It’s kind of ironic that the day after we pause and give thanks for the wonderful blessings we have in our lives (often non-material, such as family, friends, love and health), we forget about the little things, instead opting to spend our day chasing deals for electronics, toys and stuff we don’t really need. How quick our mindset shifts from one of gratitude to one of me-first, must-have 72” flat-screen TV. You may not drink the Kool-Aid, but it’s hard to escape the collective mindset of a society hell-bent on welcoming in the “official” holiday season with big-box store savings.

Local mom and pop shops couldn’t stand feeling left out, so they created their own version of Black Friday with Small Business Saturday, wrapped in a bow of feel-good community spirit, urging fed-up consumers to think out of the box, literally, and into the small shop to find those unique gifts your friends and family will cherish. Plus you’re helping the local economy and being “green.” Those moms and pops are smart and figured out fast just how strong a play on the societal collective can impact their bottom lines.

Not to be outsmarted, online retailers stretched the societal collective one step further, many of them the subsidiaries of the normal big-box chains already reaping the reward of Friday and unable to keep their fingers away from more profit. Cyber Monday extends the shopping weekend one day further finally giving stay-at-home moms approval to shop on the comfort of their couch and prompting workplace efficiency to plummet the day after the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which also happens to be a low efficiency day as so many employees are already mentally on vacation. Great economic boost. Thank heavens “they” – the unnamed societal linchpins pulling the strings from someplace high above us dictating how we must live our lives – recognize the Sabbath and give us one days’ rest to remember why we’re thankful again.

With the advent of Pinterest, I can only imagine that the crafters are going to get crafty and claim Sunday as Scrapbooking Sunday so that craft stores can get in on the mad-dash profit action. Besides, we need to throw all this materialism to the side and remember that the best gifts are homemade memories, nicely compiled in large books with lots of stickers and sparkles and pictures and special paper. That you have to buy at the craft store. But on Sunday you get 75% off!

But I digress.

Here’s my yogic shopping guide to help you stay grounded during your holiday shopping bonanza, in support of online shopping, small businesses and products that will make you feel good when you use them and when you buy.

10 ways to support small & cyber businesses and still feel good about yourself

Support your local yoga studio by taking a yoga class in-person.
Invest in your own beauty with natural, homemade soaps from Nourish, based in Savannah, Georgia.
Get your best friend least likely to practice yoga interested in supporting your passions with an Outlaw Yoga tee. This company is so Outlaw, they sell solely through Facebook right now.
Dabble in Ayurvedic skin care with Ajara Skincare – I use their coconut rose cream cleanser.
Heal your sore muscles with homemade heating pads by theferriswheels.
Indulge in delicious teas by Teatulia. They even have a tea shop in the LoHi neighborhood of Denver where they are based.
Pop in to your local bakery for a cupcake – double points if your town has an actual cupcake shop. My fave is Ganache Cupcake Lounge where I live right now, but Denver’s Happy Cakes and Boulder’s Tee & Cakes are past faves.
Get a massage from a friend or ask your friends to recommend a local massage therapist.
Snuggle up with a good book – Chasing Sylvia Beach is a fun, juicy read that will transport you back in time to the streets of Paris in the early 20^th century.
Take my cyber yoga class on Monday! Sign up for my newsletter at the top of the page to get it delivered straight to your inbox on Monday morning.