Holotropic Breathwork is one of the treatments in psychotherapy. Since there is not a lot of information about it, we will tell you what it is and how it works.

Holotropic Breathwork: What is it?

The history of the described method is interesting. Groff was a follower of Z. Freud and practiced. To change consciousness, he used psychotropic substances, in particular, LSD. During the sessions, Groff noticed that when the effects of the substances wear off, people begin to breathe faster and deeper in order to stay in a trance.

After the prohibition in the United States of the use of psychotropics, the scientist came to the author's method of holotropic breathing.

- This is a special technique in which a person breathes very deeply and quickly, while the whole process is accompanied by music or other sounds.

After the end of the session, in the classic version, drawing of a mandala or other plot that came to mind during the session follows. The result of the process is a change in consciousness and entry into a trance.

Holotropic Breathwork is always done in pairs. The person who “breathes” is called a holonaut, and his partner is called a sitter. A sitter is a person who looks after the process. His duties include monitoring the behavior and condition of the "breather". A teacher who teaches holotropic breathwork is called a facilitator.

Thus, the main elements of the CD are:

special breath;
stimulating music;
providing support to the "breather";
creative self-expression of the individual.

In addition to HD, the "big four" recognized breathing techniques include waving, rebirthing, and free breathing.

What is Holotropic Breathwork used for?

Altered states of consciousness achieved during HD have a pronounced healing effect due to the release of emotions and unpleasant physical sensations hidden deep inside. A person recognizes a problem that torments him, which allows him to analyze it and find solutions.

The goal of the holonaut is to enter into a trance and authentically manifest himself, i.e. essence of his personality, no matter how unattractive it may be. The breather may begin to cry, jump, laugh, dance, sing, or swear.

Holotropic Breathwork is used as a psychotherapy for the following conditions and diseases:

understanding the causes of nervous tension and anxiety, as well as getting rid of them;
activation of mental reserves, minimization or complete elimination of depression and apathy;
addictions of various orientations (alcohol, drugs, gaming, substance abuse);
overcoming midlife crises or existences.

Stressful situations, lack of meaning in life are also indications for special breathing practices. In addition, HD helps to deal with the presence of creative abilities and desires.

Holotropic Breathwork

Let us examine in detail how the principle of holotropic breathing works.

Its frequency and intensity lead to:

increased lung function;
an excess of oxygen in the blood.

At this time, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood drops, as a result of which the acid-base balance changes, the so-called gas alkalosis occurs.

In order to avoid irreversible consequences for the body, protective mechanisms come into play.:

pressure decreases, thereby contributing to the preservation of carbon dioxide in tissues;
for the same purpose, the vessels and bronchi narrow.

In the case when deep and frequent breathing continues further, tissues in which an excess of oxygen was observed begin to experience its deficiency and hypoxia occurs.

Hypoxia, in turn, leads to inhibition of the functions of the cerebral cortex, which causes a change in consciousness and the appearance of experiences and visions that are not possible outside of breathing.

This technique has a number of contraindications.:

hypertension, vegetative-vascular dystonia;
bearing a child, especially in the last stages;
glaucoma;
psychopathology (manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia).

The practice of holotropic breathing in the listed diseases can cause their serious exacerbation. It is also not recommended to work with HD for people who have undergone surgery in the recent past, since chaotic movements during the session can cause damage to fragile parts of the body.

Holotropic Breathwork Technique

As a result of the practice of HD, as we said above, unpredictable reactions may occur. Therefore, sessions, especially for beginners, should be strictly under the supervision of a sitter.

Holotropic Breathwork has several distinctive technical characteristics.:

carried out mainly by mouth;
it is frequent and deep;
inhalation is sharp, and exhalation is smooth;
chest breathing.

To start the session, you need to lie back on a comfortable surface, the limbs are in an arbitrary state. The sitter includes suitable music, special collections for practices can be found on the Internet.

Eyes should be closed, preferably during the entire session. We begin to breathe in compliance with the above rules. At this stage, all attention should be focused on proper breathing. The more frequent and deeper breathing, the faster the desired result will come.

The desired state (hypoxia) will appear in about 20-25 minutes. The next 20 minutes are the most significant, because during this period the desired experiences appear and mental stress reaches its peak. The last third of the hour of the session is the time for the release of the body's reactions to the knowledge gained.

