What is a Misogi?

One of the most powerful tools I’ve discovered for transforming your life is the Misogi challenge. I first learned about it in Michael Easter’s book, “Comfort Crisis.” Essentially, the idea is that one day each year, you take on something so radical, so intense, so far beyond your comfort zone, that it purifies you and charges you up for the other 364 days of the year. 

Modern life has become so comfortable and full of ease that most people walk around looking for problems. Humans are inherently wired to solve problems, to fight for survival. But in our cushy, climate-controlled worlds of 800-thread count sheets, we rarely experience truly hard things. Most of us aren’t fighting against the elements on a daily basis.

That’s where the misogi comes in.

A misogi shakes everything up. It forces you into a pseudo-survival situation, because whatever you’re doing is so intense that it feels like a fight for survival. 

The rules of misogi are simple: 

1. Don’t die.
2. Make it hard.

The first rule is pretty self-explanatory, but rule #2 requires a little more discussion.

What qualifies as “hard”? Well, in misogi territory, hard means that if all variables worked perfectly in your favor, you might estimate your odds of success to be around 50%.

If you’ve never run further than 8 miles, a 26-mile marathon could be a misogi. If you’re already a trained endurance athlete, your misogi may involve elements you’ve never integrated into your training (i.e., carrying a heavy object, dealing with extended sleep deprivation, navigating difficult terrain in the dark, etc.).

The core purpose of a misogi is to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and to emerge from the experience with a heightened sense of clarity and strength.

And let me tell you, this stuff works.

A misogi challenge breaks down the barriers of self-doubt and ignites powerful transformation. You can read about my last personal misogi challenge, here.