Can You Walk Across Fire?

If 21 people ended up with burns while doing a Tony Robbins firewalk, does that mean the idea of walking across 2,000 degree coals is bogus? Crazy? Really stupid? Does it mean that it can’t be done safely?

Some might say, “Yes.” In fact, attendees of Tony Robbins motivational seminar, “Unleash the Power Within,” a four-day event attended this time by some 6,000 people in San Jose, CA, have been doing the firewalk for three decades–and doing it pretty successfully.

I haven’t done a firewalk with Robbins, but my husband and I have done a firewalk with Stewart Wilde during his Warrior’s Wisdom intensive in Taos, NW. Same deal. Long line of coals. We all walked across. Call me crazy. I walked across them twice in the same evening. No burns. A few pink spots. My husband also went twice; same deal…no real problems. No burns.

How is that possible? First, its’ a matter of mind over matter. I can’t speak for what Robbins does, but Wilde spent a ton of time–hours–priming us for the event, which came near the end of the week-long intensive, if not at the very end. We had a whole evening of visualizing walking across the coals successfully, singing songs, talking about it, getting really jazzed. By the time we did the walk, we had probably visualized actually doing it successfully 20 times or more–walking across, getting to the end, feet in buckets of cool water (yes, that’s really what happened at the end), the feeling of exhilaration.

What all this priming did was help our minds believe we could actually walk on fire. That belief allowed us to actually do it. You have to believe you can do it. Your mind must know it. And the visualizations tell the mind it is so. On a deeper level, you must have the faith that you can do it. You must know you can. You must believe.

Then, you must have a goal: to get to the end of the bed of hot coals. No dilly dallying. No hesitation. You must start and not stop walking until you get to the end. No running, which pushes down too hard on the coals. No slow walking like you are God, which sets you up for burns. You walk quickly with purpose and a light step until you have reached your destination. This is how you reach all your goals–and how you conquer all your fears, cross all your beds of hot coals. You move confidently, quickly and purposefully. You do not stop in the middle to wonder if you should turn back, if you have made a mistake. That IS a mistake.

Before I walked, I asked someone what to do if I got nervous or doubted. I was told, “Use all your senses.” In other words, stay present. Look, listen, smell, feel, taste. I must admit, the first time I walked the coals, I got to the other side and could hardly remember having done so. That’s why I walked a second time. That time, I used all my senses. I took a deep breath, I walked a tad more slowly (not much!), and I paid attention to the experience.

In the article about those burned during Robbins’ firewalk in San Jose, 12 people got burned. What about the other 5,988 in attendance? Since they aren’t mentioned in the article, I must assume they concluded the firewalk without mishap (or didn’t walk at all). I know most people want to do Robbins’ firewalk–it’s one of the big highlights of the intensive, so while some may have opted out, I would bet at least 5,500 people walked those coals and did not get burned.

I know a colleague of mine was in San Jose and completed the firewalk with Robbins. She had a few “hot spots” on her feet, which she said were to be “expected” after walking on hot coals. But she said the firewalk was managed and organized well, people were well prepared, and there was no mass hysteria or anything like that. She enjoyed the experience and got a lot out of it–and burns were not part of that.

Do you want to know who gets burned and to what extent? Those who doubt they can do it. How badly do they get burned? To the degree that they doubt they can safely get to the other end of that bed of glowing coals.

Would I do another firewalk? Probably. Why? It’s a superb way to prove to yourself you can, indeed, overcome and move through your fears–walk through fire. It’s an amazing way to show yourself the power of your mind. Yes, there are other ways, but a firewalk is a pretty powerful one.

Photo of firewalk preparations in Scotland courtesy of Ross_Goodman.