What is Hygge?

The term hygge (pronounced hyoogah) means conscious coziness in Danish culture. If you’ve ever cuddled up and read a book indoors on a chilly night, you’ve experienced hygge without knowing it.

Hygge translates to a sense of comfort, togetherness and well-being. You know it when you feel it. It’s cuddling up with your loved one on a sofa, it’s sharing comfort food with your closest friends, it’s the view of the mountains and the sound of birds chirping on a crisp morning in The Smokies. It’s about gratitude and savoring the simplest pleasures in life. It’s the pursuit of everyday happiness.

How to live a Hygge life

I practice hygge every day beginning with my morning cup of coffee and the ritual for inspiration and relaxation that comes with it. Upon rising, I light candles and pour myself a fresh cup of Jo and take a moment to look outside. The view of The Great Smoky Mountains from our porch never tires. There are little things more hyggelig (hygge-like) than the peace the Smokies evoke.

From there, hygge is a centering feeling that becomes harder to keep in mind during the day with work, but it is something that I bring back into focus by taking a moment to drop into my heart. I’ve found reminding myself of gratitude brings the grace back into the moment, no matter how stressful it may be.

In the evening, hygge becomes about sharing. I do my best to spend time with my husband (without a TV) catching up on our day and appreciating the act of simply being together. It is so easy to take your partner for granted, but this human being you’ve chosen is complex and ever changing. There is so much going on that we miss by forgetting to be curious and engaged. This is by far my most favorite principle of hygge, it’s all about connecting.

Anyone can practice hygge anywhere and anytime. For years, we never knew there was a name for the sense of togetherness and peace we strived to create. More than anything, consciousness is the doorway to living the type of life we want. Understanding that every moment we have a choice on how to experience what is front of us.

Life is our creation. Once we knew this truth, we could never un-know it. The choice to live in The Smoky Mountains cultivating the lifestyle we want has been our biggest pleasure and hurdle so far. Western North Carolina is a special place made to facilitate hygge. It’s tough not to when everything is set up to provide nature, time and space to do it.