Learn The Burn In Model©
THE FRAMEWORK REDEFINING BURNOUT, ALIGNMENT & MODERN WELLBEING
A modern approach to alignment and wellbeing
What is Burn In?
Burn In is the opposite of burnout — and more.
It’s the alignment between who you are (Being), what you do (Doing) and who and what you’re connected to (Belonging). When these parts align, your inner flame feels steady, bright and you feel like yourself again. Your potential for growth and transformation (Becoming) expands. Rhiannon Crispe and Michelle Luken coined the term Burn In to describe this state of alignment and authentic becoming.
The Burn In Model© is a metaphor-based model they created to help people understand what fuels them, what drains them and what needs to shift for alignment and a greater sense of wellbeing.
The Flame, The Burn In Model ©
The Flame
The flame is the heart of the Burn In Model©. It represents your energy, identity, meaning and the deeper sense of feeling like yourself.
The flame has two parts: the Inner Flame & the Outer Flame.
The Inner Flame reflects the alignment between your Being, Doing and Belonging.
Being: Who you are. Your identity, purpose and values. The sense of who you truly are and what matters most to you.
Doing: What you do. The occupations, habits, routines and rituals that occupy your time and align with who you are.
Belonging: Who and what you’re connected to. The places, people, animals and higher power that offer you a sense of safety, acceptance and belonging.
The Outer Flame is the space around your Inner Flame represents your potential for growth and transformation — your Becoming. It is influenced by the alignment between the parts of your Inner Flame. The greater the alignment between your Being, Doing and Belonging, the greater the potential for your authentic Becoming.
The Burn In Model© Continuum offers a simple way to understand how your flame is burning. We intuitively recognize the difference between a blazing fire and a fading flame. A bright, steady flame reflects strong alignment between your Doing, Being and Belonging: a state of Burn In. A dim flame or smoldering coal reflects complex and sustained misalignment: a state of burnout.
The continuum helps you notice where you are, where you are heading and what may need attention or tending. Your flame does not need to be blazing for you to be well. Even a small, steady flame represents some degree of alignment.
Your flame is not fixed. It responds to the pressures and possibilities of life’s seasons. And it can always be tended.
The Burn In Model© Continuum
The 8 Ecosystem Elements
Spark
This represents life itself — the source of hope, possibility, and the energy that begins every flame
Coal
Burnout — a state of complex and sustained misalignment between who you are, what you do, and who or what you’re connected to
Sticks & Logs
Personal & occupational factors — your intrinsic attributes, skills and values, and the things you do that either fuel or drain you
Wind & Rain
Environment — the external factors and sustain alignment conditions that influence and shape how steadily your flame can burn
Rocks
Boundaries — the limits you put in place to protect your energy and prevent burnout
Embers
Gifts to the world — the tangible and intangible contributions you create, embody, and share just by being you
Smoke
Warning signs — the emotional, physical, and relational signals that reveal growing misalignment or impending burnout
Ash
Death, Legacy & Lineage — the stories, values, patterns, and creations we inherit and leave behind across generations
Your Flame Doesn’t Burn in Isolation
Your flame lives within a complex ecosystem of personal, environmental and relational forces that shape how steadily it burns.
Usually, meaningful activities can offer fuel for your fire, but in certain seasons, even these can feel heavy or demanding — like a damp log that takes more from the fire than it gives.
Your environment works the same way. At times it offers ideal conditions, like supportive relationships, balanced workloads and spaces that help you breathe. At other times it feels like weather turning — pressure, instability or systems that make it harder for your flame to stay steady.
And some parts of your ecosystem far reach beyond you — the embers you send into the world, the impact you have and the stories or values passed on through your legacy.
Seeing your life through the lens of The Burn In Model© brings clarity: you see what fuels your flame, what dims it and what’s ready to be tended.
How We Bring The Burn In Model© to Life
Keynotes
High-impact keynote presentations that introduce The Burn In Model© in a powerful, engaging, and accessible way — perfect for events, conferences, or leadership gatherings.
Courses & Community
Online pathways for individuals wanting to explore their flame, reconnect with meaning, and build sustainable ways of living, working, and showing up with alignment.
Workshops
Immersive, practical sessions for teams and workplaces looking to reduce burnout, support leadership, and build a culture of wellbeing grounded in alignment and purpose.
Why This Work Matters
The Burn In Model© reminds us that even when our flame fades, the spark remains. It holds our hope, our life force and the potential for renewal.
Our flame shifts with life. It moves with our roles, our demands, our environments and our hopes. Yet it can always be tended. It can be strengthened. It can be brought back into alignment.
When we understand what fuels us and what drains us, we reclaim the ability to choose a different way. A way that honors our energy, protects our boundaries and supports the life we are here to live.
Burn In is not about pushing harder. It is about returning to what makes us human: meaning, connection, purpose and the courage to live in alignment.
To Burn In, Not Out.
“I truly believe that The Burn In Model is going to be very impactful in our profession — an ember to occupational therapy that will continue to ignite or reignite the fire in professionals, clients, students, and more.”
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— DR. MARLA DAVIS, PRIVATE PRACTICE OWNER + ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
The Burn In Model©
EBOOK
A Lens and Language for Reframing Burnout and Living in Alignment
This 50-page eBook takes you inside The Burn In Model© — exploring the flame, the ecosystem and the story behind it. Designed for practitioners, leaders and seekers ready to move beyond burnout, it offers a practical pathway to bring the Burn In philosophy to life in real work, real systems and real change.
IDEAS THAT IGNITE
The Burn In Newsletter
Join a global community of individuals and organizations choosing to Burn In, Not Out. We’ll share honest reflections, real stories and research-backed practical ways to stay aligned in how you live, lead and work.