June 23, 2023 • 41 mins
Do you ever feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, longing for a cozy sanctuary where you can find peace, comfort, and nourish your spiritual journey? Join us in this heartwarming conversation with Jamie Erickson, author of Holy Hygge, as she shares her experience of discovering the Danish lifestyle concept of hygge and integrating it into her faith.
Together, we explore the seven tenets of hygge – hospitality, relationships, well-being, atmosphere, comfort, contentment, and rest – and how creating a hyggelee atmosphere in our homes and relationships can remind us of the sanctuary we find in our relationship with Christ. Jamie offers practical tips on how to create pockets of hygge in our lives, drawing parallels between the harsh winter environment of the Danes and Norwegians and the challenging world we live in.
Lastly, we discuss the practical application of Holy Hygge, delving into creating seasonal rhythms, embracing hyggelee hobbies, and finding spiritual significance in every season of our lives, even the difficult ones. Overflowing with warmth, inspiration, and practical advice, this episode is perfect for anyone seeking to create a more comforting and spiritually nourishing atmosphere in their lives. Don't miss out on this cozy conversation that will leave you feeling inspired and ready to bring Holy Hygge into your own life!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What if you had a guide who could tell you how to
bridge a gap between who you aretoday and who you are destined
to be?
What if, each week, you couldhear a story of someone who has
tried and succeeded, or perhapstried and failed but learned
something in the process?
Limitless Spirit is a weeklypodcast where host Helen Todd
interviews guests about topicsand personal stories on defining
(00:23):
life's purpose, pursuingpersonal growth and developing a
deeper faith in Christ.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
There is this internal, spiritual aspect of
you know.
nothing is actually going tomake me feel better, but Christ.
Christ is my root of comfort.
But even Christ acknowledged,while he was, you know, wearing
flesh on earth, that there weresome physical things, some
(00:50):
outward things that really doaffect your inward life.
So I began to see some of thoseparallels and I thought I
wonder what would happen if Icould incorporate some of these
Hugolier practices into my hometo create a place that reflected
the one who was making a homein me, and from there it became
(01:12):
such a practical tool for me tobe able to open my doors to my
friends, my neighbors, mycommunity.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Welcome to the Limitless Spirit podcast.
I'm so excited you joined usfor today's episode, where we're
going to dive into a topicthat's all about finding comfort
, joy and a sense of coziness inour lives.
It is called HUGA and it is aDanish lifestyle concept that
(01:44):
has taken the world by storm inthe recent years.
But here's the twist We'regoing to explore it from a
perspective of faith.
I'm your host, helen Todd, andtogether we will uncover how
practicing HUGA can not onlybring us a sense of well-being
and comfort, but also nourishour spiritual journey.
(02:07):
My guest today is JamieErickson, who has written a book
, holy HUGA, where she unitesthe popular Danish practice of
creating cozy spaces with thedeep theological truths of the
gospel.
She unpacks for us the seventenets of HUGA hospitality,
(02:28):
relationships, well-being,atmosphere, comfort, contentment
and rest.
In the interview we also talkabout how combining the external
veneer of a lifestyle with thegospel truths creates a
life-giving space for you andothers who enter it.
Hello, jamie, welcome to theLimitless Spirit Podcast.
(02:54):
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, i am thrilled to be here.
Helen, thank you so much forhaving me.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm really looking forward to our conversation.
So let's first establish thecorrect pronunciation of the
subject that we're going to talkabout.
Is it pronounced HUGA?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Very close HUGA, and actually, if you ask the average
American, they put a Y into it,so it's HUGA, but I think the
Danes would correct you and sayit's HUGA, huga.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Okay, so I will briefly tell you how I even
found out about this concept.
but then I'm very interested toknow how you got into this,
because it has only become knownin America fairly recently.
And so I ended up picking up awide elephant gift for a
(03:50):
Christmas party and it was aboard game and it said HUGA,
something I didn't know how topronounce it.
It looked to me like haggis thediapers.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yes or hives?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
There's lots of different iterations of
pronunciation, So I brought itto the party and it became a
huge hit, and apparently otherguests at the party knew about
this concept, so I later Googledit and found out more things
about it.
But how did you become involvedin HUGA?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, my husband is mostly Danish and that is where
the Hugalee Lifestyle Center isfrom.
I am not Danish, i'm actuallyScottish, and I was not at all
familiar with it, but we met incollege.
I was from Phoenix.
He's from Minnesota, which isthe Scandinavian Mecca of the
United States.
It's the state that boasts thelargest amount of Scandinavian
(04:46):
population, including the Danishpeople, and so because he is
mostly Danish and some Norwegian, he has been cocooned in the
concepts, the lifestylepractices of HUGA his whole life
.
Now, you are correct to yourpoint that the idea, or should I
say the word, huga only madeits way over to the states about
(05:07):
six or seven years ago, but theconcepts or the practices are
very ingrained in the Danishpeople, and so when I moved up
here after we were married, ibegan to notice some very
distinct differences in theculture of the Scandinavian
people that were in starkcontrast to what I had been used
(05:28):
to.
They seemed so peaceful, sostable and steady.
They can often be known asbeing stoic, but I think that
that's just.
That's just their outwardveneer.
They're very steady and Iactually find that to be very
calming, and I like to describetheir love as abiding.
(05:50):
It's not flashy, it's not overthe top, it's not loud and
boisterous, it's just veryabiding, it's constant.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, this description already sounds very
appealing, but just for the sakeof our listeners who have not
heard this word yet.
And I found out, i was talkingwith our team here at the office
about this interview anddiscovered that none of them
knew what, even heard this wordbefore.
So what is, hugh gay?
if you were to summarize it toa person who has never been
(06:24):
exposed to this?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Well, it's actually really difficult to define in
English terms because we don'thave an English equivalent word
for it, but if I were to giveyou the sort of the Cliffs notes
, it is a lifestyle concept thatengenders feelings of coziness
and contentment, comfort, rest.
There's actually seven differenttenants of Huga that I feature
(06:50):
in my book, holy Huga, but Idon't want to limit it to just
those seven.
Those are just the primary onesthat we often think of when we
think of Huga.
So you said you picked up agame that was packaged up for
our American fun, and I thinkthat that's kind of what we've
done here as Westerners.
(07:10):
We've taken this lifestyleconcept that has been ingrained
in the Danish people forhundreds of years and we've sort
of shrink, wrapped it andpackaged it and we want to
define it by its aesthetics.
We often think of Huga when wethink of, like, a cozy cup of
coffee next to a fire, a warmwoolen blanket, sitting with
friends around the dinner table,eating.
(07:34):
It's often defined by itsaesthetics, but it really goes
so much deeper than that.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Well, and I think the reason it has spread in the
States and became so popular tothe great extent can be
attributed to social media.
You know Instagram and Facebook.
There are 8 million hashtagsfor Huga on Instagram alone.
And you're right, it's alwaysconnected with the visual aspect
(08:02):
of it.
You know a hot chocolate on awinter day or fresh flowers by
the bedside, but how does thistranslate into a lifestyle
besides just the housedecorating tips?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Sure, i think we often see it and associate it
with those Instagrammable images, because at the very core of
Huga is this idea that theoutward life will always affect
the inward life.
And just to give you an exampleof how you and I might relate
that, in our everyday, whenwe're sick, we love it when
(08:43):
somebody brings us a hot cup ofsoup and maybe a warm blanket.
That makes us feel internallygood, even if maybe it doesn't
actually make us feel physicallyhealthier.
