Firewalking: Psychological Benefits Of Walking On Hot Coals (the New Coaching Fad)
Practices such as “Firewalking ” (walking on hot coals) or the “Glasswalking ” (walking on broken glass), since they seem to have a high impact on overcoming fears and help people learn how to transcend the limits that our own mind imposes on us.
We have all faced problems and obstacles that have arisen in our lives, and in the face of which we often remain paralyzed. Sometimes those problems seem unsolvable or too complicated to find the right solution.
Coaching is a discipline that helps overcome limiting beliefs that prevent us from facing those challenges or obstacles that arise both on a personal and business level.
Coaching: Firewalking as an impact technique
Firewalking is a technique that has been imported from the United States, where it has been performed for more than three decades. It is used as metaphor of life which allows people to be unblocked and empowered to face difficult everyday situations. In this way, individuals become more resilient and gain self-confidence. In addition, it helps them test their limiting beliefs, overcome their fears and increase their motivation.
Psychology has been investigating the relationship between the mind, emotions and pain for some time. In the article “The phantom limb: Mirror box therapy” we already echoed the studies of Ronald Melzack, a researcher and professor of psychology at McGill University in Canada, which gave rise to the Neuromatrix Theory
This theory attributes the diffusion of pain and its transmission throughout the body to a complex system. Various areas intervene in the system (the central and peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system and endocrine system) directly influenced by various psychological, emotional, genetic and social factors. But in addition to the influence of the mind when it comes to enduring physical pain or firewalking, it seems that, according to this coaching technique, facing physical pain can bring benefits on a psychological level.
In the business field, firewalking has also had a great impact. According to experts who use the technique, walking on hot coals is a challenge that enhances business empowerment, leadership capacity, courage or other virtues that often influence success. On a personal level, this attitude of facing fears and commitment to oneself makes the person aware, committed and increases their perspective and options, enhancing their resources to achieve the objectives they have set.
No one can deny that there are states of mind and attitudes (confidence, inner strength, joy, etc.) that motivate us and push us to action, and there are paralyzing states of mind or attitudes (anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, etc.) that They make us powerless. It is possible that firewalking, such as coaching technique help increase self-confidence.
Metaphors in coaching
From a young age and as we grow, stories and stories teach us values, principles and social norms The stories we hear shape our lives, and in turn, the stories we begin to tell define who we are, our experiences, perceptions, and the perspective we have of the world.
Coaching uses metaphors as techniques that enhance positive beliefs, since the symbolic language of the narrative defines us and our perspective of the world, providing learning. It acts on our subconscious in a much more empowering way than any suggestion or advice, and mobilizes our creative capacity in the inner search for new options.
From coaching it is stated that people have all the answers You just have to help them become aware. The generation of new options through metaphors leads the coachee (coach’s client) to relate and understand reality from another perspective.
But for metaphors to be effective for the coachee, the coach must develop a story that facilitates identification by his client and helps him look for more adaptive options. Therefore, the coachee must feel that the metaphor meets her needs and offers her meaning. The metaphor can also help to deepen the understanding and solving problems and it is an important tool for change if used well.
For example, during the coaching process, an excessively extroverted client showed little ability for self-observation and questioning his own attitudes. The client, who was passionate about mountaineering, ultimately improved his introspection ability, since the coach made him reflect by telling him: “now it’s your turn to climb the inner mountain.”
In firewalking sessions, metaphors can be various. For example, “both in life and in firewalking, taking the first step is the most difficult, the most difficult” or “you have to walk through life as if over hot coals, otherwise you may end up getting burned.” You have to step firmly and move forward no matter what happens.”
Experiential learning: testing empowering beliefs
Metaphors will pave the way for us to acquire more adaptive and beneficial beliefs, but in order to anchor these new beliefs we must put them to the test. To eliminate a limiting belief, it is highly advisable to replace it with an empowering belief. This is not a new concept in coaching, but has been applied for decades in psychology, for example, in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
He experiential learning It is based on the fact that knowledge is created through the transformation caused by experience. The concrete experience is transferred to an abstract conceptualization which is actively tested through new experiences.
These experiences of failure or success will affect our mental programming (values and beliefs), which will have consequences on our self-efficacy beliefs (also called self-confidence). Experiences constitute the most important source of information for the perception of self-confidence, since they will facilitate the verification of whether these beliefs are going to be effective or not. Repeated success at certain tasks increases positive evaluations of self-confidence beliefs, while repeated failures decrease them, especially when the failures cannot be attributed to external circumstances.
In short, by testing the new empowering belief and observing its positive effect, you will facilitate its anchoring. This will provide a new vision of life. When you are aware that you yourself are the writer of your own novel you can change the course of things to improve your well-being and face life’s challenges differently.
Below we leave you a report in which they explain how the Firewalking seminars work. Check it out:
