Practicing Hygge for Relaxation & Inner Peace
Imagine the scene: you’re sitting on your couch with your loved ones around, you are comfortable in your favorite pair of pajamas, the air is filled with calming scents from a flickering candle, and your hands are warmed by the cup of herbal tea you are holding. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? This scene is an example of Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”). This Danish practice is all about personal happiness: “The true essence of Hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness and it’s basically like a hug, just without the physical touch,” (Self). Creating your own Hygge is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and it’s not too expensive to start!
Creating Hygge
Promoting the practice of Hygge is simple and will bring positive, relaxing energy into your home. Start by trying one of the following:
1. Fill your home with things you love. Try bringing the outside-in, add fairy lights, and light candles
2. Enjoy satisfying food, like homemade soup, and sip on warm drinks like herbal tea
3. Create at-home experiences. Host a potluck with friends, or plan family game night
4. Get the essentials. Get a cozy blanket that you love to cuddle up in, stock up on warm, fuzzy socks, and get yourself a great mug
If something negative has happened in your life, or if you are just in a “funk”, bringing positive energy back is one of the main goals of starting a Hygge practice. Bring your positivity back by doing the following:
1. Disconnect. Visualize you are cutting off all connection with the toxic situation and stop feeding it your energy!
2. Recharge. Plug yourself back in to positivity by practicing meditation, mindful breathing, or yoga
3. Detox. Flush your system, physically and mentally, to purify your energetic self
My Personal Hygge Beginning
My husband and I went through a life and perspective changing event in October of 2017 when we went through a miscarriage. How do you get to Hygge when you are dealing with a situation like this? It’s hard, but it is also essential to heal and move forward.
I realized after my miscarriage that I had to slow the heck down! I was moving at 1,000 miles-per-hour, and that didn’t feel fast enough. I pushed myself through Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s day, and decided to fully dedicate myself to my Hygge practice in March. I religiously attended yoga at least twice a week. I started seeing a therapist for my own personal mental health. I dug deeper into devotions. I started drinking tea - I am a tea-aholic! I gave given myself permission to slow down and just be with my kids and husband. Our house is messy, I don’t care, because you can’t get back the moments of just being. That’s my Hygge story!
Bringing Hygge to A to Zinnia
I wanted to help my community start practicing their own form of Hygge – to help them relax, unplug, and create a healthy life balance. In my profession, I am gifted with the unique opportunity to educate my customers about Hygge and to give them the simple tools they need to achieve it.
You can find your own Hygge essentials at A to Zinnia. We are currently carrying the following items:
I watched this Minnesota brand for some time and really loved it, so I met the owner at market and he is so passionate about what they do! Later that day, we ended up sitting by each other at the airport on our way back to Minnesota, and I got to know him even better. I always appreciate getting to know other family-owned and operated organizations. Sunleaf Naturals manufactures all their products in a commercial facility in Waconia. This is a clean product as they do not use any petrochemicals/paraffin, synthetic fragrances, phthalates or artificial preservatives.
Their mission in a nutshell is Pure Joy! They donate 5% to the Freshwater Society and the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.
We currently carry Sunleaf essential oils, shave and facial soap bars, honey soaps, soothing body oils, reed diffusers, moisture sticks, and aroma therapy perfume.
I have been carrying this line for a few years now and it is one of my favorites! I met the Sales Director on a bus from our Hotel to Americasmart in Atlanta, GA. I learned all about the company and fell in love when I sampled the product. Hand crafted in Sonoma Valley California, Sonoma Lavender is all about the enjoyment and benefit of treating yourself to a little luxury. Their mission is to bring the spa to your home, which they believe is a vital part of personal wellness.
We offer Lavender filled eye pillows, neck wraps, heat wraps and sachets. Also, our best-selling item is a box set filled with bath salts, a lavender candle, a small sachet and a lavender soap for just $20!
Thymes another Minnesota company that gives back. They support American Forests; for every item sold in certain collections, Thymes will plant a tree! They have planted more than 250,000 trees so far. Thymes draws their unique formulations from nature. They strive to create products that are skin-compatible, environmentally friendly, effective, and a pleasure to use.
We carry a wide variety of Thymes items; including candles, diffusers, and car air fresheners.
I hope this helps you can find your Hygge in the New Year!
Your Friend,
Heather Hacker Hammer