It just swabs us and cocoons usin this comforting feeling, and
so we do feel better.
(09:03):
And I am a Christian and so Ifeel like there is this internal
spiritual aspect of you know,nothing is actually going to
make me feel better, but Christ,christ is my root of comfort.
But even Christ acknowledged,while he was, you know, wearing
(09:23):
flesh on earth, that there weresome physical things, some
outward things, that really doaffect your inward life.
And that's why, you know, yousee him multiplying fish and
loaves for the people, becausethey were hungry and he knew
that they wouldn't really beable to listen to these deep
truths he was sharing with themwhen all they could really hear
(09:43):
was their bellies grumbling.
So that's kind of where I seesome of the parallel between
Huga and my faith is that youknow Christ acknowledged the
outward life often does havesome effect on the inward life.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I agree with you.
So how did you embrace theelements of Huga as you started
your life in that society?
How did you incorporate that inyour life?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Sure.
Well, first and foremost it wasjust me acknowledging there was
something different about myhusband's Danish relations.
There was this peaceful comfort.
Even I would go so far as tosay those who did not have a
faith and trust in Christ.
There was just this outwardaesthetic of peace and comfort.
But for those who not only wereDanish but also had put their
(10:37):
faith in Christ, who is ourultimate comfort, who is our
ultimate sanctuary?
and that really is kind of whatthe Danes are looking for when
they reach for Huga is this likesanctuary life for themselves?
And we're all kind of chasingthat same sanctuary that has
been missing since the garden.
(10:58):
You know, that's kind ofingrained in humanity to want to
find a place to feel safe, tofind a place to feel known and
to feel loved.
And as a transplant, somebodywho came from a metropolitan
very large I think there's likefour million people in Phoenix
or something like that, a verylarge area where I kind of felt
(11:19):
unknown, i felt like just anumber in the crowd to a place
where you know they make it apoint to make you feel seen and
known and loved.
That was very striking to me.
That compelled me to dig alittle deeper into the Hugali
lifestyle And then I began towonder.
You know, i saw a lot ofparallels between Huga and my
(11:45):
faith And I kind of saw how thiswas the Danes way of doing what
God had already done.
You know, god had already madethis sanctuary life in the
garden And because of sin anddeath, you know, that was that
we were separated from Him inour sin.
And ever since then we've been,you know, seeking those, that
(12:07):
sanctuary connection.
So I began to see some of thoseparallels and I thought I
wonder what would happen if Icould incorporate some of these
Hugali practices into my home tocreate a place that reflected
the one who was making a home inme.
And from there it became such apractical tool for me to be
(12:29):
able to open my doors to myfriends, my neighbors, my
community, to invite them in notjust to my home but to my life,
in order that I could thenintroduce them to the one who
has changed my life for all ofeternity.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Well, and there is a definitely a spiritual parallel.
I think that's what makes yourbook so exciting and unique and
really prompted me to schedulethis interview, because, as I
was researching the concept ofHuga, it was really attributing
the beginning of it to the factthat the Danes and Norwegians
(13:06):
they have very harsh and longwinters, and it's a very hostile
environment to a human being,and so the Huga was their way of
surviving it and flourishingeven during those long and harsh
winters.
And so the spiritual parallelis glaring.
(13:29):
Of course, for people who knowthe scriptures and who have
Christ in their hearts, theworld is a long, harsh winter,
and our faith and ourrelationship with Christ creates
that sanctuary, and when weshare it with others, we are
ultimately inviting them intothis lifestyle.
(13:49):
But give me some practicalexamples of how to create these
pockets of Huga in your life,both in the terms of arranging
your house or maybe your life,but also in terms of arranging
your relationships with people.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Absolutely Well, i think, in terms of arranging
your house, you know theaesthetics of an atmosphere of
Huga.
We have to remember that Hugais not just what you see on your
wall, it's not just the prettytablescapes or the
Instagrammable moments.
You're really trying to createan atmosphere of comfort, of
(14:32):
contentment, of hospitality, andan atmosphere is not just what
you see.
If you think about, like, whenyou go to a restaurant and you
want to rate it for atmosphere,you're really not just rating it
for you know the type of decorthey have on the wall.
You're rating it for, maybe,cleanliness, you're rating it
for the hospitality of theserver, you're rating it for,
(14:53):
kind of, the noise level in therestaurant and the smells that
waff throughout the room.
That's atmosphere.
Atmosphere encompasses all fivesenses And I think that's
something the Danes do reallywell.
They are often consideredminimalists by certain cultures
because they certainly do haveless in their home than the
(15:15):
average certainly averageWesterner.
I would push back on that alittle bit and say that they're
not necessarily minimalist,they're meaningfulists.
They put things in their housethat really add value and
meaning not just to the spacebut to the relationships that
are cultivated there.
So they focus on smells andsights and sounds.
(15:35):
The aesthetic feelings touchall five senses.
So in the realm of Hugo, whenyou're trying to create a
Hugalee atmosphere in your home,you really want to focus on not
just the sense of sight, whatyou see, the pretty things that
you can throw on your wall, thatyou purchased from Magnolia
table or whatever.
It's all five senses.
(15:57):
As far as some practical tipsfor Hugo in relationships, i
think it really does begin andend with hospitality, and that
word gets thrown around a lot inChristian circles because
actually hospitality is abiblical command.
It goes all the way back toLeviticus And we also see it
(16:20):
again in the New Testament.
I think we as Americans cansometimes define hospitality
incorrectly And that's whatholds us up.
We're less apt to be hospitablebecause we have an incorrect
view of what hospitality is.
We look at hospitality as thebeautiful tablescapes,
(16:44):
wonderfully planned menus,activities, your house is
perfectly spotless And we puttogether this laundry list of
things that has to beaccomplished before you can
invite someone into your houseAnd that laundry list usually
paralyzes us and makes us notsend out the invitation.
But remember, hospitality is abiblical command, it's not a you
(17:08):
know.
Open your door if you feel likeit, it's open your door.
And so I would say, for themost part, we have twisted
hospitality and actually slappedthe label of entertainment on
it.
Entertaining is vastly differentthan being hospitable.
Hospitality is more about theother person and less about us,
(17:29):
whereas entertainment is reallyabout us.
Do I have, you know, the mostbeautiful house?
is my house clean?
Do I look presentable?
Am I serving a wonderful, youknow, four course meal?
It's about us, whereashospitality is about the other
person.
What can I do to make thisperson feel welcomed, to make
them feel seen, to make themfeel known?
(17:52):
It's about creating anenvironment where a person can
bring their real self and theirreal struggles in order that you
can then show them the comfortof Christ, who can help and
soothe those real struggles andthose real aches.
So, in the realm of hospitality,one practical tip that has
(18:15):
always helped me be able to feelmore at ease opening my door is
to have sort of like a go tomenu for each season that I can
fall back on within the season,that I always have the
ingredients for on hand.
That is like a crowd pleasing,no fuss meal that I know how to
(18:36):
make and can whip up prettyquickly And if I have the
ingredients to all of those youknow, to at least one solid meal
on hand at all times, then Iknow I can easily extend an
invitation at the last minutebecause I have something in my
cupboard ready to whip up at anygiven moment.
That's easy to make And my kidswill tell you.
(18:57):
If you get an invitation to myhouse, chances are they know
exactly what's on the menu.
It's going to be chickenalfredo, because that's my go to
meal.
It feeds a crowd.
I always have the ingredientson hand And so they just know
that's what we're having.