After the session, you must definitely relax and unwind for half an hour.

It can be difficult for beginners to maintain the rhythm of special breathing for the first 15 minutes, then the technique becomes familiar. The maximum time for practicing holotropic breathing is one and a half hours. If during the session something went wrong and you changed your mind about continuing it, you need to switch to the usual way of breathing. After about 5 minutes, hypoxia will stop and you will return to your normal state.

The assistant (sitter) performs several important tasks for the holonaut:

Security. In the case, for example, if the holonaut hits the floor with his hand, the sitter should put a pillow there so that the person does not injure himself.
The assistant should categorically not talk during the session, give the holonaut his advice, make comments.

Tampering can lead to the interruption of the authenticity process, i.e. knowledge of oneself.

If you decide to conduct a holotropic breathing session at home and without an assistant, then follow the technique we have described. Make sure that all means of communication and information are turned off. Ventilate the room, turn on musical accompaniment in advance. Ensure your own safety - remove from the room in which you will breathe all heavy and sharp objects, things that can be broken, spoiled, torn, etc.

Harm and benefit of the method

Like any method or phenomenon, holotropic breathing has both positive and negative sides.

HD use

When used correctly, holotropic breathing is an effective way to get rid of old psychological problems. Since there is a deep immersion into the subconscious, a person is able to detect repressed emotions and experiences in himself, give them an outlet and level them. Moreover, the problems do not manifest themselves separately, but as a whole block.

Therapy occurs independently, without the involvement of a psychotherapist. For example, in psychoanalysis, also based on the method of immersion in the unconscious, a person depends on the degree of qualification and decency of the psychoanalyst, the decisions he makes.

You can practice sessions with the frequency that is necessary to find harmony and psychological comfort. HD is a great way to relieve everyday stress and tension.

In a professional environment, the attitude towards holotropic breathing is not unambiguous. Many scientists do not recognize it as a psychotherapeutic technique at all.

In two states of America, the use of the “rebirthing” technique close to HD is prohibited at the legislative level. This is related to a fatal case that occurred in 2000 with a 10-year-old girl during a rebirthing session. There are other examples of harm to health when using technology, including in Russia.

The argument against the use of HD is the fact that hyperventilation of the brain leads to leaching of carbon dioxide from its cells and a sharp narrowing of blood vessels. This can cause a deterioration in brain function due to the death of nerve cells.

In addition, despite the available protective resources of the body, due to an excess of oxygen, cerebral edema and death can occur.

In this regard, the holonaut must be aware of the consequences that may occur, especially when resorting to the method without the support of the sitter and the participation of a specialist.

People who practice holotropic breathwork have a better understanding of their body, but they experience this sensation in a trance state, since such healing takes place at an unconscious level.

The feeling of inner freedom by a person allows you to overcome difficult life situations with confidence. During the therapeutic course, holonauts work more on the state of mind, rather than physical, which instills harmony and peace in the minds of each person.

Holotropic breathing as a technique used in psychotherapeutic practice is a method of getting rid of serious psychophysical disorders. It was first explored by Stanislav Grof. Initially, the holotropic served as a substitute for psychotropic drugs.

Carrying out such a procedure involves the suggestion of a psychologist against the background of intense breathing of a patient listening to special music.

A sitter or personal assistant during a breathing session helps the patient to more effectively eliminate stress and negative emotions. The method helps to forget about bad habits, addictions, neuroses, emotional disorders. Technique allows you to search for solutions to problems at a creative level, develop the ability to be creative.

The technique that stops the internal dialogue is due to immersion in human consciousness. The procedure opens up the possibility of moral liberation from experienced traumas, conflict situations, psychological discomfort. The session makes a person relive past emotions, which in a short time relieves accumulated problems that are forced out by consciousness in the course of treatment.

The holotropic breathing procedure includes the following main elements:

patient adjustment using relaxation techniques;
the holotropic breathing session itself;
technology integration.

The method ensures the elimination of obstacles that impede the full development of a person. The technique allows you to avoid the implementation of rash acts in the future by removing internal blocks.

Human consciousness, freed from internal fears, is free for:

creative self-expression;
self-realization;
self-actualization.

The psychotherapeutic technique of holotropy is based on immersing a person into a trance against the background of light music. The sitter arranges the alternation of breathing with relaxation in a certain way. The technique is effective as an esoteric method of self-knowledge.

