizing the bottles to suit whoever they are for and using these three recipes.

Crystals: How to Gift With Deeper Meaning

by Kara Fujita Jovic on Wanderlust

For centuries around the world, people have used talismans to focus and bring mindfulness to qualities they want to express. When responsibly sourced, crystals can be very significant and mystical gifts, and if they are combined with sacred geometry, they take on even greater meaning.

The Power of Gifting Books

by Emma Mildon on YOGANONYMOUS

Be it a breakup, make up, melt down, fork in the road, U-turn, or lane change through the journey of life, I have usually had to book to throw at the issue—and it boy, did it help. Here is a list of books to help you (and your tribe) live more—better, easier, healthier, and happier.

Giving the Gift of Multiculturalism

by Deborah Charnes on Wanderlust

Gifts of multiculturalism don’t expire. They don’t wear out. They don’t become passé. They shape you. They fulfill you. They open your mind and your heart, not unlike yoga. What’s most precious to us, we share with our loved ones. Here are tips to make your holidays a bit more cultured.

Giving the Gift of Experience

by Cameron Cler on YOGANONYMOUS

As Maya Angelou famously stated: “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Instead of buying my friend a gift, I decided to share an experience, creating a memory that would last longer than any material item.

4 Healthy Jar Mixes for DIY Holiday Gifts

by Amanda Kohr on Wanderlust

Around the holidays there are few things more precious than gathering in the kitchen to assemble seasonal eats. Not only do these gifts give your friends and family a meal, but they’ll also receive the opportunity to come together in the most popular room in the house. That’s a recipe for true nourishment.

Gifting Guide to Crystal Buying

by Emma Mildon on YOGANONYMOUS

Somewhere along the line, crystals became my gifting signature. I have learned the art of bestowing them upon friends and family for baby showers, house warmings, holidays, and birthdays. Whether given as an intention or a healing kit, these little love nuggets are a special and unique way of showing someone you care.

5 Ways to Give Gifts With Intention

by Renée Lamb on Wanderlust

The holidays are a beautiful time of year, full of love and good intention. It’s also an easy time of year to fall prey to the mad rush of activity and consumerism that so often accompany the season. Gifting doesn’t have to be that way. When we focus on love and good intention when sharing gifts, we harness the true spirit of the holidays.

DIY Presents: A Creative Way to Gift

by Cameron Cler on YOGANONYMOUS

What if you could find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list on a budget? This is no Christmas miracle, but rather a thoughtful approach to gifting during the holiday season. DIY gifts may elicit memories of hand-me-down sweaters or crafts gone wrong, but they don’t have to. Here are some great ideas to get started.

Gifts to Delight Your Inner Child

by Amanda Kohr on Wanderlust

Kids look at the world with a sense of wonder and indispensable curiosity—a sense that, as adults, we may find it hard to replicate. This year, take some gifting advice from your inner child by encouraging the art of play in those you love. These presents come from a kid’s heart, and help inspire your loved ones to celebrate the part of themselves that still longs for a snow day.

Breathing Your Way Through the Holidays

by Jane Emerick on YOGANONYMOUS

This holiday season give yourself the greatest gift you will ever know: the gift of breath. When we consciously breathe we go within, we connect to a higher self, we feel more love, we give more love, and we live our lives with more purpose. And this is not just yogi-speak—there is real hard evidence that says a bit of breath can do you a world of good.

Reflections: A Letter From the Editor

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