But that's my easy.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yes, i can extend an invitation because I know I'm
always ready to and see yourintentional about it, and I
think that makes all thedifference.
So you, you prepare yourself inadvance for the possibility of
hospitality And I think thatthis is part of the practice, to
where we anticipate thosemoments and we're ready for them
(19:36):
And they don't take us bysurprise.
And actually, as I was thinkingabout our interview, i found
the huger verse in the Bible.
Oh, i want to hear it.
So let's see if youincorporated that in your book.
But it's actually in the thirdJohn chapter one.
(19:59):
The author praises his friendGaius, and the very first verse
of it says Dear friend, i praythat you may enjoy good health
and that all may go well withyou, even as your soul is
getting along well.
And in some translations itsays even as your soul prospers.
(20:19):
And later, if you read thischapter, he praises Gaius for
his hospitality, that he hasshown unusual hospitality to
other Christians who came to thearea to share the gospel, as
opposed to some other churchmembers who actually were very
(20:39):
hostile towards them.
And so I think this very firstverse where he pronounces this
blessing over him, where he saysmay you prosper in your health,
may you prosper in your workand your business and as your
soul prospers, is that hugerlaws.
So as you practice thehospitality towards others, it
(21:01):
comes back to you as a blessingupon your life, and so would you
agree with that?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yes, absolutely.
I think you actually hit thenail on the head when you when
you use the word intentionality.
I think when you areintentional to set up some
rhythms and practices and eventraditions in your home, and
that's all.
Three of those words are veryingrained in the Hugali
lifestyle rhythms, traditionsand practices When you are
(21:32):
intentional to set those thingsup beforehand, you can then live
out that verse that you justsaid not just in your life, but
also extend that blessing toothers.
You had mentioned that theDanish people are swathed in
winter and inviting temperaturesin a hostile environment most
(21:53):
of the year, And that is verytrue.
And yet, even in the times ofwintering, they thrive because
they have put into place someintentional rhythms and
practices.
They know winter is coming.
There's no avoiding it.
It will come, whether they likeit or not.
And so they actually have thisphrase that says there's no bad
(22:17):
clothing or there's no badweather, only bad clothing,
meaning the weather is going tobe there or not.
Now you can decide to dressproperly and go out into the
weather and enjoy creation, oryou can stay inside and be bored
.
Either way, the weather isgoing to come.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And isn't it the same with?
Speaker 2 (22:36):
life.
Yes, absolutely.
I was just getting to that,like there will be seasons of
winter in your life that areunavoidable, living on this side
of eternity, dark times, andbecause we all know They are
unavoidable.
If you're not in a season ofstruggle right now, a season is
probably coming because that isjust the nature of humanity on
(22:59):
this side of the garden, on thisside of eternity, and so
because of that, you can putsome practices and rhythms in
place and I share about some ofthem in my book to provide an
outward feeling of comfort inorder that you can feel inwardly
comforted by Jesus.
It sort of recalibrates yourvision, it moves your eyes to
(23:23):
Him when you set up certainrhythms and practices, and that
really you know, the Daneswouldn't encourage you to
celebrate or embrace Huga withthe point of pointing you to
Jesus, but I think that that'ssomething that we as believers
can do.
Huga is just a lifestylepractice.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
It's not going to save anyone, but it can be a
tool to remind us of the hopethat we have in Jesus even in
the seasons of winter in ourlife, so in the beginning of our
conversation you mentioned thatyou outlined in your book the
principles.
Did you say seven?
I think Seven tenets, yeah,seven tenets of Huga.
(24:04):
Let's quickly run through them.
Of course, they will have topurchase your book to find out
more in detail.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Sure, let's see if I can rattle them off quickly.
It's been a while.
Hospitality, relationships,well-being, comfort, contentment
, rest.
Oh, and I forgot one Atmosphere.
Atmosphere would come in themiddle, so that's the seven.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
And so what?
let's talk about your book.
What are some of the practicalthings that a reader would find
for these tenets, or how toimplement them in their lives by
reading your book?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Well, that's a great question.
Under the chapter ofrelationships, you know,
relationships are, I believe,scripturally.
as Christians, we should haverelationships that are threefold
.
We should have relationshipsthat are encouraging.
Those are the relationshipsthat give us the courage to do
the thing that God is calling usto do.
Those are our encouragementrelationships.
(25:08):
Then there's discipleshiprelationships.
These are sort of reachingahead, reaching behind, to
people a little bit further onthe journey or a little bit
behind us on the journey, tohelp point them to Jesus in a
more solid way.
And then there's theevangelistic relationships, And
these are relationships withthose who do not know of Christ
yet.
And so, really, if ourrelationships are centered on
(25:32):
anything but those three, it'sreally a waste of our relational
capital.
And within the book, you know,I'm a really awkward person.
I can sometimes get myself inconversations where I'm like, oh
, why did I just say that?
Or I can easily because I am ahuman person, I can easily make
(25:52):
the conversation veryself-centered, more about myself
.
But really, in order to developthe deep, solid relationships
that are needed in order thatyou can have the relational
capital with which to speaktruth into a person's life, you
know, I say in the book.
you have to know a person wellenough to know them and owe them
(26:14):
.
So in order to develop thosedeep relationships, you know you
have to take the spotlight offof yourself and really focus on
them and who they are.
And so I provide a handful ofquestions to strike up
conversations with new peoplethat you've never met, folks
(26:34):
that you have had relationshipwith for a while and you want to
go deeper with, and even someconversation questions and
starters for sort of pivoting aregular conversation into more
spiritual matters so that youcan begin to share the hope of
Jesus with them in a natural,organic way, So you're not
(26:55):
awkward and clunky.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So what about atmosphere?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, with atmosphere .
You know I do give somepractical suggestions.
I will say I am not a homeinterior designer.
My husband actually has a greatgift at gifting it that, so I
lean heavily into him.
I think one of the things toremember about atmosphere as it
relates to Huga.
The Danish people are very.
They have a love for love fornature, green things, bringing
(27:27):
the outside in, and part of thathas to do with the fact that
you know their outside iscovered in snow, for you know,
80%, 75% of their year.
That's a bit of an exaggerationbut it feels like that
especially.
you know I'm in Minnesota and Ifeel like winter lasts for you
know a good, solid 10 months.
(27:48):
And so they are very intentionalabout bringing the outside in,
and so plants around their,their living spaces remind them
and sort of recalibrate theirvision towards green things,
living life.
It gives them that like burstof summer in the middle of, you
(28:09):
know, winter.
So definitely lots of greenthings growing They.
They are very simple, simpledesigns with natural elements, a
lot of wood elements, neutralcolors, with the idea that
clutter.
You know, science shows us themore cluttered a space is, the
(28:31):
more our hormones increase andthe more agitated, internally
agitated, we become, and achaotic outward space really
does lead to a chaotic internalinward feeling, and so that's
one of the reasons why most oftheir living spaces are so
sparse, because empty spaces,you know we could call them
(28:55):
white spaces, where there's, youknow, big swaths of nothingness
, lead to a more peacefulposture internally.
So it's not necessarily aboutjust buying the next hot thing
at, you know, at Walmart or thedepartment store that you know
you've seen on Instagram.
It's about, you know, reallybeing intentional to, to
(29:18):
decorate your spaces withmeaningful things to you, things
that render memory, you know,that conjure up memories of your
relationships, of your family,of your home.
Recently I I was in the marketto buy a new couch, because my
couch is about 10 years old andit's it's lost all its shape and
(29:41):
all its form.
