It’s been a while since I’ve done something adventurous and it has made me a little stir crazy. Moreover, after posting about bingo last week, I felt a need to counter it with something that was actually interesting. I first heard about glass walking while looking for places to walk on hot coals. Unsurprisingly, you can do it at the same place.

I went to the Golden Wings Center in Bon Aqua, Tennessee. If nowhere had a middle, it would be in Bon Aqua. There was no cell service (which was actually quite nice) and part of the drive included a one-lane dirt road. The Golden Wings Center is a 30-acre retreat that has fire walks, glass walks, a sweat lodge, and a plethora of other activities and features. You can even spend the night there.

The glass walking ceremony was held in a yurt, a circular tent-like structure. When we first walked in, the bed of glass was in the center of the floor and covered with a blanket. I could not see what lied beneath, but I could see the peaks and valleys of glass shards several inches deep. It was a little intimidating.

We started with a guided meditation practice, which I am inherently bad at. I don’t possess the ability to turn off my mind. I usually don’t even bother to try. Then came the big reveal. The blanket was pulled back unveiling the remnants of 125 broken wine bottles.

Broken Glass

Each person had two people by their side for support. When it was my turn I asked Angela and Justin, the owners of the Golden Wings Center and all-around awesome people, to guide me. I placed my hands on their forearms, closed my eyes, and took my first step. I shifted my left foot until it felt comfortable on the glass. I made sure no shards were pressing directly into my foot and shifted my weight onto it. I lifted my right foot and again tried to find a comfortable spot in the glass that would support my weight. The second step was scarier because it meant that I was solely supported by the glass.

Walking on Broken Glass

With each step I could hear the glass popping and feel it breaking beneath my feet. It was a bit unnerving. I decided to do the walk with my eyes closed because I wanted to be completely in the moment and only focus on what I was doing. I’ve had a lifetime of my brain telling me that walking on glass is a bad idea, by closing my eyes I was able to shut that out and rely on what I was feeling and trust myself and my decisions.

Feet on Broken Glass

Believe it or not, I made it the entire way without a single cut. I am really glad I did the glass walk. It was a very empowering experience. I am looking forward to returning to the Golden Wings Center soon for fire walking and the sweat lodge . . . stay tuned.

I’ll leave you with a song that has been stuck in my head all week. It has nothing to do with my glass walking experience, but you can’t go wrong with Annie Lenox.