16131/2HOT footing has taken on a whole new meaning for Pewsey osteopath and life coach Martin Preston after walking across a glowing bed of coals barefoot.

Mr Preston, 43, was one of about 10,000 people who spent a weekend in London with American motivator and life management guru Tony Robbins.

They spent three days learning how to Unleash The Power Within, the title of Robbins's motivation course.

It started with everyone having to show their power of mind over matter by walking over beds of glowing coals at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mr Preston has been diversifying his Pewsey practice from osteopathy to life style management and he is training to be a life coach.

He said his weekend at the Excel Centre in London was "absolutely mind-blowing".

"Tony Robbins told us that we could do anything we wanted if we put our minds to it and how to focus our minds for general life development," said Mr Preston, who opened his clinic in Pewsey ten years ago.

Outside the Excel Centre two pits had been dug and filled with burning coals, which the participants were told were hot enough to melt steel.

After stripping off their socks and shoes they all had to walk across the glowing cinders.

Mr Preston said: "They told us not to look down at the coals or our minds would tell us we were walking on burning coals.

"We were told to look ahead and tell ourselves we were walking on a bed of cool, damp moss.

"To me it felt as if I was walking on a deep carpet."

Mr Preston said the experience was exhilarating. "The feeling of achievement and power was incredible."

Just one woman out of all those taking part received some small burn blisters, he said.

He said had no plans, however, to introduce red hot coals at his Pewsey clinic which has recently merged with osteopathy clinics from Amesbury and Devizes.

Mr Preston said: "My experiences at the weekend will enable me to help other people focus on their lives and achieve their ambitions."