And I I got a a couch and Ibrought it home and I took a
picture of it and I showed myfriends.
You know, i sent it to them ina text and it was a super cute
couch, very trendy, very onpoint with design And, and,
without fail, they all came backand said no, jamie, that's not
your couch.
And here's what they said astheir reason Your home is homey.
(30:02):
That couch makes your cat, yourhome, look like a house.
And there really is adifference.
I want a home, not a house.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
This is a very good point And you know I was
thinking, as wonderful as theconcept of Hugo sounds, how
easily, if we don't bring ourrelationship and our
centeredness in Christ into this, how easily we could slip into
(30:34):
idolizing these thingsAbsolutely.
We embrace that lifestylebecause we're seeking comfort
and we're seeking shelter.
And if we ultimately look forshelter in things or food, you
know, let's think of comfortfood.
It's wonderful and makes usfeel warm and loved and cared
(30:56):
for, but if we put all theemphasis on that comfort food,
it really makes us gain weight,right, yes, absolutely, and this
is not necessarily the best forthe health of our body.
And the same with cozy spacesin your house.
You know, if that's what yourpeace and comfort depends on,
(31:18):
you can become obsessed andspend every penny you have on
buying the next thing.
You know that makes you feelcozy and comfortable.
But when we have that in properbalance with our relationship
with God, i think it could be avery powerful way for some
people For surviving the winterof life.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Right, Because, if you think about it, all seven
tenants really were seen in thegarden And I sort of focused on
that in my book.
How hospitality andrelationships, well-being,
atmosphere, comfort, contentment, rest all of those things were
seen in the garden, And when weare not careful to put them at
the foot of the cross, things doget off balance, Even in the
realm of atmosphere.
Is there anything wrong withputting something pretty on your
(32:01):
wall?
No, I don't know.
I both know that there arehouses that are costly and
creatively decorated and yet youwalk into them and you feel
ragged and ill at ease.
You don't feel welcomed, maybebecause they are so beautifully
decorated.
You feel like it's very sterileand you can't sit and be at
(32:21):
ease.
So all seven tenants, evenatmosphere, have to be placed at
the foot of Jesus.
All of the seven tenants ofHuga are just kind of placebos
in and of themselves.
They're good for a temporarymoment, but they will not give
you true and lasting comfort ortrue and lasting rest.
(32:41):
They have to be put at the footof the cross And the ultimate
goal would be then to use thosetenants to bring you to the foot
of the cross in order that youcan really embrace the true and
lasting sanctuary that onlyJesus can provide Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And that's why I think your book is really
important, because it reallypoints us to a proper way of
combining our physical andspiritual life to create the
ultimate sense of well-being inour lives.
So where can people find moreresources and information about
(33:30):
implementing the Holy Huga intheir homes?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Well, you can find the information I provide by
going to jamieericksoncom.
That's where you will haveaccess to the Holy Huga podcast
that features every single oneof the tenants, and I interview
guests who have walked out andlived out those particular
practices as well, as I alsooffer some free printable
(33:59):
downloads from season to season,some practical ideas and ways
that you can implement Huga inyour home during each and every
season.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
So we with my last question.
you know, huga, as we mentionedearlier in the conversation,
really is connected with winterseason, the cold season.
But what are some elements ofHuga that are present in now?
We're in the middle of summerright now.
(34:31):
Right?
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Well, the rhythms and practices are the same
regardless of the season.
You just tweak them each tomatch the season that you're in.
So the idea of, say, a Hugalihobby which is something that I
mentioned in the book a hobby orsome fun element that you do
only within the season that isnow, in order that you can step
(34:56):
into that season with excitementand anticipation.
So for me, a couple ofsummertime Hugali things I
create kind of like a mealtimeplaylist for myself in the
summer, summer meals that aremeals that I only make in the
summer so that my family can beexcited about enjoying them
because they're limited in howoften they can experience those
(35:20):
particular meals to just thesummer.
I have particular activitiesthat we only do in the summer,
particular hobbies that I onlydo in the summer.
Currently I've got a big stackof books, kind of summertime
beach reads, that I have beenhoarding for myself leading up
(35:40):
to summer, that I hope to get tothroughout these warmer months.
So the practices of settingyourself up with some summertime
rhythms, some seasonal rhythms,really is the same in the
summer as it is in the winter orthe fall.
It's just that it is moreapplicable and pertinent to that
season, because that's reallywhat Huga is all about.
(36:01):
It's about being present inthis particular moment, not
always reaching and looking fora moment that you were in or a
moment that is coming, but beingfully present right here, right
now.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Well, and you know, in the book of Ecclesiastes
we're told that being able toenjoy what we have is a gift
from God, and I think Huga isreally implementing putting this
into practice is findingenjoyment in the present, in
(36:35):
what is now, in the seasonyou're in, and creating the
atmosphere to enhance that.
Basically, it's just a tool tohelp you enjoy the moment and
the season you're in, and Ithink that is very biblical.
And I saw an article somewherewhere it connects not connects
(36:57):
but talks about the healthbenefits from Huga, and I don't
know if there is a scientific.
I don't remember the fullpremise of the article, so I
don't know if there is ascientific foundation to it, but
I think it just makes sense.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Right, yes, and to your point.
You know, it's also inClasiasity's where we learned
that there is a season foreverything under heaven.
I believe it's not by accidentthat God ordained the seasons,
both in creation and in ourlives, and we can be really
quick to want to escape fromcertain seasons, the seasons of
our lives, of our days, that arenot as enjoyable, maybe the
(37:38):
ones that contain a lot ofstruggle, maybe a lot of
hardship, maybe a lot of tears.
But we have to remember, evenin seasons of, let's say, winter
, or, if you live in thesouthern hemisphere, maybe that
for you is summer, where it justseems like summer lasts forever
and it's never ending In thosedifficult seasons we have to
remember that God is still atwork, doing amazing things.
(37:59):
It is in the season of winterthat roots grow really deep.
Silent, hidden things arehappening under the soil that we
might not see on the surface,but there's still wonderful
growth happening And we wouldn'tnecessarily have spring,
summers or falls without winters, would we?
And we can appreciate thegrowth that happens in those
(38:22):
other seasons only because ofthe work that is done in the
winters.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Thank you so much for this wonderful conversation.
I am inspired now to reevaluatemy life from the perspective of
Holy Hugo, and we definitelyare going to put a link to your
website in our show notes sothat our listeners have an easy
access to it.
Thank you so much for joiningme.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
It's been a pleasure, Helen.
Thank you so much.
You were very hospitable.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Thank you.
And there you have it, myfriend.
We have reached the end ofanother amazing episode And I
hope you're feeling inspired tobring Hugo into your life, both
physically and spiritually.
Remember, it is not just aboutcreating a cozy atmosphere or
(39:16):
indulging in simple pleasures.
It's about embracing a mindsetof intentionality and finding
joy in the present moment.
I encourage you to check outJamie's book Holy Hugo You will
see the link in our show notesAnd then take what you have
learned today and put it intopractice Embrace simplicity,
(39:40):
cultivate gratitude, nurtureyour relationships.
By incorporating theseprinciples, you will be able to
create a haven of warmth andpeace and spiritual growth in
your everyday life.
Now I'd love to hear from youHave you experienced Hugo from a
Christian perspective?
(40:00):
Share your thoughts, stories andideas with us.
You can check our website,rfwmaorg, or you can connect via
email podcast at rfwmaorg Andalso check our social media
accounts.
Limitless Spirit has a Facebookpage that is quite fun, and an
(40:22):
Instagram page Also.
