9 Ways to Add Hygge to Your Yoga Practice
Picture this: It’s a chilly autumn Sunday and you’ve just returned home from your local bakery with your favorite pastry in tow. You put the kettle on, slip into your coziest outfit, and settle in front of the fire with your favorite book and blanket. You’re immediately filled with a whirlwind of emotions, such as coziness, nostalgia, love, and comfort. Is there a word to describe this contented, my-heart-is-full feeling?
Yes there is, and it’s the Danish word “hygge.”
According to “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living,” hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) originates from a Norwegian word that means “well-being” and was written about for the first time in the early 1800s. Lucky for us, we’re catching up a few hundred years later just in time for sweater weather. The book’s author, Meik Weiking, says “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.”
With this definition in mind, it’s clear to see why hygge and yoga are natural companions. Our personal yoga practice is a safe space where we can shelter ourselves from the outside world for a brief moment in time. It’s something that feels familiar and comforting. We turn to this space when we need refuge from the hectic pace of life.
There are many elements of our yoga practice that are already intrinsically hygge. And while you can’t force a feeling to happen, you can cultivate an environment to be more “hyggelig,” or hygge-like. Just as we throw up seasonal decorations to get into the holiday spirit, there are ways to add a hyggelig ambience to your yoga space. Read on to learn nine ways you can incorporate hygge into your yoga practice.
How to Add Hygge to Your Yoga Practice
1. Get cozy with texture.
There is something so comforting about the feeling of a hot mug between your hands, a knit blanket over your legs, and a sturdy wooden table that holds your favorite items. Create that same tactile feeling in your yoga practice by outfitting your space with natural, hyggelig textures. Here are some cozy items you can consider adding to your home yoga space:
Your favorite blanket for Savasana — we suggest cotton, wool, or fleece
A silky eye pillow or eye mask
Wool socks
Woven baskets to hold your props
Plants, large and small
Small wooden stools to serve as blocks
Soft bolsters
Cozy meditation pillow
Your favorite mug with your favorite hot drink
2. Fill your space with things you love.
With hygge, an item is not as important as the narratives and stories behind them. Your yoga space is an excellent place to weave in objects that you have an emotional attachment to, such as framed photos of your loved ones, decorative gifts from friends, your favorite mug from your favorite vacation, etc. When every item has a story, you’ll instantly brighten up when you arrive in your space.
3. Consider the lighting.
As Weiking says, “No candles, no hygge.” The best way to instantly transform your space is with the warm, golden glow of a real (or LED) candle. You can also try to layer the lighting within your space, opting for floor or table lamps rather than overhead lighting where possible. Match your lighting to the energy of your class. If you’re going for a faster-paced vinyasa flow, make sure there’s ample lighting so you don’t fall asleep! But candles, warm-colored light bulbs, and string lights are perfect for more chill styles of yoga.
4. Practice presence.
Hygge is about more than just tea and candles. It’s all about enjoying the moment and finding appreciation in the little things. When you’re on the mat, take time to stop and appreciate how good a stretch feels. Notice the texture of your mat and how solid the earth is underneath as you balance on your hands and feet. Enjoy the sweetness of the silence in Savasana.
5. Find contentment within your practice.
Hygge is not yearning, it’s happiness. It’s knowing that right where you are is right where you’re meant to be. Next time you feel the urge to judge yourself in any particular pose or shape, remember that it’s all about the journey and not the destination.
6. Create connection with others.
Contrary to popular belief, hygge isn’t just about cozy, introverted moments alone at home. You’re probably familiar with that feeling you get during and after a really great hangout with your best friends and family. That moment where you think, “I wish I could freeze time and keep this feeling forever.” That satisfying moment is the essence of hygge. Connection is a critical part of hygge, and it’s something that you can create even in your practice at home. Here are a few ways to create connection at home:
Find an accountability buddy for your yoga practice. Ideally it would be someone that shares your enjoyment of yoga and is also looking for someone to check in with regularly. You can discuss your goals with each other, work through setbacks, find encouragement, and get ideas to keep your practice fresh and inspired. Don’t know anyone into yoga? If you’re an Alo Moves member, you can join our official member Facebook group to find accountability buddies, discuss workout routines, and more.
Find a friend (or five) to create a virtual yoga book club. We recommend this list of mindful, yoga-inspired reads.
Practice together. For a great virtual way to stay accountable with your yoga and fitness partner, set up a time where you can both do a video call, mute yourselves, and start your Alo Moves class at the same time. You can also create a standing weekly date to practice with your family or roommates.
7. Revisit your favorite foundational postures.
Weiking talks about simplicity and functionality as two central values in Danish culture. The classics are classics for a reason, and there’s no need to be fancy and extravagant 100% of the time. We can carry this same idea over into our yoga practice. While there is a time and place for fun challenge poses and tricky arm balances and inversions, the basic shapes are like trusted, old friends. You’ve been there plenty of times and know what to expect. They’re comfortable, familiar, and just as valuable as any other pose in your pose library. Devote some extra time in your warm-ups with classic favorites like Child’s Pose, Downward Dog, and High Lunge.
8. Play with sound.
Music is a powerful tool to change your mood, and you can use it to create a hyggelig atmosphere in your yoga space. That might mean playing your favorite throwback songs that give you all the nostalgic feels. Other times, it’s switching on some acoustic instrumental or ethereal piano. But a large part of hygge involves embracing the beauty of the natural world, such as the rain drumming on the roof, the wind rustling the trees, or the birds singing their morning song. Try a quiet practice where you’re simply listening to the natural sounds of your breath and the world around you.
9. Go slowly.
It’s hard to find peace in the chaotic rush of the day’s events unless you intentionally stop to make space. It’s the same way with your yoga practice. Hygge is all about embracing a slower pace. This might be challenging if you gravitate towards fast-paced yoga flows or if you’re someone who is always on the go, but we promise that it’s worth it. Check out these slow yoga flows next time you hit the mat. Even taking five minutes to shut the door, stretch, and linger in a pose can be enough to find some hygge in your day.
Want to practice our Hygge Yoga playlist? Practice these classes and more for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.