Step Into the Wild: New Year, New Misogis

Happy New Year, League!

A couple of years ago, I mentioned in a year-end book review that if any book covered our Wild Gym ethos, it would be Michael Easter’s “The Comfort Crisis.” It’s an excellent read if you haven’t read it yet. He also discusses the concept of Misogi – making the effort to do something really hard on an annual basis. Getting out of one’s comfort zone in an epic way.

For myself, this is usually a physical pursuit, a long hike in a new and challenging area, for example. But after my morning meditation today, I realized that I also strive for many mini-Misogis throughout the year by seeking out new experiences. They don’t usually have the physical aspect of pushing through something to come out the other side and testing the edge of my limitations, but they are so valuable to expand my world and my imagination of what is possible. 

We live in a very small town of just over 3,000 people. We don’t really have museums, music festivals, or science museums. We are 120 miles from the nearest Costco. To see a concert we often have to drive 250 miles to Minneapolis. But we do have active maker and art communities and I’ve been expanding my life to include some of those experiences. They enhance my connection to other people, they allow a new appreciation for the vast talents of people, and they help me to look at experiences from different perspectives. 

Ten or so years ago, I saw a poster hanging in our little grocery store offering a unique opportunity for a weekend retreat with a Buddhist monk. It involved spending 3 days in a stranger’s home with a group of people I didn’t know. Signing up for something like this is much more out of my comfort zone than taking on a backpacking trip or doing the hardest workout I can dream up. Stepping out of my comfort zone socially, into an environment I have no idea what to expect, is the hardest for me. But I did it, and it turned out to be a life-changing experience. I met an entire group of people who live in our town but were previously invisible to me. Several of them became new friends. I learned about ethnic foods I’d never tried before, like Channa Masala. I learned about a new belief system, a new culture, and in the monk who led the retreat, I met one of the happiest, funniest, most down-to-earth people I’ve ever known. 

Over the years, I’ve also signed up for a Master Naturalist course, taken writing classes where I had to read what I wrote (nothing is more terrifying for me than that!), and attended piano concerts, plays, and orchestra events. Most recently, I signed up for a class at our local Folk School, which teaches traditional skills such as blacksmithing, cabin building, outdoor skills, herbalism, basket weaving, wood carving, and so many other things. Once again I met an unexpected group of kindred spirits. I was surprised that half of the group had traveled all the way here from Minneapolis to attend the 3 hours of class. People are excited to learn traditional crafts and skills, which is awesome. I feel lucky to have access to such things right in our little town. 

My point is that no matter where you live, opportunities for new experiences may exist in places you aren’t even aware of. We so often believe we need to travel or otherwise spend a bunch of money. But chances are, there are people and places that can expand your world just down the street. 

It’s easy for me to engage in difficult physical pursuits. Sign me up for long walks, rucks, hikes, backpacking trips, kayaking, heavy lifting, or power yoga. I’ll eat, live, and breathe those things, no problem! I’ve been doing that since I was a kid. Some of them are definitely hard, but they are still within my comfort zone because I love them. Stepping out of my comfort zone, for me, has a lot more to do with putting myself in new social situations or learning something I know nothing about. Taking steps to learn a new skill in front of strangers is really what has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It’s where I have grown and expanded the most. I find immense value in chasing the edge of my physical limitations. But I’ve also found that chasing new experiences in areas that are less comfortable has been even more valuable. 

Misogi doesn’t have to be limited to something physical. It should, in my opinion, zero in on the concept that Dan talks about often of “Expand your imagination of what is possible!”