Don't forget to hit thatsubscribe button so you won't
miss out on the future episodeswhere we explore some other
aspects of living a life with agreater purpose.
Thank you so much for joining.
Until next time.
I'm Helen Todd.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Limitless Spirit podcast is produced by World
Missions Alliance.
We believe that changed liveschange lives.
If you want to see your lifetransformed by Christ's love, or
if you want to help those whoare hurting and hopeless and
discover your greater purpose inserving Christ through
short-term missionary work,check out our website, rfwmaorg,
(41:04):
and find out how to getinvolved.
What if you had a guide who could tell you how to
bridge a gap between who you aretoday and who you are destined
to be?
What if, each week, you couldhear a story of someone who has
tried and succeeded, or perhapstried and failed but learned
something in the process?
Limitless Spirit is a weeklypodcast where host Helen Todd
interviews guests about topicsand personal stories on defining
(00:23):
life's purpose, pursuingpersonal growth and developing a
deeper faith in Christ.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
There is this internal, spiritual aspect of
you know.
nothing is actually going tomake me feel better, but Christ.
Christ is my root of comfort.
But even Christ acknowledged,while he was, you know, wearing
flesh on earth, that there weresome physical things, some
(00:50):
outward things that really doaffect your inward life.
So I began to see some of thoseparallels and I thought I
wonder what would happen if Icould incorporate some of these
Hugolier practices into my hometo create a place that reflected
the one who was making a homein me, and from there it became
(01:12):
such a practical tool for me tobe able to open my doors to my
friends, my neighbors, mycommunity.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Welcome to the Limitless Spirit podcast.
I'm so excited you joined usfor today's episode, where we're
going to dive into a topicthat's all about finding comfort
, joy and a sense of coziness inour lives.
It is called HUGA and it is aDanish lifestyle concept that
(01:44):
has taken the world by storm inthe recent years.
But here's the twist We'regoing to explore it from a
perspective of faith.
I'm your host, helen Todd, andtogether we will uncover how
practicing HUGA can not onlybring us a sense of well-being
and comfort, but also nourishour spiritual journey.
(02:07):
My guest today is JamieErickson, who has written a book
, holy HUGA, where she unitesthe popular Danish practice of
creating cozy spaces with thedeep theological truths of the
gospel.
She unpacks for us the seventenets of HUGA hospitality,
(02:28):
relationships, well-being,atmosphere, comfort, contentment
and rest.
In the interview we also talkabout how combining the external
veneer of a lifestyle with thegospel truths creates a
life-giving space for you andothers who enter it.
Hello, jamie, welcome to theLimitless Spirit Podcast.
(02:54):
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well, i am thrilled to be here.
Helen, thank you so much forhaving me.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm really looking forward to our conversation.
So let's first establish thecorrect pronunciation of the
subject that we're going to talkabout.
Is it pronounced HUGA?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Very close HUGA, and actually, if you ask the average
American, they put a Y into it,so it's HUGA, but I think the
Danes would correct you and sayit's HUGA, huga.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Okay, so I will briefly tell you how I even
found out about this concept.
but then I'm very interested toknow how you got into this,
because it has only become knownin America fairly recently.
And so I ended up picking up awide elephant gift for a
(03:50):
Christmas party and it was aboard game and it said HUGA,
something I didn't know how topronounce it.
It looked to me like haggis thediapers.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yes or hives?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
There's lots of different iterations of
pronunciation, So I brought itto the party and it became a
huge hit, and apparently otherguests at the party knew about
this concept, so I later Googledit and found out more things
about it.
But how did you become involvedin HUGA?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, my husband is mostly Danish and that is where
the Hugalee Lifestyle Center isfrom.
I am not Danish, i'm actuallyScottish, and I was not at all
familiar with it, but we met incollege.
I was from Phoenix.
He's from Minnesota, which isthe Scandinavian Mecca of the
United States.
It's the state that boasts thelargest amount of Scandinavian
(04:46):
population, including the Danishpeople, and so because he is
mostly Danish and some Norwegian, he has been cocooned in the
concepts, the lifestylepractices of HUGA his whole life
.
Now, you are correct to yourpoint that the idea, or should I
say the word, huga only madeits way over to the states about
(05:07):
six or seven years ago, but theconcepts or the practices are
very ingrained in the Danishpeople, and so when I moved up
here after we were married, ibegan to notice some very
distinct differences in theculture of the Scandinavian
people that were in starkcontrast to what I had been used
(05:28):
to.
They seemed so peaceful, sostable and steady.
They can often be known asbeing stoic, but I think that
that's just.
That's just their outwardveneer.
They're very steady and Iactually find that to be very
calming, and I like to describetheir love as abiding.
(05:50):
It's not flashy, it's not overthe top, it's not loud and
boisterous, it's just veryabiding, it's constant.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, this description already sounds very
appealing, but just for the sakeof our listeners who have not
heard this word yet.
And I found out, i was talkingwith our team here at the office
about this interview anddiscovered that none of them
knew what, even heard this wordbefore.
So what is, hugh gay?
if you were to summarize it toa person who has never been
(06:24):
exposed to this?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Well, it's actually really difficult to define in
English terms because we don'thave an English equivalent word
for it, but if I were to giveyou the sort of the Cliffs notes
, it is a lifestyle concept thatengenders feelings of coziness
and contentment, comfort, rest.
There's actually seven differenttenants of Huga that I feature
(06:50):
in my book, holy Huga, but Idon't want to limit it to just
those seven.
Those are just the primary onesthat we often think of when we
think of Huga.
So you said you picked up agame that was packaged up for
our American fun, and I thinkthat that's kind of what we've
done here as Westerners.
(07:10):
We've taken this lifestyleconcept that has been ingrained
in the Danish people forhundreds of years and we've sort
of shrink, wrapped it andpackaged it and we want to
define it by its aesthetics.
We often think of Huga when wethink of, like, a cozy cup of
coffee next to a fire, a warmwoolen blanket, sitting with
friends around the dinner table,eating.
(07:34):
It's often defined by itsaesthetics, but it really goes
so much deeper than that.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Well, and I think the reason it has spread in the
States and became so popular tothe great extent can be
attributed to social media.
You know Instagram and Facebook.
There are 8 million hashtagsfor Huga on Instagram alone.
And you're right, it's alwaysconnected with the visual aspect
(08:02):
of it.
You know a hot chocolate on awinter day or fresh flowers by
the bedside, but how does thistranslate into a lifestyle
besides just the housedecorating tips?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Sure, i think we often see it and associate it
with those Instagrammable images, because at the very core of
Huga is this idea that theoutward life will always affect
the inward life.
And just to give you an exampleof how you and I might relate
that, in our everyday, whenwe're sick, we love it when
(08:43):
somebody brings us a hot cup ofsoup and maybe a warm blanket.
That makes us feel internallygood, even if maybe it doesn't
actually make us feel physicallyhealthier.
It just swabs us and cocoons usin this comforting feeling, and
so we do feel better.
(09:03):
And I am a Christian and so Ifeel like there is this internal
spiritual aspect of you know,nothing is actually going to
make me feel better, but Christ,christ is my root of comfort.
But even Christ acknowledged,while he was, you know, wearing
(09:23):
flesh on earth, that there weresome physical things, some
outward things, that really doaffect your inward life.
And that's why, you know, yousee him multiplying fish and
loaves for the people, becausethey were hungry and he knew
that they wouldn't really beable to listen to these deep
truths he was sharing with themwhen all they could really hear
(09:43):
was their bellies grumbling.
