It's called the Firewalk, and they know it's going to change their lives.

Many look as though they have already been transformed, by the way they calmly do the… impossible.

There is nothing new about Firewalking. Fire has been around as long as human civilization. Indeed, it is inextricably linked to humanity's evolution, and, some would say, has fueled humanity's transformation from cave man to modern man.

Which is why it's such a critical component of many rituals the world over. Like water, like air, man has always sought to conquer the element.

Firewalking has been practiced by the Vikings, North American Natives, Hawaiian Kahunas and other groups, as a test of courage, a rite of passage, a ceremony. It is a ritual with tremendous power to transform and heal. In fact, in many societies fire symbolizes transformation, rebirth, almost to the point of being a cliche'.

It is this transformative power of fire that first sparked the imagination of American Tolly Burkan, the inventor of the modern Firewalk.

In the seventies, Burkan believed that Americans were desperate for a transformation, a healing experience, and brought Firewalking to America. Since then, it's grown... well, like wildfire. Thousands of people have done it--and been transformed forever.

The core idea behind the walk is simple: fears are built into humanity--it's a survival mechanism that served our cave-dwelling ancestors well. But too often, people overcompensate, and let it run their lives.

The Firewalk ritual enables one to do the impossible, and sends an unequivocal message to the psyche and spirit of the individual: this is possible; you can do it.

After walking on fire, almost every other fear and anxiety diminishes. And individuals are shocked to discover the power to conquer fear and realize dreams has always been there - within themselves.

For some it's a feat, a challenge, the equivalent of skydiving, bungee jumping, or inviting one's mother-in-law for dinner -- a test of their masculinity or femininity. For others, it's something more.

Firewalkers report countless benefits. It's different for each person.

For some it's mental--an ability to remain calm in situations that are anything but. For some it's spiritual-it becomes their first experience of contacting an awesome power beyond themselves. For some it's social -- the first experience of a deep bonding with others in the community. For many it's a lifesaver--reports of remission from terminal illness abound. Everyone agrees it's life changing-and life enhancing.

It makes sense. For most people, just the idea of doing it makes them recoil with fear. Simply imagining it makes them retract, with visions of horrible pain, life-long scars. But then the possibilities begin working on their imagination, and they begin to entertain the idea. That's the magic, mystique, and allure of the Firewalk.

While there is undeniable mind-boggling magic to the Firewalk--why it persists in the imagination-- at a certain level, it is all technique and preparation.

To make it easier, and safer for people, many Firewalk Seminars are little more than spectacles, with small firebeds, coals that are not too hot, and other gimmicks.

But we at Fire Walk Canada take it all seriously. Ours is the authentic version -- the coals are red-hot, and special preparations are essential to avoid injury. (Over 2 million people have participated in the Firewalk worldwide, and only a small percentage--50 people--have suffered injuries, most minor, all largely attributed to ignoring training instructions and safety protocols.)

Fire Walk Canada has trained hundreds in its first few years of operation, with a perfect record of zero injuries.

   The 2-hour prep time includes an overview, mental and physical preparation, and bonding with team members. Participants learn to enter a powerful state--part trance, part deep connection with themselves--and learn to connect with their internal source guidance, which will tell them if they are ready to walk, and which they must trust, along with their support group, during the walk if they are to remain invulnerable to the danger.

Some who never intended to walk end up walking, and some who were ready end up not walking-the time was not right, and there is no shame attached to it. Walking the fire is only the ceremony, the ritual. The real work and benefits come before, in the preparation.

Whether you walk or not, you emerge a winner, although there is no denying the ultimate high that comes from actually taking that first step, now. It is an experiential thing--one that most graduates are glad they did not miss.

Fire Walk Canada's Firewalking Seminar is based on the original seminar developed by Tolly Burkan. The two instructors, Sijo Jacques Patenaude, and Sifu Martin Patenaude have undergone the complete training, and earned certification to train others to do it. They are two of only a few certified, currently active instructors in Canada.

The Firewalk Seminar was made public for the first time in 2005, due to growing public demand. Until then, it had been offered exclusively to students of Patenaude's Kung Fu franchise of martial arts and personal development schools (the largest martial arts franchise in Canada).