Today was a day of feet. It started with frozen feet and ended with scorched feet.
Thirteen degrees of toe tingling coldness at Salford Quays was a great start to the day. I wore my new hat….it says it all really.
Once I was in and nicely numbed the water was lovely. I didn’t lose all feeling in my toes as it isn’t quite cold enough for that…yet. My fingers suffered slightly more, but I swam just under a kilometre before deciding I’d had enough.
From cold to hot, from water to fire…my evening was the complete opposite. I went from 13 degrees to over 600 degrees. I completed a fire walk, my cold feet soon warmed up on the burning embers.
Before the onset of covid, or as we now just say before, I had been talking to a donor about things that put us outside our comfort zone. I think we all should take those knee knocking steps every now and again just to inject that amazing adrenaline rush that reminds us we are alive. The rush that makes us stand back from the daily routines, that makes your stomach whizz in a frenzy of uncontrolled anticipation and makes you fist pump the air with satisfaction that leaves you buzzing for days. Anyway, my donor told me about a firewalk she had done and she showed me some photos. I knew the minute she mentioned it that I wanted to do it too. I looked up the place she had done it and as if it was meant to be it was on again within a few months…I booked it.
Of course, like everything else it was postponed, and then postponed and then postponed. But eventually it took place….23rd October 2021. Last night, after freezing my toes in the morning, I subjected my feet to burning embers.
It was all in aid of Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne. My partner in crime, Victoria, met me there. We almost didn’t make it as we went to the hospice first and it was at a local garden centre, but after a couple of wrong turns and some shouting at the satnav we made it. There was a strip of flames rising a couple of feet from the ground and a huddle of people so we knew we were at the right place. We rushed over. We had missed the first part of the inspirational talk, but the guy who greeted us said that basically if we just walked quickly we would be fine. I hadn’t planned on stopping half way across to pose for a photo so all was good.
So, why walk on fire anyway? The act of fire walking is a key element of many religious and spiritual ceremonies performed on all continents, except Antarctica. Apparently, there is evidence dating back thousands of years showing man has walked on hot coals. I’m not sure what evidence this is as I don’t suppose there is much singed skin found on remains. Maybe there are cave drawings…I shall have to investigate further.
“Fire walking is a powerful technique that can accelerate a radical transformation in consciousness. People constantly say it changes their lives forever.” Tolly Burkan, the co-founder of the American fire walking movement. That is quite a statement to make. I understand it is about self belief, confidence and empowering, but I don’t think it changed my life. Maybe Americans can say such a huge statement, but we British don’t tend to enlarge beyond the boundaries of truth to the extent that they can. It was empowering, I felt amazing, I conquered, but I still did my washing and nipped to Tesco today. I will be back at work tomorrow. Of course, I have a story to tell and I will show off my photos, but today’s news is tomorrow’s chip paper!
So I’m not bigging it up. Neither am I putting it down. It was a great thing to do. I did actually put my bare skin onto extremely hot burning embers and walk about fifteen foot. I felt on top of the world, I felt I could do anything…so long as it didn’t involve heights…and it is this feeling that I have to recapture when I’m faced with a tricky situation. No, my life won’t change, but I may approach things in a different or more confident way.
Pine, ash and oak coals had been burning at temperatures reaching a thousand degrees. The fire starters (Prodigy’s Fire Starter was going round my head) raked out the burning wood and broke it down into soft smouldering embers. the temperature dropped to a toasty six hundred degrees and we were, literally, fired up and ready to go. “Take your shoes and socks off,” said our inspirational leader. “I’ll ask you two questions, your name then if you are ready. Shout out your answers then go go go.”
We lined up ready.
“What’s your name?”
Belinda
“Are you ready?”
Hell, yeah!
It felt feathery soft to walk on and I did feel a very hot bit on a part of my right foot, but it was great. Victoria stormed it too.
It was such a crazy experience, but I would recommend it to everyone. The buzz afterwards was phenomenal, I would do it again anytime.
I started with a photo of wet, chilly toes. Now I shall end with soot coated toes that tingled all evening.
Now, get out there and find a firewalk near you. Raise some money for a good cause and enrich your life. Give yourself an experience that makes you feel AMAZING!
Let your feet complete a feat.
need2bleed 