“I had a friend who had been fire spinning for years and he came over to my back yard and he lit up my fire hoop and I was garbage, but just knowing that I had done that, and done something that I was supposed to be afraid of, it really changed my life.”
Some things speak to our minds. These are the most common of things that we regularly encounter every day. Other things speak to our hearts. These are less common, but still encountered with regularity. Rarely, oh so rarely, does something speak directly to our soul. A good way to categorize these things is to realize that we, in turn, cannot really speak about them. We don’t know how to describe something that speaks to our soul. Think about a soul-mate, or love at first sight. We can throw a lot of adjectives around about why we like that person, but those are just the words that speak to our hearts and minds, and probably apply to plenty of other people that we have met. The thing that makes this one person so special cannot be spoken. There is just a deep seated knowing in the soul.
Amazingly, there are things that seem to speak to all of our souls, belying the notion that we are not connected. Fire is the perfect example of this. Anyone who has ever gone camping and stared into a fire can attest to the feeling that you get. My best words to describe it would be a peaceful reverence, but again, words don’t really work here. Today’s guest, Victoria Zajac, knows all about the soul affirming power of fire. Rather than just be a cautious observer, Victoria decided to get up close and get to know fire even better. Spinning, swallowing, dancing, breathing, you name it, Victoria does it.
**Two quick notes about safety. One, Victoria wanted to make it clear that they only breathe with Ultra Pure Parafin Oil. This is important if you are wanting to try this. Which brings me to the more important and overarching note. Please find a mentor, contact Victoria through her website, or take some tutorials at Flow Arts Institute or elsewhere before trying this yourself.**
“Just to be able to hold an element and see it and smell it and hear it, there’s nothing like being able to harness that type of thing. Especially coming from a place of fear. It’s a beautiful experience.”
“It’s like creating any kind of art piece. You hack away at it until it’s what you feel is right from your heart. It’s changed me creatively in so many different ways.”
Interview Contents
2:20 - What does fire performing consist of?
6:50 - Props in fire performing.
9:20 - Fire breathing.
11:30 - Fuel sources.
18:50 - Keeping your skin from catching fire.
22:20 - The feeling that you get working with fire.
26:20 - Pushing through fear and difficulty.
29:20 - Flow arts into fire performing.
34:50 - The fire performing community.
39:10 - Creating performances.
42:45 - Safety.
53:30 - Burning yourself.
59:30 - Advice for getting started.
Links
THIS EPISODE WAS MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Kevin Cole
Marcus Batson
Roxanna
Michelle & Jim Wortner
Janelle Swanson
Jimmy Seymour
