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by Melissa Alvarez

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Living a cozy life means different things to different people. Around the world, there are many different ways people embrace cozy living. The Danish practice Hygge, which is finding pleasure in the simple things and making the ordinary extraordinary by being present in the moment. In Sweden, they practice Fika, which is the Swedish coffee break, when they relax with friends, and have snacks and drinks and good conversation; Mys, which happens on Friday nights with lots of junk food and a movie; and Lagom, which means, "not too little, not too much, just right" and is a way to apply moderation in everything they do. The Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku, also called forest bathing, which is spending time in nature to reduce stress levels and for healing, and Wabi-sabi, which is appreciating the beauty in imperfections of age and wear. These are but a few of the ways people celebrate coziness that I discuss in my new book, The Simplicity of Cozy.

Cozy living is about creating an atmosphere of warmth, contentment, and pleasure within your home and in your life. It is increasing your awareness of and focusing on embracing the simple, everyday moments to rise above problems, release stress, enjoy friends and family, and to appreciate all you experience. Take a minute to think about what cozy living means to you. To me, cozy living can bring about wondrous transformations through a shift in your energy to make personal frequency connections in all areas of life that will enhance your spiritual growth and bring about more joy and happiness. Let's look at five areas you can work with to help you live a cozier life.

1. Reduce Clutter. It accumulates when you're not even looking. One day you just notice that cabinets are overflowing, paper has stacked up, or your closet is packed to the rim. Clutter happens to everyone, whether it's in small or large amounts. It's difficult to practice coziness when there's stuff sitting everywhere that blocks the flow of energy in your home or workspace. When you notice the clutter, taking the time to clear it out will help you feel more cozy and warm. Clutter tends to make the energy around you feel scattered, frenzied, and even overwhelming. This also applies to emotional clutter. If your mind is constantly spinning with your to-do list or rehashing experiences you've had and never settling into a quiet, peaceful, relaxing place, then it's time to sort through those thoughts and emotions. Instead of keeping a running list of what you have to do in your mind, write it down. Accepting your experiences, instead of thinking about what you could have done to obtain a different outcome, allows you to let go of the constant rethinking.
2. Leave Technology Behind. I know leaving technology behind for even a little while is hard because we live in a world where our computers, tablets, and cell phones seem to be a new appendage. If you give yourself a week without technology, you'll discover that you'll have more face-to-face interactions with people and you'll find fun things to do that make you feel good about yourself because you're no longer distracted by the technology around you. If you can't do it for a week, just try it for a day and see what you can discover about yourself.
3. Release What No Longer Serves You. At least once a year I take the time to look at the things taking up my time and decide if they're serving my life purpose or if I'm just spinning my wheels and getting nowhere with them. Letting go of the things that aren't working anymore helps you bring more coziness into your life. We only have a limited amount of space and time, and if it's full, it blocks the way for new opportunities and people to come to you. Examining how you spend your time and who you spend it with will enable you to decide what is working, and you want to continue, and what isn't, that you need to release. If something or someone has you upset, or keeps you in a state of unrest, then think about what would happen if you weren't involved with that situation or person. Can you let it go? Would you feel better, happier, and more joyful without it? If so, releasing it will bring more coziness to you. Let go of anything that is no longer serving your greater purpose and then embrace the new things that come your way.
4. Have Meaningful Relationships. Having a meaningful relationship with someone is when you're aware of their feelings, accept them as they are, including their flaws, and have engaging, positive interactions with them. A meaningful relationship is authentic, committed, and filled with trust. It is being present and active in the relationship, being patient, being honest, and letting the other person know that they are important in your life. When we have meaningful relationships, it adds to the layers of coziness we feel because it gives us a better understanding of one another. It means not taking someone for granted or putting our needs above theirs; instead it is a balanced, caring relationship where each person can be their true authentic selves. Letting someone know they matter to you, that they are important, and there is mutual trust and respect between you, is the basis of having meaningful relationships, which will enhance cozy feelings within you.
5. Spend Time in Nature. One of the easiest ways to bring more coziness into your life is to spend time in the natural world. Nature is beautiful, peaceful, powerful, and sacred. When we spend time outside, it livens our soul because we feel the deep connection to the Earth and Universal consciousness. There's nothing quite as empowering and refreshing as taking a walk in a forest, standing on the beach with the wind in your hair and the waves at your feet, or hiking up a mountain to make you feel relaxed, revitalized, and cozy within your own spiritual being. You will find your thought processes become clearer, stress falls away, and you're able to establish a bond with the world around you. Without even realizing its happening, you’ll find your thoughts create solutions to problems you may be facing or you'll come up with new creative ideas that you can implement, or you'll develop a deeper understanding of your own spiritual nature. All of these things are part of cozy living and will help you maintain these feelings when you're back at home and functioning in your daily routine. It's an active choice that you can make for yourself to be more comfortable, happy, and at peace with your life and your spirituality.

