Presence, Joy, and Comfort
Have any of you heard about Hygge?
Pronounced Hoo-gah, it’s a Danish expression for coziness.
As we move into the cold months of the year it is important to create a space that makes us feel warm and cozy. The space should resonate all the feelings of being content and at ease.
There are somethings you can do to create this Hygge mindset and space:
Be Present
It is important to be present by eliminating excess noise. If your space is cluttered it’s hard to be present. Set an intention to be fully present and mindful when doing the chores.
For me, there’s just something about a messy space that weighs down my mind. When I take the time to clean, it’s amazing what it does to my psyche. I instantly feel better and more energized.
Surround yourself with joy
This one is simple, surround yourself with things that make you happy! Finding that connection through friends, family, or the things that make your heart sing.
Get Comfortable
Gather things that will make you cozy and let yourself be comfortable. A good book, comfort food, or things that will make you feel warm and snuggly.
The yogic mindset is very similar to hygge, as a practitioner we want to be present, find joy, and seek comfort.
If you’ve ever been to a yoga class you’ve probably heard the teacher talk about being present. Creating the present moment grants ourselves permission to let go of what is no longer serving us. By becoming present in a pose, it allows us to notice and open up to all the different senses. In yoga, setting an intention at the beginning of class, let’s our mind come back to the present.
Finding joy doesn’t have to be some grand gesture, it can be simple things too. Like nailing a certain yoga pose you have been working on, creating gratitudes every morning when you wake up, or taking a walk in nature and really becoming present in the moment without distractions.
In yoga, there is always this push and pull of finding the comfort with the discomfort. Chances are a yoga teacher has had you hold a pose and your mind starts to race with different thoughts. That’s where intention, form and breath come in handy! By coming back to the intention you set at the beginning of class you allow your brain to be in the present moment. The discomfort could be coming from something simple as bad form and by using a prop or modification you switch the perspective of the pose making it more comfortable and allowing your body to experience the pose. Finally, did you remember to breathe? Are you holding your breath? Sometimes simple things such as breath work can help the body and mind shift.
This week, take some time to reflect on how presence, joy and comfort affect you mentally and physically. Ask yourself these three questions:
How can I become more present?
What makes me happy?
How can I make my space more comfortable?