So that's kind of where I seesome of the parallel between
Huga and my faith is that youknow Christ acknowledged the
outward life often does havesome effect on the inward life.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I agree with you.
So how did you embrace theelements of Huga as you started
your life in that society?
How did you incorporate that inyour life?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Sure.
Well, first and foremost it wasjust me acknowledging there was
something different about myhusband's Danish relations.
There was this peaceful comfort.
Even I would go so far as tosay those who did not have a
faith and trust in Christ.
There was just this outwardaesthetic of peace and comfort.
But for those who not only wereDanish but also had put their
(10:37):
faith in Christ, who is ourultimate comfort, who is our
ultimate sanctuary?
and that really is kind of whatthe Danes are looking for when
they reach for Huga is this likesanctuary life for themselves?
And we're all kind of chasingthat same sanctuary that has
been missing since the garden.
(10:58):
You know, that's kind ofingrained in humanity to want to
find a place to feel safe, tofind a place to feel known and
to feel loved.
And as a transplant, somebodywho came from a metropolitan
very large I think there's likefour million people in Phoenix
or something like that, a verylarge area where I kind of felt
(11:19):
unknown, i felt like just anumber in the crowd to a place
where you know they make it apoint to make you feel seen and
known and loved.
That was very striking to me.
That compelled me to dig alittle deeper into the Hugali
lifestyle And then I began towonder.
You know, i saw a lot ofparallels between Huga and my
(11:45):
faith And I kind of saw how thiswas the Danes way of doing what
God had already done.
You know, god had already madethis sanctuary life in the
garden And because of sin anddeath, you know, that was that
we were separated from Him inour sin.
And ever since then we've been,you know, seeking those, that
(12:07):
sanctuary connection.
So I began to see some of thoseparallels and I thought I
wonder what would happen if Icould incorporate some of these
Hugali practices into my home tocreate a place that reflected
the one who was making a home inme.
And from there it became such apractical tool for me to be
(12:29):
able to open my doors to myfriends, my neighbors, my
community, to invite them in notjust to my home but to my life,
in order that I could thenintroduce them to the one who
has changed my life for all ofeternity.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Well, and there is a definitely a spiritual parallel.
I think that's what makes yourbook so exciting and unique and
really prompted me to schedulethis interview, because, as I
was researching the concept ofHuga, it was really attributing
the beginning of it to the factthat the Danes and Norwegians
(13:06):
they have very harsh and longwinters, and it's a very hostile
environment to a human being,and so the Huga was their way of
surviving it and flourishingeven during those long and harsh
winters.
And so the spiritual parallelis glaring.
(13:29):
Of course, for people who knowthe scriptures and who have
Christ in their hearts, theworld is a long, harsh winter,
and our faith and ourrelationship with Christ creates
that sanctuary, and when weshare it with others, we are
ultimately inviting them intothis lifestyle.
(13:49):
But give me some practicalexamples of how to create these
pockets of Huga in your life,both in the terms of arranging
your house or maybe your life,but also in terms of arranging
your relationships with people.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Absolutely Well, i think, in terms of arranging
your house, you know theaesthetics of an atmosphere of
Huga.
We have to remember that Hugais not just what you see on your
wall, it's not just the prettytablescapes or the
Instagrammable moments.
You're really trying to createan atmosphere of comfort, of
(14:32):
contentment, of hospitality, andan atmosphere is not just what
you see.
If you think about, like, whenyou go to a restaurant and you
want to rate it for atmosphere,you're really not just rating it
for you know the type of decorthey have on the wall.
You're rating it for, maybe,cleanliness, you're rating it
for the hospitality of theserver, you're rating it for,
(14:53):
kind of, the noise level in therestaurant and the smells that
waff throughout the room.
That's atmosphere.
Atmosphere encompasses all fivesenses And I think that's
something the Danes do reallywell.
They are often consideredminimalists by certain cultures
because they certainly do haveless in their home than the
(15:15):
average certainly averageWesterner.
I would push back on that alittle bit and say that they're
not necessarily minimalist,they're meaningfulists.
They put things in their housethat really add value and
meaning not just to the spacebut to the relationships that
are cultivated there.
So they focus on smells andsights and sounds.
(15:35):
The aesthetic feelings touchall five senses.
So in the realm of Hugo, whenyou're trying to create a
Hugalee atmosphere in your home,you really want to focus on not
just the sense of sight, whatyou see, the pretty things that
you can throw on your wall, thatyou purchased from Magnolia
table or whatever.
It's all five senses.
(15:57):
As far as some practical tipsfor Hugo in relationships, i
think it really does begin andend with hospitality, and that
word gets thrown around a lot inChristian circles because
actually hospitality is abiblical command.
It goes all the way back toLeviticus And we also see it
(16:20):
again in the New Testament.
I think we as Americans cansometimes define hospitality
incorrectly And that's whatholds us up.
We're less apt to be hospitablebecause we have an incorrect
view of what hospitality is.
We look at hospitality as thebeautiful tablescapes,
(16:44):
wonderfully planned menus,activities, your house is
perfectly spotless And we puttogether this laundry list of
things that has to beaccomplished before you can
invite someone into your houseAnd that laundry list usually
paralyzes us and makes us notsend out the invitation.
But remember, hospitality is abiblical command, it's not a you
(17:08):
know.
Open your door if you feel likeit, it's open your door.
And so I would say, for themost part, we have twisted
hospitality and actually slappedthe label of entertainment on
it.
Entertaining is vastly differentthan being hospitable.
Hospitality is more about theother person and less about us,
(17:29):
whereas entertainment is reallyabout us.
Do I have, you know, the mostbeautiful house?
is my house clean?
Do I look presentable?
Am I serving a wonderful, youknow, four course meal?
It's about us, whereashospitality is about the other
person.
What can I do to make thisperson feel welcomed, to make
them feel seen, to make themfeel known?
(17:52):
It's about creating anenvironment where a person can
bring their real self and theirreal struggles in order that you
can then show them the comfortof Christ, who can help and
soothe those real struggles andthose real aches.
So, in the realm of hospitality,one practical tip that has
(18:15):
always helped me be able to feelmore at ease opening my door is
to have sort of like a go tomenu for each season that I can
fall back on within the season,that I always have the
ingredients for on hand.
That is like a crowd pleasing,no fuss meal that I know how to
(18:36):
make and can whip up prettyquickly And if I have the
ingredients to all of those youknow, to at least one solid meal
on hand at all times, then Iknow I can easily extend an
invitation at the last minutebecause I have something in my
cupboard ready to whip up at anygiven moment.
That's easy to make And my kidswill tell you.
(18:57):
If you get an invitation to myhouse, chances are they know
exactly what's on the menu.
It's going to be chickenalfredo, because that's my go to
meal.
It feeds a crowd.
I always have the ingredientson hand And so they just know
that's what we're having.
But that's my easy.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yes, i can extend an invitation because I know I'm
always ready to and see yourintentional about it, and I
think that makes all thedifference.
So you, you prepare yourself inadvance for the possibility of
hospitality And I think thatthis is part of the practice, to
where we anticipate thosemoments and we're ready for them
(19:36):
And they don't take us bysurprise.
And actually, as I was thinkingabout our interview, i found
the huger verse in the Bible.
Oh, i want to hear it.
So let's see if youincorporated that in your book.
But it's actually in the thirdJohn chapter one.
(19:59):
The author praises his friendGaius, and the very first verse
of it says Dear friend, i praythat you may enjoy good health
and that all may go well withyou, even as your soul is
getting along well.
