What is a Misogi Challenge and Why Should You Do One
What is a Misogi Challenge? Misogi (禊) is a Japanese word that means “purification.” A Misogi Challenge is an opportunity to purify oneself both physically and spiritually. It can be done alone or with others, and there are many different ways to complete it. In this article, we will discuss the basics of Misogi Challenges and how you can do one yourself. We will also explore the benefits of undertaking a Misogi Challenge!
The Modern Concept of the Misogi Challenge
The notion around the misogi is, you do something so hard 1 time a year, that has an impact on the other 364 days of the year – Jesse Itzler
It involves challenging yourself in such a unique physical way that it leaves your mind and body better off long term. By facing your demons by undertaking such an intense mammoth of a task you to cannonball through your comfort zone heightening your sense of achievement and quieting the inner chatter of the mind.
Misogi Challenge principles
The challenge should be uniquely challenging for you
There are many challenges which we as humans subscribe to such as marathons and Ironman’s. Which are great. However when it comes to a misogi challenge, feel free to get creative and doing something unique.
It’s also worth noting that the scales of difficulty ranges hugely from person to person. One persons 10k run may be the equivalent of another persons 2km.
You should have a 50% chance of failing
This is perhaps the most important part of any misogi challenge. You should have a 50% chance of failing otherwise it’s just a walk in the park and not really a challenge. This can be achieved by doing something that is physically demanding but also has a high chance of failure such as climbing a mountain without any prior climbing experience.
You Can’t Die
This one tends to grasp attention. This I got from the Comfort Crises by Michael Easter. He mentions that when choosing the appropriate challenge, remember it can’t be so difficult or dangerous that you could die.
This may help us to picture exactly the scale of the challenge we should be setting ourselves.
You Can’t Train for it
This is an important part of the Misogi challenge. You cannot train for it and in a way, this is what makes it so challenging. It is something that you have to just do and see how you go. This is what makes it a challenge and not just a walk in the park.
How the Misogi Challenge was Popularized
I came across the Misogi challenge in the book called The Comfort Crises: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter.
The Misogi challenge also gained popularity in the Western fitness community through Mark Sisson, founder of Primal Blueprint and author of The Primal Blueprint.
Jesse Itzler also discusses the idea of Misogi challenge on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
Why is it Important to jump out of your Comfort Zone
When we stay within our comfort zone, we are limiting our potential. Stepping out of our comfort zone can help us to achieve things that we never thought possible and it can help us to grow as individuals. By doing things that make us uncomfortable, we are able to stretch ourselves and learn new things.
This can help us to become more confident and better problem-solvers. Additionally, when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zone, we experience a sense of euphoria known as the ‘rush’ or ‘adrenaline high’. This feeling is what keeps us coming back for more and helps us to grow as people.
Other benefits of the Misogi Challenge
There are many other benefits of doing a Misogi Challenge, such as:
- Increased physical endurance
- Increased mental endurance
- Improved focus
- Improved concentration
- Improved discipline
How to do my own Misogi Challenge?
Pick a day in the near future where you have no obligations or plans. Wake up early and set sail on doing your planned challenge.
Examples of a Misogi Challenge
- Cold water immersion: This is one of the most popular Misogi Challenges. There are many ways to do a cold water immersion, but the basic idea is to submerge yourself in cold water for a set amount of time.
- Fasting: This is not for the faint of heart! Fasting is simply going without food for an extended period of time.
- Running: This is a great Misogi challenge for those who love to run! Set a goal to run for a certain amount of time or distance.
- Many outdoor activities can be turned into a Misogi challenge when tweaked as mentioned above.
