How to Swallow a Sword

Tilt your head back, tucking in your chin until your mouth and esophagus align with your spine. “Get everything in a straight line,” says Dai Andrews, who travels the world as a sword-swallowing performer. Under the guidance of a mentor, begin with a blunt object. Many novices start with a metal clothes hanger bent straight. Learn to control your gag reflex by desensitizing it with regular practice and cultivating what Andrews calls “mind-body connection.” Practice tai chi, yoga, meditation, anything that trains you to see fear arising — or the need to retch — and serenely let those feelings pass. “If you have a sword inside you and you panic,” Andrews says, “you need to remain still.”

From “How to Swallow a Sword” by Malia Wollan for The New York Times Magazine, 2016

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