And in some translations itsays even as your soul prospers.
(20:19):
And later, if you read thischapter, he praises Gaius for
his hospitality, that he hasshown unusual hospitality to
other Christians who came to thearea to share the gospel, as
opposed to some other churchmembers who actually were very
(20:39):
hostile towards them.
And so I think this very firstverse where he pronounces this
blessing over him, where he saysmay you prosper in your health,
may you prosper in your workand your business and as your
soul prospers, is that hugerlaws.
So as you practice thehospitality towards others, it
(21:01):
comes back to you as a blessingupon your life, and so would you
agree with that?
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yes, absolutely.
I think you actually hit thenail on the head when you when
you use the word intentionality.
I think when you areintentional to set up some
rhythms and practices and eventraditions in your home, and
that's all.
Three of those words are veryingrained in the Hugali
lifestyle rhythms, traditionsand practices When you are
(21:32):
intentional to set those thingsup beforehand, you can then live
out that verse that you justsaid not just in your life, but
also extend that blessing toothers.
You had mentioned that theDanish people are swathed in
winter and inviting temperaturesin a hostile environment most
(21:53):
of the year, And that is verytrue.
And yet, even in the times ofwintering, they thrive because
they have put into place someintentional rhythms and
practices.
They know winter is coming.
There's no avoiding it.
It will come, whether they likeit or not.
And so they actually have thisphrase that says there's no bad
(22:17):
clothing or there's no badweather, only bad clothing,
meaning the weather is going tobe there or not.
Now you can decide to dressproperly and go out into the
weather and enjoy creation, oryou can stay inside and be bored
.
Either way, the weather isgoing to come.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And isn't it the same with?
Speaker 2 (22:36):
life.
Yes, absolutely.
I was just getting to that,like there will be seasons of
winter in your life that areunavoidable, living on this side
of eternity, dark times, andbecause we all know They are
unavoidable.
If you're not in a season ofstruggle right now, a season is
probably coming because that isjust the nature of humanity on
(22:59):
this side of the garden, on thisside of eternity, and so
because of that, you can putsome practices and rhythms in
place and I share about some ofthem in my book to provide an
outward feeling of comfort inorder that you can feel inwardly
comforted by Jesus.
It sort of recalibrates yourvision, it moves your eyes to
(23:23):
Him when you set up certainrhythms and practices, and that
really you know, the Daneswouldn't encourage you to
celebrate or embrace Huga withthe point of pointing you to
Jesus, but I think that that'ssomething that we as believers
can do.
Huga is just a lifestylepractice.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
It's not going to save anyone, but it can be a
tool to remind us of the hopethat we have in Jesus even in
the seasons of winter in ourlife, so in the beginning of our
conversation you mentioned thatyou outlined in your book the
principles.
Did you say seven?
I think Seven tenets, yeah,seven tenets of Huga.
(24:04):
Let's quickly run through them.
Of course, they will have topurchase your book to find out
more in detail.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Sure, let's see if I can rattle them off quickly.
It's been a while.
Hospitality, relationships,well-being, comfort, contentment
, rest.
Oh, and I forgot one Atmosphere.
Atmosphere would come in themiddle, so that's the seven.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
And so what?
let's talk about your book.
What are some of the practicalthings that a reader would find
for these tenets, or how toimplement them in their lives by
reading your book?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Well, that's a great question.
Under the chapter ofrelationships, you know,
relationships are, I believe,scripturally.
as Christians, we should haverelationships that are threefold
.
We should have relationshipsthat are encouraging.
Those are the relationshipsthat give us the courage to do
the thing that God is calling usto do.
Those are our encouragementrelationships.
(25:08):
Then there's discipleshiprelationships.
These are sort of reachingahead, reaching behind, to
people a little bit further onthe journey or a little bit
behind us on the journey, tohelp point them to Jesus in a
more solid way.
And then there's theevangelistic relationships, And
these are relationships withthose who do not know of Christ
yet.
And so, really, if ourrelationships are centered on
(25:32):
anything but those three, it'sreally a waste of our relational
capital.
And within the book, you know,I'm a really awkward person.
I can sometimes get myself inconversations where I'm like, oh
, why did I just say that?
Or I can easily because I am ahuman person, I can easily make
(25:52):
the conversation veryself-centered, more about myself
.
But really, in order to developthe deep, solid relationships
that are needed in order thatyou can have the relational
capital with which to speaktruth into a person's life, you
know, I say in the book.
you have to know a person wellenough to know them and owe them
(26:14):
.
So in order to develop thosedeep relationships, you know you
have to take the spotlight offof yourself and really focus on
them and who they are.
And so I provide a handful ofquestions to strike up
conversations with new peoplethat you've never met, folks
(26:34):
that you have had relationshipwith for a while and you want to
go deeper with, and even someconversation questions and
starters for sort of pivoting aregular conversation into more
spiritual matters so that youcan begin to share the hope of
Jesus with them in a natural,organic way, So you're not
(26:55):
awkward and clunky.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So what about atmosphere?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah, with atmosphere .
You know I do give somepractical suggestions.
I will say I am not a homeinterior designer.
My husband actually has a greatgift at gifting it that, so I
lean heavily into him.
I think one of the things toremember about atmosphere as it
relates to Huga.
The Danish people are very.
They have a love for love fornature, green things, bringing
(27:27):
the outside in, and part of thathas to do with the fact that
you know their outside iscovered in snow, for you know,
80%, 75% of their year.
That's a bit of an exaggerationbut it feels like that
especially.
you know I'm in Minnesota and Ifeel like winter lasts for you
know a good, solid 10 months.
(27:48):
And so they are very intentionalabout bringing the outside in,
and so plants around their,their living spaces remind them
and sort of recalibrate theirvision towards green things,
living life.
It gives them that like burstof summer in the middle of, you
(28:09):
know, winter.
So definitely lots of greenthings growing They.
They are very simple, simpledesigns with natural elements, a
lot of wood elements, neutralcolors, with the idea that
clutter.
You know, science shows us themore cluttered a space is, the
(28:31):
more our hormones increase andthe more agitated, internally
agitated, we become, and achaotic outward space really
does lead to a chaotic internalinward feeling, and so that's
one of the reasons why most oftheir living spaces are so
sparse, because empty spaces,you know we could call them
(28:55):
white spaces, where there's, youknow, big swaths of nothingness
, lead to a more peacefulposture internally.
So it's not necessarily aboutjust buying the next hot thing
at, you know, at Walmart or thedepartment store that you know
you've seen on Instagram.
It's about, you know, reallybeing intentional to, to
(29:18):
decorate your spaces withmeaningful things to you, things
that render memory, you know,that conjure up memories of your
relationships, of your family,of your home.
Recently I I was in the marketto buy a new couch, because my
couch is about 10 years old andit's it's lost all its shape and
(29:41):
all its form.
And I I got a a couch and Ibrought it home and I took a
picture of it and I showed myfriends.
You know, i sent it to them ina text and it was a super cute
couch, very trendy, very onpoint with design And, and,
without fail, they all came backand said no, jamie, that's not
your couch.
And here's what they said astheir reason Your home is homey.
(30:02):
That couch makes your cat, yourhome, look like a house.
And there really is adifference.
I want a home, not a house.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
This is a very good point And you know I was
thinking, as wonderful as theconcept of Hugo sounds, how
easily, if we don't bring ourrelationship and our
centeredness in Christ into this, how easily we could slip into
(30:34):
idolizing these thingsAbsolutely.