Pros and cons of technology

The benefits of the Holotropic Breathwork technique are as follows:

overcoming a large number of psychological barriers;
changing thinking to a more positive, creative and successful one;
elimination of psychological trauma, relief from stress.

The disadvantages of the method suggest:

a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood due to trance, which causes the death of brain cells;
classes can cause tantrums or hallucinations, as well as fainting;
making gross mistakes by the sitter can lead to death.

Before using the holotropic technique, it is important to master the technique of proper breathing, otherwise the course of treatment will not bring results.

In the future, procedures can cause serious health problems. Classes that cause irreversible consequences if carried out incorrectly are very dangerous. The trainer should not leave the holonaut in a state of trance anywhere in order to prevent excesses and provide all possible assistance if necessary.

Differences between Holotropic Breathwork and Rebirthing and Waiving Techniques

Holotropic Breathwork is such a healing, which in its therapeutic purpose is included in the group of the “big four”:

Vaivation.
Free breathing.
Rebirthing.
Holotropic Breathwork.

All mechanisms give the same result, but the difference between the holotrope and the rebirthing technique is not only in who is the developer of the method, but also in the way the session is conducted. Holotropic Breathwork was founded by a psychiatrist and Rebirthing by a spiritual healer. Leonard Orr, unlike Stanislav Grof, emphasized an individual approach.

Holotrope has an optimal effect on the psyche during group sessions. Rebirthing is effective as an independent procedure, and not just a group healing method practiced by a trainer. The breathing techniques under consideration have many common elements, but the contraindications to the use of these mechanisms are different.

Rebirthing sessions are not recommended for those suffering from serious mental disorders, for whose treatment the relaxing procedures of the technique are too mild. The holographic technique is not recommended for people with severe movement restrictions. Both techniques provide the patient with the best understanding of their body.

The use of the waiving technique by people with experience does not require the presence of a trainer. The holotropic algorithm allows you to force out a hopeless life experience, an assistant is required during the procedure. Vaivation does not have as many contraindications as the holotropic method of healing has.

Basic concepts of holotropic breathwork

Holotropic breathing as a method in psychiatry was registered by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in 1993. The treatment system is associated with transpersonal psychology. In total, the practice of psychotherapy has 28 methods.

Technological elements include:

stimulating melody;
rapid breathing of sufficient depth;
techniques for releasing energy from the body;
ongoing patient care.

In addition, you can attend creative classes in clay modeling, free dancing, and mandala drawing. Holotropic Breathwork is such an active spiritual healing that can only be realized in the presence of a sitter. A professional trainer conducts sessions with one holonaut or with a group of patients.

Before starting a course of treatment, a specialist is obliged to conduct a briefing for people who are to undergo a course of treatment. Before the session, the trainer divides all participants into pairs and explains the basic concepts associated with the use of the technique. In a pair, an assistant (sitter) and a breather (holonaut) interact. At the end of the procedure, there is a change of roles between the participants.

Contraindications to exercise

The active method of holotropic breathing is associated with the manifestation of body movements of the holontaut.

Based on this condition, contraindications to the use of technology can be:

acute infectious disease;
pregnancy;
dislocations and diseases of the bones;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
brain diseases;
bronchial asthma;
glaucoma and increased eye pressure;
mental disorders;
congenital or acquired epilepsy;
transferred operations.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers are strictly prohibited from practicing holotropic breathing.

A session can interfere with normal gestation, which is associated with a risk of miscarriage. Breastfeeding can also be interrupted by the mechanism. Holotropic massage sessions are especially dangerous for women with gynecological diseases. Blood flow greatly exacerbates the course of the disease.

Holotropic Breathwork in Psychotherapy

According to the initial opinion of psychoanalyst Stanislav Grof, the use of psychedelic substances in the process of treating patients provides an accelerated effect from holotropic breathing sessions.

After numerous studies, scientists have found that a separate application of the method of active breathing expands the range of emotional sensations. The model developed by Freud began to lose relevance in comparison with the holotropic method.

Research allowed Stanislav Grof to develop a new cartography of the psyche, including the following main areas of the unconscious:

Personal (Freudian) and biographical.
Transpersonal - according to the teachings of Jung, based on collective experiences.
Perinatal - the transition from the personal to the transpersonal against the backdrop of experiences associated with death and rebirth.

