Japan Goals: "Taki shugyo"

Taki shugyō (滝修行) is a traditional form of ascetic training in Japan where practitioners stand beneath a waterfall to cleanse the body and sharpen spiritual focus. Sometimes called "waterfall meditation" in English, it is rooted in Shinto and Buddhist purification rituals, it’s seen as a way to cultivate discipline, clarity, and inner strength. 

I have no desire to actually perform "taki shugyo," but I would love to witness it and get some photos of this spiritual discipline. While the English term suggests a casual meditation under cascading water, the truth is that it is more ascetic than mediative. Practitioners stand beneath a waterfall to cleanse the body and sharpen spiritual focus.

Today, and July 4th annually, is Waterfall Meditation Day 滝修行の日 (Takigyo no Hi) in Japan. The reason it is celebrated on 7/4 is because the number 7 resembles cascading water, while 4 evokes a person with hands pressed together beneath the falls. Have you ever witnessed or performed "Taikigyo"?