We embrace that lifestylebecause we're seeking comfort
and we're seeking shelter.
And if we ultimately look forshelter in things or food, you
know, let's think of comfortfood.
It's wonderful and makes usfeel warm and loved and cared
(30:56):
for, but if we put all theemphasis on that comfort food,
it really makes us gain weight,right, yes, absolutely, and this
is not necessarily the best forthe health of our body.
And the same with cozy spacesin your house.
You know, if that's what yourpeace and comfort depends on,
(31:18):
you can become obsessed andspend every penny you have on
buying the next thing.
You know that makes you feelcozy and comfortable.
But when we have that in properbalance with our relationship
with God, i think it could be avery powerful way for some
people For surviving the winterof life.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Right, Because, if you think about it, all seven
tenants really were seen in thegarden And I sort of focused on
that in my book.
How hospitality andrelationships, well-being,
atmosphere, comfort, contentment, rest all of those things were
seen in the garden, And when weare not careful to put them at
the foot of the cross, things doget off balance, Even in the
realm of atmosphere.
Is there anything wrong withputting something pretty on your
(32:01):
wall?
No, I don't know.
I both know that there arehouses that are costly and
creatively decorated and yet youwalk into them and you feel
ragged and ill at ease.
You don't feel welcomed, maybebecause they are so beautifully
decorated.
You feel like it's very sterileand you can't sit and be at
(32:21):
ease.
So all seven tenants, evenatmosphere, have to be placed at
the foot of Jesus.
All of the seven tenants ofHuga are just kind of placebos
in and of themselves.
They're good for a temporarymoment, but they will not give
you true and lasting comfort ortrue and lasting rest.
(32:41):
They have to be put at the footof the cross And the ultimate
goal would be then to use thosetenants to bring you to the foot
of the cross in order that youcan really embrace the true and
lasting sanctuary that onlyJesus can provide Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And that's why I think your book is really
important, because it reallypoints us to a proper way of
combining our physical andspiritual life to create the
ultimate sense of well-being inour lives.
So where can people find moreresources and information about
(33:30):
implementing the Holy Huga intheir homes?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Well, you can find the information I provide by
going to jamieericksoncom.
That's where you will haveaccess to the Holy Huga podcast
that features every single oneof the tenants, and I interview
guests who have walked out andlived out those particular
practices as well, as I alsooffer some free printable
(33:59):
downloads from season to season,some practical ideas and ways
that you can implement Huga inyour home during each and every
season.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
So we with my last question.
you know, huga, as we mentionedearlier in the conversation,
really is connected with winterseason, the cold season.
But what are some elements ofHuga that are present in now?
We're in the middle of summerright now.
(34:31):
Right?
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Well, the rhythms and practices are the same
regardless of the season.
You just tweak them each tomatch the season that you're in.
So the idea of, say, a Hugalihobby which is something that I
mentioned in the book a hobby orsome fun element that you do
only within the season that isnow, in order that you can step
(34:56):
into that season with excitementand anticipation.
So for me, a couple ofsummertime Hugali things I
create kind of like a mealtimeplaylist for myself in the
summer, summer meals that aremeals that I only make in the
summer so that my family can beexcited about enjoying them
because they're limited in howoften they can experience those
(35:20):
particular meals to just thesummer.
I have particular activitiesthat we only do in the summer,
particular hobbies that I onlydo in the summer.
Currently I've got a big stackof books, kind of summertime
beach reads, that I have beenhoarding for myself leading up
(35:40):
to summer, that I hope to get tothroughout these warmer months.
So the practices of settingyourself up with some summertime
rhythms, some seasonal rhythms,really is the same in the
summer as it is in the winter orthe fall.
It's just that it is moreapplicable and pertinent to that
season, because that's reallywhat Huga is all about.
(36:01):
It's about being present inthis particular moment, not
always reaching and looking fora moment that you were in or a
moment that is coming, but beingfully present right here, right
now.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Well, and you know, in the book of Ecclesiastes
we're told that being able toenjoy what we have is a gift
from God, and I think Huga isreally implementing putting this
into practice is findingenjoyment in the present, in
(36:35):
what is now, in the seasonyou're in, and creating the
atmosphere to enhance that.
Basically, it's just a tool tohelp you enjoy the moment and
the season you're in, and Ithink that is very biblical.
And I saw an article somewherewhere it connects not connects
(36:57):
but talks about the healthbenefits from Huga, and I don't
know if there is a scientific.
I don't remember the fullpremise of the article, so I
don't know if there is ascientific foundation to it, but
I think it just makes sense.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Right, yes, and to your point.
You know, it's also inClasiasity's where we learned
that there is a season foreverything under heaven.
I believe it's not by accidentthat God ordained the seasons,
both in creation and in ourlives, and we can be really
quick to want to escape fromcertain seasons, the seasons of
our lives, of our days, that arenot as enjoyable, maybe the
(37:38):
ones that contain a lot ofstruggle, maybe a lot of
hardship, maybe a lot of tears.
But we have to remember, evenin seasons of, let's say, winter
, or, if you live in thesouthern hemisphere, maybe that
for you is summer, where it justseems like summer lasts forever
and it's never ending In thosedifficult seasons we have to
remember that God is still atwork, doing amazing things.
(37:59):
It is in the season of winterthat roots grow really deep.
Silent, hidden things arehappening under the soil that we
might not see on the surface,but there's still wonderful
growth happening And we wouldn'tnecessarily have spring,
summers or falls without winters, would we?
And we can appreciate thegrowth that happens in those
(38:22):
other seasons only because ofthe work that is done in the
winters.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Thank you so much for this wonderful conversation.
I am inspired now to reevaluatemy life from the perspective of
Holy Hugo, and we definitelyare going to put a link to your
website in our show notes sothat our listeners have an easy
access to it.
Thank you so much for joiningme.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
It's been a pleasure, Helen.
Thank you so much.
You were very hospitable.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Thank you.
And there you have it, myfriend.
We have reached the end ofanother amazing episode And I
hope you're feeling inspired tobring Hugo into your life, both
physically and spiritually.
Remember, it is not just aboutcreating a cozy atmosphere or
(39:16):
indulging in simple pleasures.
It's about embracing a mindsetof intentionality and finding
joy in the present moment.
I encourage you to check outJamie's book Holy Hugo You will
see the link in our show notesAnd then take what you have
learned today and put it intopractice Embrace simplicity,
(39:40):
cultivate gratitude, nurtureyour relationships.
By incorporating theseprinciples, you will be able to
create a haven of warmth andpeace and spiritual growth in
your everyday life.
Now I'd love to hear from youHave you experienced Hugo from a
Christian perspective?
(40:00):
Share your thoughts, stories andideas with us.
You can check our website,rfwmaorg, or you can connect via
email podcast at rfwmaorg Andalso check our social media
accounts.
Limitless Spirit has a Facebookpage that is quite fun, and an
(40:22):
Instagram page Also.
Don't forget to hit thatsubscribe button so you won't
miss out on the future episodeswhere we explore some other
aspects of living a life with agreater purpose.
Thank you so much for joining.
Until next time.
I'm Helen Todd.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Limitless Spirit podcast is produced by World
Missions Alliance.
We believe that changed liveschange lives.
If you want to see your lifetransformed by Christ's love, or
if you want to help those whoare hurting and hopeless and
discover your greater purpose inserving Christ through
short-term missionary work,check out our website, rfwmaorg,
(41:04):
and find out how to getinvolved.
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