Finding the simple ways to settle within yourself and develop a deeper appreciation for all of your experiences and the people who share them with you is what cozy living is all about. It's a warm, peaceful, and content feeling deep within your soul. It's recognizing your own spirituality and the spirituality of others, and our profound connection to the Divine. Living a cozy life will enlighten you, increase your awareness of all that you experience while keeping you balanced and filled with love, joy and happiness. Connecting with the simplicity of cozy is a gift you give to yourself.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018. All rights reserved.

I would like your expert opinion on all the things I've been experiencing lately. It began last year when I started finding pennies all over my home. Once I found one in the shower, and it wasn't there when I got in. Now it's dimes and feathers, mostly white. I have been seeing sparks of light, like a camera flash bulb, and now I am seeing white mists and orbs. Earlier this month, I saw some orbs that were circling around me and then burst into little stars. I had a candle flame turn completely blue, and just last week when I was lying on my bed, it felt like someone sat next to me, but no one was there. I have a strong sense that some spirit is trying to communicate with me, but I don't know why, or who. I have been seeing the same numbers (111, 11:11, 444), and all of a sudden, I have the strongest urge to study mediumship. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Dreamchaser:

You already know the answer: study mediumship. Learn how to listen to the voices you hear in your head. These signs mean just what you think they do.

When I first began to realize I could channel the dead, it seemed so odd to me. I just thought things - there was no being standing in front of me bathed in white light giving me instructions. Instead, the messages I received seemed like my own thoughts.

In one of my first spirit communication readings, I received messages from the woman's husband who had passed away when he was in his late 30s. I kept thinking "golf ball - say golf ball." So I finally said, "What does a golf ball mean to you?" Well, she had buried him with his hole in one ball, and this brief message proved to be the evidence she needed that he was really there. So say what you think - that is the KEY to mediumship. Don't make it harder than it has to be!

You do not have just ONE spirit trying to communicate with you. You have EVERY spirit that is within your range trying to communicate with you. You are like a bright light in this big vast universe of darkness - EVERYTHING is going to go check out the light. So you can expect to have a whole lot of spiritual activity around you. This kind of thing has ALWAYS happened to you.

Since digital clocks were invented, I have always seen 11 or 11:11. 11 is the most intuitive of all numbers. It represents illumination, a channel to the subconscious, insight without rational thought, sensitivity, nervous energy, shyness, and impracticality. It is the number of dreamers.

The 11 is enhanced and charged with charisma, leadership, and inspiration. It represents potential for growth, stability, and personal power via acceptance of intuitive understanding and spiritual truths. For those that see 11, peace is not found in logic, but in faith. It is the number that most psychics see most often.

The numbers you are seeing are master numbers. The master numbers represent steps along the way for those desiring transformation and ascension. In most cases, the presence of master numbers can suggest that you are an older soul who has come into this lifetime to make an important contribution to mankind of a spiritual, scientific, medical, religious, educational, governmental, artistic or technological nature.

You are here to teach a higher level of spiritual development to humans. You are here to fulfill some "mission" or "destiny" for your soul. When you see these numbers, stop and pay attention to how you feel.

I wish you and your soul incredible journeys into knowledge!

Astrea:

Wow, some girls have ALL the luck! You are so fortunate to have someone who cares about you enough to send you all of those signs!

What you are experiencing is indeed contact from someone who has Crossed Over. This is absolutely someone you actually knew either as an adult or when you were a child.

Pennies and feathers are very common signs that we're being sought by a loved one from the Other Side. The orbs and lights could be something separate, but since they were sequential to the other signs you've been receiving, these are probably another manifestation from the same source.

Since you're seeing those triple numbers over and over, I'm inclined to believe that the spirit trying to reach you is a blood relation. Usually people's parents and grandparents are the only ones who send those triple numbers in a series. If you see them most often on a digital clock, then you can count on that being the case.

For example, do they come to you most often when you wake up in the night and glance over at the alarm clock? Or do you see them when you're driving and glance at the odometer in your car? If so, then this person is someone directly related to you who is either trying to get a message to you, or is letting you know that they are watching over you from Spirit.

Don't think that just because you recently started getting these signs, something bad is going to happen. You have nothing to fear. Instead, these are signs that someone in Spirit is finally ready to contact you.

Sometimes when people die, it takes years before they can "come through" to a loved one, no matter how skilled the medium is or how much spirits want to talk to us. On the other hand, sometimes it takes years before WE are ready to hear from spirits without freaking out!

Fortunately, you don't seem to be fearful of these signs. The more welcoming you can be, the closer you can get to understanding what this spirit is trying to tell you, even if it's only that they're "here" with you to watch over you.

For you, studying to become a medium would be a fine idea. Someone who gets the signs and signals you're getting from someone close to you can learn to get them from and for others, too. There is very little in the psychic world that is more rewarding than being able to bring spirits through for their loved ones here on Earth.

Try to find a teacher in your area who is willing to help you develop as a medium. It's much easier to work with a skilled teacher than it is to try to learn to do something like this from a book.

Good luck!