The impact on the unconscious leads to the transformation of the patient's personality, which was proved by the practicing psychiatrist Stanislav Grof. The holotropic mechanism, which influences the perinatal, is able to change the patient's psycho-spiritual attitudes. At the same time, they are associated not only with the development of the fetus and its birth, but also with the gradual formation of human consciousness.

Thanks to the experience of Grof and his followers, sessions conducted around the world allowed the psychiatrist to draw important conclusions. After conducting 4000 sessions of holotropic breathing, Grof proved that the psychedelic effect on the perinatal unconscious makes the transpersonal level of human consciousness accessible.

The holotropic method made it possible to raise psychological experiences from the unconscious of patients even before the worldwide ban on the use of psychoactive drugs. The technique of active breathing allows you to achieve an emotional state that is typical for patients who have taken a psychotropic drug.

This is possible thanks to the musical accompaniment of classes. The change of roles between the holonaut and the sitter leads to more intense experiences and obtaining the necessary psychotherapeutic effect.

Listening to music while breathing quickly allows you to relive all the emotional upheavals that a person has experienced in the past. This state can only be achieved by taking psychotropic substances. After the session, the holonaut is no longer able to maintain the rate of active breathing.

Benefits of Holotropic Breathwork for Weight Loss

The holotropic technique was not developed specifically for weight loss, so it does not provide specific techniques or settings for this purpose. The course of treatment may be associated with weight loss if the underlying causes of this result are known.

The advantages of the technique include:

improvement of the psychological state;
normalization of metabolism;
stimulating the work of internal organs based on the breakdown of fat cells.

As a result of this effect on the body, a person's weight decreases. Anyone can fail at work or in their personal lives, so the technique allows you to solve various psychological problems. Techniques that cause weight loss affect the subconscious of the holonaut.

The patient's condition during the session should be normal. This allows you to use the technique without time limits.

Holotropic breathing is such a deep complex psychotherapeutic treatment that has been used in practice for many years, requiring the integration of holonauts into groups, which allows you to get the greatest effect.

If the patient does not feel any changes after the sessions, then the course of treatment should be stopped. The result is individual, so practice does not always lead to weight loss.

Before treatment with active breathing, a beginner needs to learn the rules of working in pairs. The place for conducting classes can be a hall without unnecessary items. An unconscious person can injure himself if the room is filled with interior items.

Holotropic breathing sessions at home should be conducted with an assistant. The sitter or assistant should monitor the holonaut's condition. During active breathing, the assistant should assist the patient at his request.

The practitioner of the holotropic method should be focused and calm before the session. Classes are best done in comfortable clothes, removing all accessories. Contact lenses must be removed before the session. It is better to eat in advance, and not immediately before the active breathing procedure, otherwise exercising on a full stomach will be difficult.

The sitter must be chosen with great care. If the assistant cannot be trusted, then it is better to find another assistant. It is important to analyze the respiratory process, in which a large role is assigned to the sitter. If the holonaut wants to end the session, then you need to say the word "Stop".

Breathing during classes should not be focused on their thoughts. After their completion, the sitter needs to make sure that everything is fine with the holonaut. The patient should not worry about anything if he stopped actively breathing after working on himself under the supervision of a sitter.

Technique for performing holotropic breathing: a set of exercises

The main feature of the mechanism of active breathing can be considered a group way of conducting classes. This allows the holonauts to relive the memories associated with the trauma of the psyche in the past. A person practicing holotropic breathwork can recall a number of similar situations that have ever caused fear.

The photo shows how group sessions of holotropic breathing take place.

"Inner Wisdom of the Organism" is another feature of the holotrope, so named by Stanislav Grof. The practice of active breathing allows you to identify injuries that happened to people at a very early age.

The method of treatment in psychotherapy, which provides intensive breathing to music, involves the following set of exercises, suggesting breathing of the following rhythms:

Before the session, it is better not to eat or have a small snack if the feeling of hunger cannot be overcome.

How to do holotropic breathing yourself at home?

To move to another state of consciousness, the holonaut should lie on the floor. In the first 20 minutes after the start of the session, the patient goes into a trance. Subsequent sensations are associated with tension in the body, spasms or pain. Rhythmic mouth breathing should be frequent, deep and continuous.

