March/April 1998Articles on the theme "Regeneration"The Cosmic Dance An Ayurvedic Perspective The Jewel Within The Path of the Heart The New You The Psychology of Regeneration A New Light Body? by Audrey Craft
Davis Physical Regeneration Spiritual Regeneration Walking on Fire The Problem of Regeneration Other Feature ArticlesNatural Health Q&A What is . . . A Medical Savings Account
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Walking on Fireby Alvin BartzRegeneration is the natural way of the world, the way of all life. As a clinical hypnotherapist and certified behavior analyst, for fourteen years I have been witnessing the marvelous power of thought as a tool for the regeneration of hope, health, and happiness. And yet, nothing that I have ever experienced has had such a profound effect as my personal experience of walking barefooted across a twelve foot expanse of red-hot glowing embers. In late November 1997 I was fortunate enough to participate in a fire-walk for the first time in my life. The experience was orchestrated by Bob Jackson and Gail Baiman, two certified fire-walk instructors. The event took place At Ms. Baiman's 18 acre facility amidst the scenic rolling hills of Brooksville, FL. As a group of about 23 young and not so young people, we had gathered around a brightly glowing bed of ruby-red embers about ten or twelve feet in diameter. As we circled the fire, we took turns using a rake and shovel to remove the still blazing chunks of wood. As I took my turn, the heat from the fire circle was so intense that I started sweating profusely and the impossibility of what we were about to do re-entered my consciousness. I had attended the fire-walk to develop new and powerful images which might inspire my patients to continue on their path of self-discovery, healing, and personal growth. And, as first one and then another person started blithely walking bare-footed across the glowing embers and little dancing yellow and blue flames, I knew in my heart that something miraculous was taking place. I watched as more and more of the group walked across the fire circle, each experiencing an elation of accomplishment and personal power - a profound regeneration of spirit. Soon little children were walking across, and small groups of two and three people crossed hand-in-hand. We had been instructed not to walk until we felt in our heart that we were ready. As a group we started saying, "My body knows what to do to protect me; my God knows what to do to protect me; my faith knows what to do to protect me." Saying these words, I started walking toward the heat of the fire circle. It had been suggested that we might visualize a loved-one waiting for us on the other side of the fire, with outstretched arms. I pictured my deceased younger brother smiling and encouraging me to walk across the glowing bed of embers. It took just four steps to walk across the fire. Each step felt just like walking on cool whet moss, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the heat and light, experiencing a feeling of remarkable freedom and a regeneration of immeasurable personal power. That evening 23 men, woman and children did something which we have been taught is impossible. Each of us had walked on glowing hot coals and no one had gotten burned. But more importantly, each of us came away with a clear regeneration of our personal spirit: the belief that we could accomplish anything, make any personal changes necessary for our growth, health and happiness. As a therapist, I am always looking for ways to help my patients make important life changes. I know that it is the regeneration of negatively-charged images and self-talk that keeps people trapped in lives of quiet desperation. At the core of every phobia and every anxiety disorder is a fire pit of low self-esteem which is constantly fanned by negative thoughts which are being regenerated all the time. As I relished the joy of going way beyond my human limitations, I realized that the fire-walk experience would be a wonderful devise for helping individual overcome all manner of self-imposed limitations. For example, I imagined working with a large group of individuals who were dealing with overcoming grief. The image of a loved one with outstretched arms beckoning them to leave their sadness on the other side of the fire, could have incredible healing power In a similar way, individuals on the verge of divorce could perhaps come together as a group to work things out, with the fire-walk as a major part of the experience. I would call the group encounter "The Last Chance Dance", and would emphasize the notion that when we discover we can actually walk on fire without being burned, we can similarly channel this miraculous regenerative power to get back to the positive feelings which attracted the couples in the first place. While the idea of using the fire-walk experience for personal growth and development is extremely attractive, it obviously isn't for everyone. Some believe that people who walk the fire have put themselves into a deep hypnotic state. However, if this is true, it only serves to demonstrate the phenomenal power of hypnosis to make impossible things happen. It is this realization that I attempt to bring into every session. It is my goal as a therapist to get individuals past the fire pits of self-limitation to the fullest regeneration of the spirit which makes us all remarkable human beings. Alvin Bartz Ph.D. is a clinical hypnotherapist and certified behavior analyst. He is a member of the National Society of Hypnotherapists, the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists and the American Association of Behavior Therapists. St. Petersburg. Florida (813) 826-1742.
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