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We explore stories of mystical adventure, inner transformation, and a little bit of fire – sometimes literally.
This show is about pushing limits into the unknown, discovering who we really are in the process, and celebrating the moments of connection that make us feel more alive.
Intro 00:07
Welcome to our very first episode of The Alighted Way. I'm Janelle, and I will be your guide as we explore stories of adventure, inner transformation and today a little bit of fire, as I share my personal experience of being lit on fire and living to tell about it, find out. The best part this show is about pushing limits into the unknown, discovering who we really are and celebrating the moments that make us feel more alive. So let's get into it.
How does one prepare to be lit on fire? This is Janelle, and I was naively confident about having a master fire person light me on fire while an award winning photographer was primed and had seconds to capture photos of the experience. It is not for the faint of heart, but I felt up to the challenge. More on that later. So listen to the end to hear about that experience.
Fire eating and fire walking are the only two fire related adventures I have personally partaken in as far as fire eating goes, I felt the heat on the skin of my face and around my mouth, but the trick was my tongue was quite cool and protected as the fire touched it, it is like a magician revealing their secrets as to how Tricks are done. Once you know, you can't unknow, and some of the magic is lost.
02:12
However, the trick for the coals is to be able to walk on them safely. Is all about the fire tender, who can read the coals and knows when it's time to walk on them safely. My coal walking path was over 30 feet long, and I could see the embers glowing, lighting the way I was aware that I was not as nervous as others in the group. I got to see others go first, so going second had its perks. In order to succeed with mind over matter, I needed to be like Sherlock Holmes, the Benedict Cumberbatch version, and go to my mind, Palace to quiet center, reduce my fears, my thoughts, my emotions. There was adrenaline coursing through me. I focused on my breathing and became very present when I took my first step. I did not look back. Instead, I fixated on and looked beyond, straight across at where I was heading to which was the other side. The first step was the hardest, because I had to surrender and become one with the process. I was in a trance like state, and I remember being very focused and determined. The goal was to overcome and move through fears and build confidence. The past fire experiences I had were safe overall. Were they without risk? No, is the risk relatively low if you follow the instructions correctly? Yes, is it for everyone? No, but 10s, if not hundreds, of 1000s of people have succeeded in doing these activities, so there was nothing special about doing them, other than personal satisfaction, of Breaking Through Barriers and limitations in what you think you can and cannot do. If you have fear about walking on coals and do not walk at a fairly brisk pace across them, you can absolutely burn your feet. You do not want to pause, hesitate or have any doubt halfway across. That's why I did not look down. It's like when you're high up and they tell you not to look down. There is a reason for this wisdom. I love this quote by mountain poet, those who have walked through the fire leave sparks of light everywhere they go. And to follow that up by a different quote by R, H, sin, some fear the Fire. Some become it.
04:24
One other amazing fire experience I would like to share with you was when I was in Hawaii, on the big island with a live erupting volcano in the National Park, hiking out to where the lava was flowing into the ocean, up and over razor sharp hills of dried lava. It was like shards of glass. You could cut your hands if you fell. My husband and I had to follow a beacon of light back in the dark to the parking lot. Some foolish people wore flip flops before heading out. We were told by a park ranger to feel for hot spots and avoid them, because if you hit one, your hiking boots would disintegrate in seconds in the path of the hot, flowing lava. Yeah, we were breathing in sulfur dioxide gas, and it smells strongly of rotten eggs. Was it dangerous? Heck yeah. Is it one of the coolest experiences that I've ever had that I live to tell the tale from again, heck yeah, to watch that molten lava flowing into the ocean was amazing. On the extreme end, I came across a lava chaser Museum in Iceland, those who get as close as humanly possible to eruptions just to capture video and photos, they compete with each other as to who gets the closest, sort of like playing chicken to see who swerves first. Some get too close and don't make it back out. But that's what the Darwinian awards are for, right? For those not in the know, they are awards presented to deceased people who have died stupidly by their own hand or their own actions, their unbelievably spectacular demise stories are shared so others can learn from their mistakes, and hopefully they are not repeated as Forrest Gump said stupid is as stupid does, and I tend to take calculated risks. Colleen and I went to an award winning live lava flow show in Iceland. It is the only lava show in the world, held in a building where a real volcanic eruption is recreated. And once it is cooled, they break it apart, and you can take a piece of it as a souvenir to experience the intense heat that radiates off red, hot, molten lava is wild. I have to admit, it was way safer and less smelly than Hawaii's volcanic eruption experience, for sure, but not as authentic.
