I walked on FIRE!!!

***NOTE: If you have read this before, you might noticed that I have taken some information out / edited it... They don't want you to know all about the fire walk. They want you to experience some of it yourself... SO... In order to do that, I'm giving you the condensed version instead... Still way awesome!***

I have this amazing friend named Steve. I work with him at USDC but he also has a personal investment in a business on the side that includes a rope course and a fire walk.  I love visiting with him about his "non-USDC" activities because he gets so passionate about it. His enthusiasm is entirely contagious. When he talks about something he loves like the ropes courses and fire walk, I just want to go out and experience it for myself. When Steve started talking about the fire walk, my first reaction was probably like yours.  "That sounds crazy!" but my thought also included "..but so awesome! I want to do that!"  I told Steve that I'd like to do that some day and on Wednesday, he gave me the chance. :)  

Me and my friend Steve

Steve let me know on Sunday that there was going to be a fire walk on Wednesday and that Jeremiah and I were invited. I immediately sent Jeremiah a text to call me when he went on break (because he was at work) and started calling for babysitters.  When Jeremiah called me 30 minutes later, I had babysitters found and was going to go - whether Jeremiah could or not! :)  Luckily, Jeremiah had just enough time off left and no one had Wednesday night already requested, so we were both able to go. For me, there was absolutely no question in my mind that I would walk. For Jeremiah, I think he was pretty sure he wouldn't but he agreed to go with me because it was important to me.

The fire walk was "taught" (I don't know what else to call it) by Dr. Cam Mosher. 

***VITAL INFORMATION ON WHAT HAPPENS PRIOR TO THE FIRE WALK HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT TO ALLOW YOU TO EXPERIENCE IT ALL FIRST HAND.  :) ***

Jeremiah and I after we walked on FIRE!

***AND BACK TO THE FIRE WALK PART...***

We all took turns breaking up the remaining fire into coals. You get to feel the extreme heat coming off of the coals as you are breaking it up with shovels.  (I have to admit, it made me a little nervous!) When it was all broken up and spread out, it was time to walk.

Now, I didn't want to be the first person in the group of 21 (plus 5 or 6 facilitators, including my friend Steve) to walk, but I knew I wouldn't be the last, either. Throughout the night, I kept asking Jeremiah if he wanted to walk with me or if he was ready and he kept saying he didn't know if he was going to walk. I had told him that either way, it was entirely up to him but that I was going to do it with or without him. :) When they gave us the "go", there were a few different small groups of people who got up to the carpet where you start and they just stood there for about 1 minute - getting themselves ready. By the time they actually walked, I was ready to go! I was getting excited and ready and before they walked I wanted to just push them out of the way and say "Let me just do it!" Finally they walked and others filtered in.  

I have no idea how long I waited before walking up to it. I had asked Jeremiah one last time if he was going to go with me and he said not yet, so I went. I don't think I stood on the carpet before the coals for very long before I stepped onto them, but who knows! I know that I looked across the coals and my friend Steve was there cheering me on.  I looked down at the coals and just thought to myself "Ok, I'm going to do this now" and before I knew it, I was on the other side. :)  I was a little surprised at how it didn't burn at all. I had expected to feel the heat and a fire, but I didn't.  Just a feeling of peace and a desire to do it again. So I did!  

I went back to Jeremiah and told him it was fine and it didn't hurt at all and asked if he wanted to try. After a few minutes, he decided he did want to walk.  So we stood on the carpet, hand in hand, counted to 3 and and we walked across together. He felt a little heat but said that it felt more like an itch than fire. I asked him if he wanted to do it again, but he said that once was enough for him - he had proved to himself that he could do it. I told Jeremiah to take pictures because I wanted to walk again.

Video of Jeremiah and I walking...

I asked Steve if he was going to walk and he said he decided he was going to so we walked over to the front of the fire. When Steve stood on the carpet to go across, he looked at me and asked if I was coming with him. I'm sure I said something like "sure" or "absolutely" and I stood next to him. I asked if he wanted to hold my hand (like everyone else who went across with someone else) and he said sure. So, I took his hand, we counted to 3 and then we walked across.

 

Jeremiah, Steve and I were visiting and took a few pictures when Cam said that everyone seemed to have an opportunity to cross. He said if you have a feeling that you need to go again, here is your chance before we end our night.  I looked at Jeremiah and told him that I was going to go one more time.  I walked over to the carpet and remember thinking what a great experience the night had been. I remember taking a deep breath and after letting it out, I walked for the 4th and final time for the night. It felt great. Total feeling of peace.

My final time across the coals

We had our final circle as a group where people were able to share their experience. For some, it life changing. For me, it was just amazing. Amazing that I could walk on fire (or to experience the motto of the company - "The impossible is possible"). Amazing to feel a connection to people I had just met.  Amazing to feel the bond I felt with my friend. Amazing to be the strong / brave one in my marriage. Just amazing.

The more I have thought about the night over the last few days, the more I want to do it again. I want to experience it all again. I want to have other people experience it. I want to sit down and do the team building activities with different people in my life. I want to know what makes them who they are. I want to see them panic before they walk and cheer after they do.

SO... who's in? :)

 

If you want to know more, you can always email me but I thought I would link Cam Mosher's website (www.iwalkedonfire.com) as well as a few YouTube videos about the fire walk experience...  

30 Second Video:    http://youtu.be/7uwrAnosvSA  

3ish Minute Video:  http://youtu.be/HFgg18CmtmI

Love you all!

~Mandy~