Health, Wellness: Japan’s Ultimate Mind and Body Purification Ritual
- Details
- Category: Asia A&E, Lifestyle, Culture
- Published on Friday, 16 August 2024 09:27
- Written by Asia Contributing Editor
Japan has always been at the center of wellness-inspired journeys, but a new Shinto Purification ritual has just vaulted to the top of the bucket list for so many travelers seeking mind and body revitalization and detoxification.
Misogi is a traditional Shinto purification ritual that takes place in the Shirayama-Hime Shrine in the culturally rich prefecture of Ishikawa.
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The centuries-old shrine is set at the foot of impressive Mt. Hakusan, and serves as the head shrine of over 3,000 shrines across Japan that are dedicated to worshipping nature and this sacred mountain. Mt. Hakusan, designated as a UNESCO Eco-Park, is known as Japan's three most renowned mountains, along with Mt. Fuji and Mt. Tateyama. Known for its spiritual significance, Mt. Hakusan has long been known as a mountain of faith.
The Misogi purification ceremony is to cleanse the mind, body and soul while allowing oneself to reconnect with the natural world. Participants immerse themselves in the ritual with the therapeutic, cold water that has first provided health and sustainability to the land, flows in the pond and down to the sea to sustain life, and eventually onward to evaporate to rejuvenate itself and once again appear as rain or snow that will one day fall on the mountain once again.
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This, essentially, is the cycle of life and guests during the ceremony become one with the circle for true, deep connection with the world around them.
The ritual is now available for travelers to partake and available on various dates between September and November. This 2.5-hour experience begins with a guided discussion through the ritual by the priests who serve the shrine and continues along to a dip into a pond full of icy water that has trickled down from Mt. Hakusan over hundreds of years.
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Upon completion, participants receive a certificate of participation to commemorate their experience. Private sessions with flexible scheduling are also available.
For more information Ishikawa's tourism opportunities, please visit https://www.ishikawatravel.jp/en/
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