Ever since I qualified as a firewalk instructor (I like to think of myself as a facilitator, actually) I’ve been fascinated by differing people’s responses to what I do, so I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the facts, and fictions, that surround it, to unearth some of the truth about firewalking.Image may be NSFW.
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Some Simple Facts
Hot coals are hot – 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit hot
Although firewalking had been used historically for religious tests of faith, and rites of passage, firewalking doesn’t ‘belong to’, or represent any one faith or beliefs system, any more than something like drumming does.
Several scientific theories have been put forward to try to explain firewalking, but none have offered conclusive proof. The conductivity theory is the most popular, but doesn’t address all aspects of firewalking, especially how advanced firewalkers can stand on hot coal beds for minutes at a time.
The American TV show Mythbusters claimed that the conductivity theory explained firewalking – yet their own host was badly burned on both feet when he attempted to walk without the supervision of a qualified F.I.R.E. (Firewalking Institute of Reasearch and Education) instructor.
Why Firewalk?
There are loads of reasons I could give you to firewalk – heighten self-confidence, build self-esteem, motivate change, breakthrough fear, gain focus, halt self-sabotaging behavior……… the list could go on. But what do others say?
You don’t have to dig around too deeply on the internet before you start finding articles like this, that tell the stories of people who have suffered from illnesses such as depression, that find firewalking offers a life defining experience that leads them to make statements like ‘ I’ve walked across burning coals and broken glass – I know I can beat depression too.’ Kathy O’Connell, a women with cerebral palsy, had such a profound, life-enhancing experience when she firewalked that she went on to write a book about it, hoping others would benefit from her experience too, encouraging others with disabilities to live life to the full.
The Final Word
I’ve spoken to quite a few people over the last year of so who have turned around to me when I’ve mentioned firewalking who have exclaimed, ‘I would never do that’, but funnily enough I’ve not met one person who has previously firewalked who has said they would not do it again…….. So how about you? Does the idea of firewalking float your boat, or scare you to pieces? Is it something you’ve done, or you’d love to try?
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The post Here It Is! – The Truth About Firewalking appeared first on Firewalkers .