Our Favorite Gifts

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Tibetan Singing Bowl

Someone in your life a little too stressed? Consider giving them this miniature Tibetan singing bowl as an elegant focus for contemplation. Make the carefully tuned bowl "sing" by circling it with the wooden striker (like running your finger around the edge of a crystal glass). The clear, floating sound has definite therapeutic qualities; contemplating the sound is said to lead to the heart of understanding. It takes concentration, though, to keep the sound going, so practicing helps you gather or release energy as you tease out the song of your auspicious destiny. Even kids enjoy learning to make the bowl sing, and musicians will be delighted by the tone. Good karma for you, too, since this "fair trade" purchase helps the community of Tibetan refugees in Nepal by supporting their traditional metalcraft. Packaged in a beautiful handmade paper box. --Martha Ainsworth

Cost: $30
Where to buy it: Tibet Collection

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Wooden Bird Calls

Birdwatching--you either get it or you don't. I have to admit, the appeal of this hobby/obsession completely eluded me until I encountered a recently retired and previously-non-birdwatching family member glued to his binoculars as he looked out over the nature preserve that was his new backyard. Soon we were taking turns catching glimpses of a hawk tearing apart a flopping fish on a headless palm tree. Wow! We were transfixed--fascinated by this simple miracle of nature--and sad to see him fly off after finishing his meal. These particular bird calls are handmade and nicely crafted, and could be used to attract owls, blackbirds, or ducks. I'd recommend them for budding birdwatchers or anyone interested in communing with our feathered friends. --Lisa Schneider

Cost: $13.75 each, or $41.25 for all 3
Where to buy it: Garrett Wade

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Wild Divine Video

Give the gift of joy and peace this year--literally. I have never found a computer or video game that was worth playing, but this is the one exception. Journey to the Wild Divine is a computer game for PC or Mac that actually uses biofeedback technology to teach skills such as deep breathing, relaxation, and visualization. This is a game anyone can play during a stress-filled day, and feel calmer and more centered after even a few minutes. The Journey comes with sensors that attach to three fingers and measure changes in your autonomic nervous system: it literally makes the mind-body connection visible. It is exhilarating to see balls whirling through the air, spheres levitating, and fires igniting on-screen as you generate the required emotion.

I have found that it's impossible to cheat: if the game asks you to generate joy and you generate peace, the balls will not levitate. I had to sing one of my favorite songs out loud to get them to fly, and fly they did, in huge circles that eventually took them right off the screen. I have never found a computer or video game that was worth playing, but this is the one exception. And here's the best part: my teenage son, who has succeeded at dozens of computer and video games, had to concede that his "hippie" mother has actually learned some skills he has yet to master. --Daphne White

Cost: $159.95
Where to buy it: www.wilddivine.com

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Honeybees--Yes, Bees
Here's a gift guaranteed not to wind up in the back of a closet. If you haven't heard of Heifer International via one of their many high-profile endorsers (Ted Danson, Susan Sarandon, Jimmy Carter, and others), the idea behind this unique charity is that you donate things to a community that will help sustain them over the long term. For example, a gift of honey bees provides a source of income for a family in need in say, the Dominican Republic, as well as a way to increase their crop yield (through the pollinating bees do on their honey-making travels). An excellent option for your socially aware friends. --Lisa Schneider

Cost: $30 for package of honeybees
Where to buy it: Heifer.org

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A Year of Spiritual Films

A group of film lovers have gotten together to form a company that will send you and your loved ones a new DVD every month containing an ensemble of films (many short, some feature-length) that they hope will make your spirits soar. You'll like their selections, they say, if you liked the films "Field of Dreams," "Whalerider," "Ghost," or "Truly, Madly, Deeply." "I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of the best movies made every year go virtually unseen," says Stephen Simon, one of the organizers and producer of the Robin William's film "What Dreams May Come." Among his advisers and partners are New Age thinkers Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, Neale Donald Walsch, and Jean Houston. "The major distributors won't touch the most heartful, soul-satisfying movies, because they don't think there's enough money in it," Simon goes on to say. "Remember, big, violent action movies bring in audiences that eat those huge $7 boxes of popcorn and those 32-ounce $4 cups of soft drinks. That's why theater-owners want them." So in giving this particular gift, you're joining a movement, so to speak. Everyone's tastes are different, especially when it comes to the spiritual realm, but it's worth a try. --Amy Cunningham

Cost: The service is $21 a month, or sign up for a year and get 10% off
Where to buy it: The Spiritual Cinema Circle

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