In this process, the upper part of the chest should be involved. Intense breathing, causing hyperventilation of the lungs, makes a person survive situations of a negative nature that happened in the past.

When exhaling air, the holonaut must imagine that negative emotions, negative thoughts, various diseases and problems are leaving at the same time. The holonaut, who is in a state of trance, relaxes the muscles as much as possible. Simultaneously with intense breathing against the background of music, the holonaut activates the process of thinking in order to smooth out the tension in various parts of the body with the effort of thought.

During the session, a person needs to realize that the negative moments that emerge from the past no longer affect the present. Having processed his own experience of experiences in his mind, the holonaut displaces memories of past mistakes from him. After practicing active breathing, it is better to move on to creativity.

The most suitable tools for this purpose are:

Painting;
dancing;
molding, etc.

The spiritual states worked out at the session, the holonaut needs to express creatively. Suitable conditions in practice helps to create musical accompaniment.

Choosing the Right Music for Practice

To compose a musical composition for classes should be according to a certain principle. The entire session should flow to the sounds of melodies that allow you to smoothly move to the next level of active breathing at each stage of the session.

For each time interval of the session, the following special melodies should be selected:

Light stimulating music (1-8 min.) - intensive breathing setting.
Invigorating sounds of a melody (8-20 min.) - stimulation of holotropic breathing.
Ethnic music to the rhythm of drums (20-40 min.) - an active impulse to a breakthrough.
Dramatic music of a breakthrough nature (40-80 min.) - the culminating stage of the classes.
Pleasant melodious sounds (80-95 min.) - the end of the session.

During the rest of the time after an hour and a half from the beginning of the session, a creative melody should play, allowing you to get out of the trance state. The holonaut must feel the altered consciousness under a meditative melody of a calm nature, allowing the holonaut to feel his inner world. All melodies from the beginning to the final stage should be launched in turn.

Frequency and duration of classes

Holotropic Breathwork is such a healing used in psychotherapeutic practice. His method must be implemented in accordance with a special schedule that allows sessions to be held at the right time. The procedure usually takes 2-3 hours. During this time, the process can be completed naturally, but there are also prolonged sessions.

After the session, the facilitator suggests moving on to the creative stage of working with the body, for example, dancing. This allows you to complete the entire process of active breathing on the emotional and physical levels. The essence of the work of an assistant or sitter is to observe the situation in the process of breathing the holonaut and control the process of his self-expression in any manifestations.

Breathing at the beginning of the session for 10-15 minutes. will not immediately become intense. The process ceases to be difficult for the holonaut after 20 minutes. after the start of classes. The return of breathing to normal occurs after 1-1.5 hours. If a holonaut is diagnosed with schizophrenia, then the duration of the session should be 4-5 hours.

When will the effect of holotropic breathing come?

Studies of the results of active breathing allowed psychiatrists to determine the time of onset of the final effect of the treatment. This happens after 2-6 years. People who regularly attend holotropic breathwork classes or conduct sessions at home notice more and more positive shifts in their minds.

The effect of the exercises, associated with the expansion of consciousness and its transition to a new level, occurs after muscle relaxation at the last stage of the session. After a short session, reminiscent of a superficial dream, the holonaut notices the discharge of problems, the removal of stress, the elimination of stupid and evil thoughts.

Self-healing as a result of a properly conducted session is possible only with a deep concentration of the holonaut on his feelings.

The effect of a set of exercises suggests harmony between the body and mind. Such a change in the state of the soul of a person will be immediate if the practitioner of holotropic breathwork will perceive this spiritual healing correctly, fully trusting the wisdom of his body.

Video about holotropic breathing, its benefits and rules for performing

What is Holotropic Breathwork?

Stanislav Grof on Holotropic Breathwork:

(Holotropic Breathwork™)

Method authors

MD Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof

(Stanislav Grof D.M. and Christina Grof)

Stanislav Grof on Holotropic Breathwork™

Principles of Holotropic Breathwork

designed by Stanislav and Christina Grof:

Text of the Principles of Holotropic Breathwork ™ presented here as it was written and copyrighted by Stanislav and Christina Grof in 1990. (juristic documents )

Theoretical position

An expanded understanding of the human psyche that includes biographical, perinatal and transpersonal dimensions. Phenomena belonging to all these areas are regarded as natural and normal elements of the psychological process; they are accepted and supported, with none of them given any preference.

