Overcoming fear of your first time fire spinning!

Are you nervous about your first burn? Flowing with fire is a whole new degree of ability, and it’s an important time in your flow arts journey! It’s a time to feel excited, and it is also okay to feel nervous! Fire is something that needs to be respected to be worked with. Being afraid of it, however, is not necessary or helpful. Here are some helpful tips and reminders to ease you into a fearless first time fire spinning.

Fire Spinning Tips!

1. Do a “spin-off”. After soaking your wicks in fuel, and before lighting them on fire, spin them around to get all the excess fuel off. This will help keep the flames from being super big during the beginning of your burn.
2. Have an experienced “safety” watching, keeping an eye on the flame, and ready to help put out the wicks with a wet towel or fire safety blanket. If they have more experience spinning fire, you can have them burn for the first minute, then hand the prop to you when the flames aren’t as hot.
3. The fire is hottest during the first 30-60 seconds of the burn. During this time, it’s important to keep your tricks simple. Basic moves are perfect here! Just get used to the weight and feel of your prop before trying anything new or advanced.
4. Keep it moving. As long as you are moving the prop, you’re doing great! As soon as you stop moving, naturally, the flames will rise. This can cause damage to the prop itself, especially with poi, and puts you at risk of getting caught up in the flames traveling upwards.
5. You can always put the fire out early. Typically, wicks will burn anywhere from three to six minutes, but you don’t have to go that long for your first time. At any time, you can choose to be done. Just be sure to put out your prop properly. (Cover them with a wet towel or fire safety blanket, folding over two to three times, and applying pressure to smother the flames completely out)
6. Energy flows where your attention goes. Essentially, where you place your focus brings more energy to actualizing it. If you are afraid of getting burned, and you focus on that throughout your burn, it will be easier to freeze up, mess up, and get burned. Focus on how you want it to go. Keep it simple, and visualize it flowing smoothly.

Ultimately, the greatest way to get over your fears is to face them. In this case, you have the ability embrace your first time fire spinning, which will boost your confidence, awareness, and overall ability in performing arts.

Burn on and bless up!

–Liora Cat of Infinite Comings
A Sacred Flow Art Community Blogger

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