Nov 24, 2022

What Is Hygge? - All You Need To Know To Master The Art Of Hygge

Hygge is a Danish word meaning “cosy” or “warmth”. It has been described as the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin.

In this article, we invited an expert to tell us what hygge is, whether it can be compared to Feng Shui and we take a look at the many ways we can start feeling hygge both in summer and in winter.

What is Hygge?

Hygge is an attitude towards life that encourages us to embrace our inner selves and appreciate the simple things in life. It’s not just about having a cosy home, but also about enjoying each other’s company.

In recent years the word and the concept of hygge have travelled the world. We have called in an expert on the subject to give us an insight into what hygge is. Actually, we are so pro hygge at Complete Unity Yoga, that we have an in-house and always on-sight hygge team (just joking). One of the two founders of Complete Unity Yoga, Malene, is from Denmark, where the word and concept of Hygge originated.

“Hygge is self-care without the should’s and could's,” Malene says and further explains: “I mean, self-care often comes with a connotation of one should do this or that, have a specific routine, do that in a specific order, but hygge just comes with no rules.” - Malene Vedel

Hygge is a feeling, and a state of mind. You can be hygge at work, you can be hygge at home, in nature or anywhere. When times a rough, or we are feeling tired, hygge becomes handy. Hygge is a lovely place to live life from.

“Don’t get me wrong” Malene says and continues: ” Self-care routines are essentials for keeping up good health, vitality and high energy levels to live our best life, but I also think that self-care routines can add a lot of pressure to daily life. We look to others, imagining they are doing this and that to stay healthy we add a lot of should's and could’s to our already packed days. It is great that many of us have more things we want to do than we can fit in a day, what a treasure that is. Hygge can be a way for us to nourish ourselves, without a strict way of eating, or doing exercise, hygge is like a break, a pause, an exhale.”

Malene explains that, of course it is incredibly important to be aware of the world around us, the food we eat, the liquids we drink, the way we speak and act, hygge can be a that safe zone, where we for a while, short or long, just sit. There are no rules, we can think of all the things we want to think about or think of nothing, and we can let the mind wonder and ponder. We can sit, lay, walk, meander or be still. Hygge is taking time to enjoy the things we are doing, right now. Being alive means being active, working, washing clothes and other duties, the moment we stop all actions for good, we are pretty much dead, right? (It just reminded me to breathe deeper and slower while writing this article). So let's get living a hygge life!

Hygge can look different every day. It might be a glass of cold water after a sweaty workout, or a lay-in, half awake, half asleep, it might be a freshly baked slice of bread or a moment alone in nature. Hygge might be a hug from our child, a board game, or a trip to the cinema.

“English words that come to my mind when trying to translate Hygge are well-being, self-care, contentment, calmness, cosy, comfortable, soft, warm, trusting, faith, expansive, taking time, slowing down, being present, being forgiving, loving, kind and understanding.” - Malene Vedel

Malene tells us that a friend came up to her asking if Hygge was a practice like Feng Shui. To begin with, she had a little giggle about that comparison. Hygge to an ancient, well-thought-through Chinese practice? No, Malene said, I don’t think we can compare Feng Shui to hygge, though the feelings that Feng Shui evoke in you, are the same that Hygge will: Harmony and a sense of connection to oneself and nature. Drawing a connection between other cultures and Hygge we can look towards Japan. Hygge is a concept that originated in Denmark, where people enjoy spending time together in cosy environments.The idea of hygge is similar to the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which means appreciating the beauty of imperfection. Below we have collected just a few ideas to help you start feeling hygge.

Would you like to learn more about Hygge?

Read this million copy bestseller: The Little Book of Hygge : The Danish Way to Live Well

FUN FACT:

In danish when saying goodbye, instead of saying “have a lovely day” you can simply say: “hyg dig”, meaning be cosy (hyggelig).

How To Hygge? Ideas To Get Started On The Path of Hygge:

Winter:

Pull up your socks a little higher or get into an extra warm cosy pair of socks.
Drink a tea, sip by sip
Bring a blanket to work or a cosy pair of slippers
Light candles
Eat an extra big slice of cake and watch a good film
Jump in the cold water and get in a sauna
Hop into your pj’s
Restorative yoga under a warm blanket