Recognition of the fact that non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by Holotropic Breathwork ™ , as well as similar states that occur spontaneously, mobilize the inner healing forces in the body and in the psyche. As the process unfolds, this "inner healer" manifests a therapeutic wisdom that transcends the knowledge gained by the practitioner's cognitive understanding, or by any particular school of psychotherapy or bodywork.

Practical approach ( seminar or training )

Essential Elements in Holotropic Breathwork™ (Further HD) are deeper and faster breathing, stimulating music and facilitating the release of energy through a specific form of body work. Additional forms of work are the creative expression of the experience, for example, drawing a "mandala", and the discussion of the experience.

HD can be done one-on-one with the facilitator, or preferably in a group context where participants take it in turns to act as experiencing and "sitter". Before the first practical experience of breathing, participants receive a comprehensive theoretical training that includes a description of the main types of phenomena that take place in holotropic sessions (biographical, perinatal and transpersonal), as well as technical instructions for breathers ("holonauts") and for sitters. Physical and emotional contraindications are discussed in advance, and if the participant has any problems, an expert opinion should be obtained.

HD implies breathing faster, deeper than usual; as a rule, no other specific instructions regarding the norms, patterns and nature of breathing are given either before or during the session.

Experience is entirely internal and largely non-verbal, and unfolds without outside interference. The exceptions are throat spasms, inability to cope, excessive pain or fear preventing the session from continuing, and a clear request from the breather.

Music(or other forms of acoustic stimulation - drumming, sounds of nature, etc.) are an integral part of the holotropic process. As a rule, the choice of music is determined by a characteristic pattern that reflects the most general direction of the unfolding of holotropic experiences: first, the music is inciting and stimulating, then it becomes more dramatic and dynamic, and finally reaches the quality of a breakthrough. After the culmination, a gradual transition to quieter music is appropriate, and to the ending, for which calm, smooth, meditative works are selected. While this appears to be the average required sonic dynamics during a session, it must be changed if a different energy pattern is identified in the group.

The role of the sitter during a session is to be responsive and unobtrusive, provide effective breathing, create a safe environment, respect the natural unfolding of the experience, and provide assistance in all situations that require it (provide physical support, accompany the breather to the bathroom, bring a tissue or a glass of water etc.). It is important to maintain focus and concentration when faced with the range of possible emotions and behaviors of the breather. AT HD no interventions invented as a result of intellectual analysis or based on a priori theoretical constructions are used.

Group discussion is carried out on the same day, after a break for which a sufficiently long time is allotted. During these discussion sessions, the facilitator does not provide an interpretation of the material based on any theoretical system, including the system HD.

It is preferable to ask the person who has gone through the experience to give his experience a further development and clarification reflecting his insights gained during the session. An extension in the Jungian sense, in the form of mythological and anthropological references, can be very helpful when discussing holotropic experiences as well as mandalas. In some cases, references to the facilitator's own experiences in the past, or to the experiences of other people, are appropriate.

There are many approaches that complement HD- Gestalt practice, Dora Kalf's sand play, bioenergetics, various forms of massage, acupuncture, etc. However, whenever they are used, it must be clearly stated that they are not part of Holotropic Breathwork™ .

If the practice of conducting the sessions themselves deviates significantly from the above, the name "Holotropic Breathwork" should not be used for such a procedure. ™ ". We ask that it be replaced by another term, and not be associated with our names.

Educational film-appendix to the Certification Seminar in HD"Principles of working with the body". Hosted by Stanislav and Christina Grof.

In this film, Sten and Christina show in detail how facilitators need to create a safe space for the holonaut to bodily respond. Explains with examples how the "inner Healer" works.

Conclusions that arise after watching this educational film - HD you should not take a 3-year training program and PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION with those who have not passed.

Description of Holotropic Breathwork ™

(Taylor, K. in Allison, N., [ed.] (1999.) "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Disciplines Related to Somatic Work"; reprinted 2005.)

Definition

Holotropic Breathwork ™ is a method of self-exploration that combines fast, deep breathing, stimulating music and focused bodywork.

