Misogi - anyone any experience of this?

Question

To say 'it is simply standing under a waterfall to cleans yourself' is not much help - want to do this properly and in full

I did ask for 'your' experience of this, Punk Fairy is the only one to have done this so far. I do this 1st Jan every year so know about cold want to know about the martial side of it thanks

Answer 1

Hey Idai - thanks

hey there Northcarlight, I have stood under a waterfall in kebadachi stance (like sittig on a chair, but theres no chair!) with just as stick to hold out infront of me with both hands. we stayed there as long as we could, each went to our own limits, the pain of the water on your head, it was like eating icecream too quickly, but constant, you went into panic mode at the beggining, breathing irratic, heart feeling like its going to punch out of yur chest like a bad horror movie, your fightig against the water not to fall into the river below, your legs are burning and shaking uncontrollably and you feel youve only been under a few seconds, you get your balance eventually, as your standing on wet moss and other slipping plants, then you beggin your time, you cant really breathe in through the nose, not with the water in your face, you have to keep your mouth open, control your breathing, i closed my eyes, you cant hear anyone, the water drummin against your ears is bad enough, i know it sounds weird but even though your so cold and in pain, you feel warm, very very warm, and suprisingly calm, like your somewhere else...

.that was my experience, im not sure if it was Misogi, it was more of a Bushido experience to us, because when you first feel that cold trickle go down your spine all you want to do is to go back and mind your own business!

but when your in the water fall, your legs are shaking fom so much exhaustion and all you want to do is just sit down and go to sleep in a very warm place, we had to jump 5 metres to a safe place to land in the river, ok, 5 metres doesnt seem that far, but when your legs ahve seised up, your minds not in this world, its t he hardest thing in the world to do.

then you do you have the option to swim to another waterfall if you wish, or sit out at the side.

one thing i can say about the whole eperience is that in everything i do, when the going gets tough, i think back to that day and think, flippin eck, if i can stand in full kebadachi under a waterfall for that ammount of time, surely i can d this!

if thats not cleansing my soul for the better i dont know what is!

we do these trips quite regulaly in my club, were due for another in spring,

oh another thing, MAI magazine published something like this in an issue about three months ago, a guy was telling how he stood under a waterall for a whole 1 minute... put it this way...when we do it, it takes more than a minute under the waterfll to get your balance and stance!... what i meant to say is that some club say they do these "extreme rituals" but im not sure if they know why and are even sure what they are getting out of it.


the moral is... make sure you fully understand whats going to happen, make sure you know why YOUR doing it, your reasons maybe different, mine were to others in the class, some did it to prove somemthing to themselves, some did it to get that indiscribable feeling, i did it for bushido, just to see if i could. I feel so, relaxed in everyday life now, i know it sounds weird to someone whos never done it before . but seriously, try it!

your more than welcome to come along with the club i train with.

im sorry i could nt help you more wth the "misogi" bit, but i hope my personal experience is something to go by

good luck and enjoy it!

Answer 2

Before undergoing misogi, people undergo preliminary purification practices. Women put on white kimono and headband. Men put on a loin cloth and head band. They then begin to "shake the soul" by bouncing their hand in front of the stomach to become aware of the soul's presence within. They then start warm-up calisthenics called bird rowing. Following the leader they begin to shout invocations that are said to activate the soul, affirm the potential for realizing one's own soul, and unifying the people with the Kami.

Before entering the waterfall the participants raise their metabolism and absorb as much ki as possible by a special form of deep breathing. They are sprinkled with purifying salt and are given sake to spit into the waterfall in three mouthfuls. The leader counts to nine and then cuts the air while shouting the word "yei!" to dispel this impurity. The participants then enter the waterfall while continuously chanting the phrase "harae-tamae-Kiyome-tamae-ro-kon-sho-jo!" This phrase asks the Kami to wash away the tsumi from the six elements that make up the human being, the five senses and the mind.

Answer 3

Well, Misogi is is a purification practice in Shinto. If you're standing under a waterfall, then you're practicing water-Misogi.
I'm guessing you're an Aikido practitioner. I want to point out that Morihei Ueshiba practiced Misogi because of his religious believes, that misogi cleanses the soul, in his search for perfection.
Here's a link to a site that spells out the steps for Misogi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogi

Answer 4

It also developes will and discipline to endure.

Turn on the shower set to cold kneel down in the tub and see how long you can stay there.The water temperature in those waterfalls because they come down from a mountain is twice as cold.

Answer 5

Hi there

I have herd of this practice in fact i have a female friend who often does this with her training group. It's not something i have tried. I much prefer to have near death experiences forced upon me rather than me volunteer for them. ;-)

I'm certain that this type of experience gives you the feeling of Mu but i also get the same type of feeling every time my wife empties my bank account!

Good luck with it though and don't wear an heavy weight GI. ;)

I will forward this question onto my friend. She may get back to you with an answer explaining what its like.

Best wishes

Idai

Answer 6

and all along I thought I had to soak my gi in miso... darn!

Answer 7

yeah... you cant really do it properly because it doesnt work.