07:36
Switching gears. It was a fire performer, fire master, who partnered with the photographer to light me on fire. I have been blessed to experience fire dancers and performers across the globe and even in Saskatchewan, of all places where locals randomly performed on a beach, modern or traditional, there is something mesmerizing, hypnotizing, about humans playing with and becoming one With the element of fire. The dance symbolizes bravery, skill, the eternal, deep connection between people and nature. The performances ignite the senses transport spectators to a realm where ancient traditions come alive. They use techniques and light lit props such as poi balls, batons, knives, hula hoops, to name a few. I have been to several amazing, unforgettable fire performances at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, where they honor the fire goddess Pele the Maori in New Zealand, originated the poi spinning the round balls on fire. They're connected to chains, so the dancers like swing them rhythmically around their bodies. In ancient times, this was part of of training men for battle.
08:56
In Bali, which is the only Hindu place in Indonesia, I witnessed the Kecak dance, and this is like 50 to 60 male performers sitting cross legged in a circle. There's no instruments. There is a united chorus chant of as the epic Ramayana saga begins when a wife is abducted by a King Rama. The husband sends a request for help from the king of the monkey kingdom, who then sends his white monkey named Hanuman, to seek out the Lost wife. A dramatic scene ensues when Hanuman finds himself captured and placed into the encircling real fire. The plan is to burn him alive during the portrayal of the burning of Hahnemann, the dancer playing this character, is blessed by a priest before entering into the performance. He enters a trance like state. Therefore he doesn't feel any pain from the fire. For the fire kicking escape dance, which follows a battle begins between the two sides to defeat the evil king. Dun, dun, dun. These talented fire people have a deeper connection and relationship with fire than us, mere mortals.
Coming full circle. How did I get myself into this latest adventure of being lit on fire? I can assure you, it was completely self inflicted. I had a planning meeting with Mark, the photographer for a steampunk photo shoot for my birthday. As I was talking about my vision for the shoot, I noticed there were pictures of women on fire on the walls, and ended up having both photo shoots as Mark had me hook, line and sinker at the words fire and sprites, I assumed it would be like my other exposure with fire, like that, it would not hurt or burn, that there would be a special trick not to burn.
10:50
The trick, by the way, was dish soap. But how wrong I was about the rest different parts of the body can be lit on fire, such as hands, arms, back, belly and the whole side of the body. It was very different than anything I had previously experienced related to fire. So it turns out my skin is sensitive, like extremely sensitive, and apparently thin, and yet the magic happened anyway. So what did it feel like for me when I had the flame race across my arm for the first time, especially when it then raced up the sword, I brought out my warrior s because when I held the flaming sword, I felt powerful in a way I had not before. It was surreal, and I felt a bit immortal. It was so explosive and fast, and it was over as quickly as it began, and the only evidence of it happening was Mark, capturing those moments I was trying to absorb what I was experiencing, but it was a blur to some degree. The most meaningful shots captured for me were when the sprites, or the animals who show up in the flames showed up. So I had a dragon show up, when I had my hands cupped above my head, and they were on fire, and the dragon appeared. It was truly an extraordinary experience to see what wanted to show up in the flames. I do not know if sprites are something just a few fire performers have experienced, or if it like is a common occurrence. It would be interesting for more research to be done on that subject. I think the dragon that showed up looked like Mushu Mulan's Dragon. However, you may see something completely different. Dragons hold a special place in my heart.
13:17
Find out why adventure and risk level is different for everyone. Is it good to push yourself absolutely? Socrates said, Know thyself. You need to know your preferences, limits and boundaries. A quote by Henry Frederick DeMille states, the fire which enlightens is the same fire which consumes. To close this out, I do not fully agree with the quote, life is about the journey, not the destination. By Ralph Waldo Emerson, experience along the way, and lessons learned are valuable and it is fulfilling and inspiring to reach goals. However, it is about the company we keep along the way that brightens the path. Thank you for walking beside us on the alighted way today.
Outro 14:12
There it is, and there you have it. This is Colleen. We'll continue sharing stories that take you beyond your usual boundaries. We encourage everyone to keep an open mind. Stay curious and join us on this journey. And remember Safety always comes first. So buckle up, join us next time, as we delve deeper into the realm of sprites, animal forms that rise from the flames, which are captured by Mark the photographer. Until then, keep the flame of curiosity burning you.