The term "holotropic" is derived from the Greek roots - χολος , which means "whole", and τρεπειν , which means "to move in a direction". Together they mean "to move towards wholeness". Plants turn towards the sun in heliotrope motion. In the same way, during a holotropic session, the human body moves towards integration, towards making itself whole and healing the various traumatized or fragmented parts of the Self. HD supports this process by inducing non-ordinary states of consciousness and creating a safe context within which reconnection with the Self, with Others, and with Spirit takes place.

HD is designed to bring the mind and body into a non-ordinary state of consciousness that provides more conscious access to forgotten memories and aspects of the inner life that might be hidden under normal conditions. Although HD can be effectively used as one of the aspects of therapy for mental and physical disorders, more often it is seen as a shamanistic ritual designed to reproduce the deep past and enter into spiritual realms.

In the process of this work, a variety of experiences may arise, but experiences received in the process of breathing(or any other specific experience, such as rebirth or ecstasy) by themselves are not the target. The goal is to gain wholeness, healing and wisdom.

Experience is a means to achieve these goals. When the body and mind enter into a non-ordinary state of consciousness through controlled breathing, the inner wisdom of the individual uses the opportunity to work for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing as well as evolutionary change. Holotropic Breathwork works on the principle that we are our own best healers.

Holotropic Breathwork ™ includes controlled breathing, music, giving undivided attention, creative processing of material, and providing breathers with flexibly adjustable, unlimited time to work, as well as comprehensive training for people who practice it. All together provides security and healing, the possibilities of which are inherent in non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Session participants HD can see emotionally charged visual images, feel the energy flowing through their body, gain intuitive understanding and bring clarity to some intractable problems in their lives. Often participants report that they have discharged accumulated tensions, emotions associated with old trauma, that their trust in themselves and their bodies has increased, and that they feel they have gained understanding and can now overcome old behavior patterns that had an undesirable result.

History of Holotropic Breathwork

Stanislav Grof, M.D., a Czech psychiatrist trained in Prague in the 1950s, and his wife, Christina Grof, developed this powerful natural technique based on modern consciousness research and research on ancient spiritual systems. Grof's study of Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and his own personal experience convinced Grof that the belief in cause and effect forces modern science to adhere to a mechanistic model of the mind that fails to correctly assess or exploit its true range of capabilities. He was particularly interested in determining the possibilities and nature of experiences, usually reducible to the category of parapsychological phenomena.

The breakthrough in synthesizing psychedelic drugs gave Grof the means to experiment with altered states of consciousness while treating patients. He also took psychedelics himself and realized that there are broad analogies between the states induced by certain drugs and the states achieved through the meditative and mystical experiences and actions of shamans.

After emigrating from Czechoslovakia to the United States, Grof continued his research into non-ordinary states of consciousness and parapsychology at the Psychiatric Research Center of Maryland, at Johns Hopkins University, and finally at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

The Grofs began teaching seminars in 1976. Their first structured training programs appeared in 1987. Together they conducted Holotropic Breathwork sessions with more than 25,000 people from 1987 to 1994. Many books by Stanislav Grof, including "Regions of the Human Unconscious" (1975), "Beyond the Brain" (1985), "Psychology of the Future" (2002) and "The Greatest Journey" (2006) have contributed to the steady growth of interest in technology Holotropic Breathwork ™ and to Transpersonal Psychology.

Holotropic Breathwork Experience

Holotropic Breathwork ™ presented by presenters certified by Grof's Transpersonal Training. Before the first breathing experience, the participants in the workshops receive a comprehensive theoretical training that includes a description of the main types of phenomena that take place in holotropic sessions (biographical, perinatal and transpersonal) and technical instructions for working together in pairs as a breather and a sitter. Physical and emotional contraindications, if any, are discussed with the participant, and if there are any problems, the facilitator turns to specialists for an expert assessment. Conditions excluding participation in open sessions HD include: a history of cardiovascular problems, a diagnosis of glaucoma, or a serious emotional disorder.

Experience HD is completely internal and largely non-verbal, as well as non-intrusive. Participants work in pairs, alternating between the roles of the breather and the sitter. Breathers breathe while lying on the floor, on mats. The facilitators conduct guided relaxation, helping the breathers to relax the body in preparation for breathing. When the relaxation is complete, the facilitators instruct the breathers to breathe deeper and faster than usual. As the breathing deepens, the facilitators put on stimulating or rhythmic music. Music plays for three hours. The sitters watch over their breather, providing a sense of protection and support, and being attentive to any needs they may have.

