Back in October, I was in California for women’s speaker retreat. On the first night of the retreat, our leader told us that she had, at the last moment, secured the opportunity for us to do a firewalk with an amazing teacher and women’s empowerment mentor. In case you don’t remember what was going on in California at that time, we were about 40 miles south of where the latest wildfire had broken out. Getting a fire permit for the Monterey Bay beach on such short notice at that time was quite a feat.
My first thoughts were: “What an awesome opportunity. Too bad I won’t have the guts to walk across hot coals. I don’t want to get burned. Coals are HOT.”
Teacher, author, and certified firewalk facilitator, Heatherashe Amara would lead us through training the following night so we would be prepared for the optional firewalk later in the evening on the shore of the Bay at Asilomar Beach.
The next night, Heatherashe, took the stage to prepare and train our group of 40 or so women. She gave us some scientific, historical, and transformative information to prepare the way for the possibility for us to walk across coals that were approximately 1500 degrees (water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit). I recalled the pain of my last steam burn as I listened and signed the liability waiver making it clear that I couldn’t blame anyone but myself if I got burned…
I recalled the pain of my last steam burn and signed the liability waiver
Heatherashe reminded us that one of the first things we learn is that fire is dangerous, stoves are hot, etc. Stay away from fire or we will get burned. She explained that we make an agreement about fire from a very early age. It is considered an unalterable “fact” – fire burns.
What happens when you walk across hot coals and don’t get injured? You begin to call into question all the beliefs and agreements you have.
As our group walked together down to the beach, I wondered if I would have the courage to walk on those coals. I seriously doubted I would walk in one moment, and told myself I’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity in the next. As we reached the beach, she encouraged us all to take off our shoes even if we weren’t going to walk on the coals or even if we hadn’t decided for sure. It was 50 degrees out – the thought of taking off my shoes and stepping onto the cold and wet sand was anything but exciting. I left the shoes on the boardwalk and was pleasantly surprised when the damp sand felt comfortable underfoot.
The group wandered over to the giant old oil drums filled with embers from the wood fires they had been burning in them. We watched the team dump the coals on the prepared surface and expertly spread them out. From a few feet away, the heat from the coals was intense and warming. Heatherashe invited us to start walking as we were ready. First, our retreat leader strode across the coals confidently – she had done this before. Then another participant after a short delay. More delay. Another participant. Delay.
“Go!” I heard in my head. “Before you chicken out.”
And I went. The coals were hot. I moved fast as instructed. I was terrified. Then, on the other side, EXHILARATION. My feet were fine – a little stinging on the right pinky toe which quickly subsided.
Caught up in the energy of the moment, I went across those coals 2 or 3 more times. The last time I danced across.
I didn’t get hurt walking on hot coals. No burns. No discomfort.
Fire didn’t hurt me.
What else might be possible?
What other things do I think are true but really are just beliefs and therefore CHANGEABLE? What if I considered that stories that are holding me back aren’t ACTUALLY true? My resistance? My perceived obstacles? I can change everything about how I look at them.
So can you. So can anyone.
The fact is, I have been examining my beliefs, discovering what’s really true, and healing my body for years.
I didn’t need a firewalk to do that – neither do you. I am truly grateful for the experience at the beach on Monterey Bay, but it’s not true that we must have a moment of doing something risky to make a BIG transformation. While the experience was unique and amazing, all we really have to do is gather the energy to JUST DECIDE TO TRANSFORM.
How does it get better than that? What else is possible?
Set up a free consultation to discover what else might be possible for you. erin@ empowerwellness.com
NB: Please don’t try walking on hot coals without training and preparation.
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