Imi - Sacred Abstinence
The practice of ritual abstinence and avoidance to maintain purity for sacred duties.
Imi involves abstaining from certain foods, activities, and contacts to maintain the purity required for performing rituals or approaching sacred sites. Priests especially observe imi before major ceremonies, avoiding death, illness, and polluting substances.
Through imi, the priest makes their body a fitting vessel for sacred service.
Imi practices show how Shinto maintains boundaries between sacred and profane.
Engishiki