Hygge: The Heart Warmth Within

“Hygge” (pronounced hue-guh) Danish word meaning “to give courage, comfort, joy.”

Interested in having your own personal “Hygge Retreat”? Contact Dungeness Barn House to book your reservation now! Feel the warmth of Hygge; comforting mind, body and soul…

The dark days of winter invite contemplation…

The dark days of winter invite contemplation: nature closes in, the blood slows down and the eyes get heavy early in the evening. In the Pacific Northwest, it’s a time of dramatic skies and a steel-gray ocean.

Yet in the middle of all of this darkness, there is light.

The precious light of a winter sky – and the light that we create: indoor lights, candles, Christmas lights – all kinds of light. And the most important light of all, and for many, the hardest to kindle: the light within our hearts.

For many, it’s the season of light deprivation, Seasonal Affective Depression or S.A.D. Is rampant. A good model for dealing with wintertide comes from Northern countries with the harshest winters, the shortest days and the longest nights.

The Danish have an obsession with the concept of Hygge.

Hygge, which is pronounced “hoo-guh” is one of those untranslatable words whose closest cousin in English is “cozy.”

According to Wikipedia, Hygge (pronounced hue-guh):

“…comes from a Danish word meaning “to give courage, comfort, joy”.^[2] Hygge is built from the Old Norse word hugr which later became the hug which means the soul, mind, consciousness.”

Hygge happens on many levels

from basic physical comfort, to a state of mental well-being to the warmth of belonging to a community. It comes from simple creature comforts: a hearty breakfast, cup of hot chocolate, your favorite old sweater, and a great book. It’s a feeling of inner peace, and comfortable in one’s own skin. It means finding your tribe and living in a place where you feel accepted and loved.

The Dungeness Barn House believes in cultivating hygge

At Dungeness Barn House, we believe in cultivating hygge. Eat well, change your wet socks, add extra layers of warmth and light a candle to ward off the dark. Do whatever you need to do to cultivate inner peace: yoga, walks, meditation, cooking, and journaling to name a few. Find like-minded people who will support your vision and dreams.

Many of our guests have expressed how comfortable they feel at Dungeness Barn House as a result of our practice of hygge

Sometimes, with all of the pressures of modern life, it’s hard to find time and space for hygge. We find the best way to learn hygge is to take a break, even just for a day, to cultivate those habits. “Hygge Habits” which can then be brought back into your daily life for more balance and a sense of well-being.