For the last month, I have been in search of some really interesting and different date ideas for couples living in Joburg, South Africa. I came across the idea of a Fire Walk Friday concept through one of my Meetup groups – a network-based organization of like-minded people looking to partake in different activities and share their experiences and knowledge in their hometowns.
That was the second time that week that I was exposed to the concept. A client of mine recently did a team-building outing with his staff, and every single person in the office ranted and raved about what an awesome experience it was. And how much they loved Cobus Visser‘s energy and how much fun he was.
I was curious to learn more about the experience and why people would want to walk barefoot across burning coals. Was it something on people’s bucket lists?
I decided to contact the guys from Fire Walking Africa to see if they would be interested in hosting Donovan(Those that don’t know, his my better half) on one of their Friday sessions.
Romy responded to my email in a heartbeat and was excited that I had made contact. She didn’t share much information on the experience and said she would fill me in in the evening.
I was one of the first to arrive at the Conscious Healing Centre in Fourways and was greeted by an Indian couple full of life; their energy was appealing warm and welcoming. I really liked them.
The History of a Fire Walk
The fire walk experience dates back to 1200 BC and was used to test people’s individual strength and courage, provide healing to those in need or in religion, to test one’s faith.
Preparing the fire
Outside, the team prepared the fire, and we were all welcomed by Cobus himself.
Pictures here tell a story.
The motivational briefing
After everyone arrived, we were escorted into a hall that appeared to resemble a classroom of some sort. Little did I know that we would be receiving a motivational briefing by Cobus and Willem Gous who I met a few weeks prior at an event.
Lights were turned off, and a music video began being projected onto a white wall. Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never”.What? Why? Am I in the right place?
I needed an understanding of what was happening in this place. And then I heard it. The words of the song.
“See I never thought that I could walk through fire I never thought that I could take the burn I never had the strength to take it higher Until I reached the point of no return And there’s just no turning back When your heart’s under attack Gonna give everything I have It’s my destiny”
“I never thought that I could walk through fire”. “I never had the strength”. It finally dawned on me that this was an introduction to what was to come. A lead up to the motivational talk we were about to receive. The reason why I was here. Well, not originally why, but rather I found myself here in need of a bit of motivation after the very emotional day I just had.
Then we danced, did the Macarena and all those other fun dances you do as a kid. After that, we sat down and learned more of Cobus’s heartfelt story. Doctors said he wouldn’t walk again, yet today he is lively and very much active. His a miracle story. I don’t want to share too much of this now; I would rather like to encourage you to participate in the whole experience for yourself.
When you do, don’t forget to give him a hug at the end – he loves those.
Just by the way – Your feet don’t burn
You are walking slowly on the 538 °C hot coal as you normally would walk. But you don’t feel a burning sensation in your feet. This is because the amount of time your feet are in contact with the coals is not enough time to burn your feet and the coals are not a good conductor of heat. Your body is also made up of water, which has a high thermal conductivity, and because the lower thermal conductivity of the coal will not catch up. That being said, standing still for long enough on the coal will however burn your feet.
The Benefits
I am a self-motivating individual, and it doesn’t take much for me to challenge my own personal boundaries. I started myKzara Visual Concepts business impulsively after a tough day at work, with no money. 7 years later, it’s thriving. I often hop on planes to foreign places all by myself and have the time of my life. I am fearlessly bungee jumping often, and it ITS AMAZING!
Many people, however, need more of a push to challenge their boundaries. We tell ourselves that we do not have it in us to follow through with our dreams. We can’t travel, because we have no one to travel with. We can’t start a business because we are not business-minded people and don’t have the resources. We cant, we cant, we cant . . . This phrase is cast in stone in many people’s vocabulary and mindsets. And life stops just here for most. People get stuck in a rut, because of fear-based decisions. These are the people (Those doubters) that could most benefit from this experience. People that are in need of reclaiming their innate power to heal themselves of all of life’s betrayals. The older you get the more you have to lose, the more life has molded you, and the more fearful you have become.
Having completed a fire walk, and hearing the personal accounts of all the individuals struggling with something that has walked, I can see the positive influence it has been on them. The fire is hot, we know that it could burn us, but we challenge ourselves to walk across it. We conquer those fears and develop the confidence to face the impossible.
Having a lot of negative happen to me in the past – I have learned this. You only fear the unknown. Once you have experienced it, fear has no power over you anymore, and you are free. Change within yourself happens, and you are able to create the life you have always wanted and be in a position to rid yourself of unwanted anger and emotions surrounding certain events in your life. Your limiting belief in yourself is broken.
The de-briefing
After the whole experience, everyone that attended had an opportunity to get up and share their experience and what the fire walk has done for them. You would be amazed at the power of this exercise.
A date idea – Why?
Originally this concept came about when I was looking for some interesting things to do around Joburg that you don’t do every day. It did a lot for me as an individual looking to grow but can see the benefits it has for couples too. After all, there are 2 individual people in a relationship. There were a few couples that attended that evening. A newlywed couple was there to challenge what they could achieve together, and grow together by this shared experience. Another couple going through difficulty in their marriage was there to rekindle the “flame” and reconnect on an emotional level.