How is firewalking possible?

If you’re thinking about participating in the Tony Robbins firewalk, you’re probably also thinking something along the lines of, “How do people walk on hot coals?” and “But won’t it hurt?” These are valid questions as they lead to considering how you would keep yourself out of danger if the fire was a real threat.

But it’s not a real threat. And when you overcome your fears and perceptions about walking on fire, you’ll see how to take your self-image to new levels and get closer to unlocking an extraordinary life. With the right approach and adequate preparation, how to walk on hot coals is not only possible, but well within your reach. Here’s why:

First, there’s the matter of physics being on your side.

When learning how to walk on fire, it’s important to realize that coals are considered to be what’s called poor thermal conductors. In other words, they’re terrible at transferring heat to other objects, like your feet. Their low thermal capacity means that it would take them a while to do any damage.

Think of it this way: if you stick your hand into a 400-degree oven, it’ll feel hot, but you’d have to hang out in there for a while before you actually burn yourself. The same principle applies to hot coals. When analyzing how people walk on hot coals, keep in mind that those who do it successfully know that constant motion will keep them from getting burned.

Secondly, your pace will protect you.

Just as you don’t want to stand on the coals for a long period of time, you don’t want to run across them either. Running will cause your feet to sink further into the bed of coals and increase your chances of being burned. On the other hand, if you maintain a light, brisk pace across them, it’ll prevent cinders from wedging between your toes and scorching them.

How to walk on fire is all about a happy medium – don’t rush it, but don’t linger long enough in one place to get burned. When learning how to walk on hot coals, a good rule of thumb is a half second or less for each step.

Finally, you want to keep your mind in check.

Your mind is a powerful tool that can work for or against you depending on how you use it. Overthinking is detrimental in all areas of your life, and firewalking is no different. If you feed your fear with increased thoughts of bad outcomes and continually tell yourself it’s a bad idea, your fear will grow bigger and gain power over you. Not only can it ultimately paralyze you, but it will prevent you from focusing on the aforementioned methods you need to enlist to protect yourself.

However, if you practice visualizing your goal of confidently stepping across the coals, this does more than make you feel better in the moment. Get a clear picture of yourself in your head at the end of the task. Feel what it’s like to have accomplished a firewalk. Really put some thought into how you will be transformed now that you’ve walked over fire. When you visualize your goal as if you’ve already accomplished it, it conditions your brain to send more messages to your consciousness through a function called your reticular activating system, the system that signals confidence and empowerment.

How is firewalking possible?

If you wonder how to walk on hot coals, you need look no further than your mind. Walking on hot coals is not about the physical aspect of the challenge – it’s about the mental. If participating in a firewalk scares you, ask yourself what you’re afraid of. When you sense something your brain perceives as dangerous, it sends messages to ensure you respond to the threat by avoiding it. Are you afraid of the possibility of getting hurt? Or are you more afraid that you will get to the event and not be able to actually do it? The fear of failure can be just as strong – or even stronger – than fear of physical harm. However, you can use fear before it uses you to drive you to success.

How do firewalkers walk on fire? By focusing on accomplishments and letting their confidence grow. So, while it’s completely reasonable (and entirely human) to question whether walking across coals is within the realm of possibility, with adequate preparation and the right frame of mind, it’s entirely within your reach.