As the breath continues, the breathers enter non-ordinary states of consciousness. What is visible from the outside can take a different form. Many are completely still, as if they are in deep meditation. Some begin to sway or make other rhythmic movements. Some scream, moan, cry, or express anger. Sometimes the breather asks for help in order to be able to express his feelings or sensations. Experiences vary from person to person and from session to session. The same person often has a different experience each time he breathes.

Session HD lasts an average of two to three hours. At the end of the session, when the facilitator checks with the breather how he feels, the facilitator can offer the breather a special form of body work, work aimed at releasing energy - if all the emotional and physical tensions activated during the session have not been resolved through breathing. The basic principle of this work is to pick up the key to the process of the breather, whose "inner healer" has brought to the surface certain material, corresponding to the permission to breathe and the situation, and create a situation in which the existing symptoms are intensified. While the energy and awareness is held in this part of the body, the person is encouraged to fully express their response to the energy in a way that feels congruent and matches the intensity of the feeling experienced by the breather. This form of energy release work is an essential part of the holotropic approach and plays an important role in the completion and integration of the experience.

Holotropic Breathwork™ participants often report that they have gained intuitive understanding and clarified problem areas in their lives. They also report that the technique provides self-healing through the release of accumulated tension and traumatic experience, as well as a feeling of greater connection with the physical, emotional and spiritual parts of oneself.

Grof's Transpersonal Training

(Grof Transpersonal Training)

Grof's Transpersonal Training certification requires approximately 600 hours of training, which takes at least two years to complete. This allows enough time for the integration of the life-changing material that inevitably manifests itself when people breathe for an extended period. The experiential part of learning creates a deep trust in one's own inner wisdom. By undertaking and completing many of their own journeys, trainees gain the conviction that they can truly trust each participant's inner guidance and process. This allows the facilitators to communicate their inner confidence to the process of each participant who may be intimidated by some part of their inner journey.

Holotropic Breathwork is a psychotherapeutic method, the purpose of which is to restore the integrity of the conscious and unconscious. The name of the technique comes from two Greek words, which in translation into Russian mean "integrity" and "leading". By the way, for some practitioners it has become a way of self-knowledge and self-cultivation. Liberation from negative experience from the past gives the release of a lot of strength and energy that was spent on restraining emotions and fighting pain.

The author and developer of the holotropic breathing technique is Stanislav Grof. In the 80s, he and his wife introduced in America a new and scientifically based practice of transitioning into a trance state of consciousness. Soon, official US medicine recognized it and put it into use. And in Russia, Grof's development was recognized twenty years later. The Ministry of Health included it in the list of 28 registered methods of psychotherapy.

The technique of holotropic gas exchange is similar to elements of health-improving hatha yoga and qigong, as well as to the methods of Norbekov and Strelnikova. Today, along with them, vayveyshn, rebirthing and bobak are popular among the people.

Holotropic breathing is a group practice that is accompanied by specially selected music, which allows you to tune in to continuous rhythmic deep breathing. Due to it, the amount of carbon dioxide in the human body decreases and a safe transition to an altered state of consciousness occurs. Trance makes it possible to reveal life experience that is stored not in consciousness, but in the subconscious. Most often, painful experiences and psychological traumas that affect a person’s life are hidden there. Awareness and elaboration of these hidden problems change both a person and his life.

Technology features

As a psychotherapeutic technique, holotropic practice has several features:

In the course of practice, the opening of psychological trauma occurs in groups that are formed by memories of similar cases. For example, several similar situations where some kind of fear was experienced. As a result, not a single case is worked out at the session, but a whole chain of similar ones. Since the therapy is carried out on several injuries, this gives a result that is visible faster.
“The inner wisdom of the body,” this is how Stanislav Grof called this feature. This natural ability lies in the fact that the choice of groups of psychological traumas for processing is controlled by the psyche of the practitioner. As a rule, this is relevant at this stage of life, but a painful experience from the past.
A unique difference from other psychotherapeutic practices is the ability to identify traumas from a very early age and even those that were received in the womb.

Holotropic breathwork allows you to work with large groups of similar traumas, including those that appeared in early childhood and before birth, while the choice of the direction of work is carried out by the psyche of the practitioner.

Benefits of Holotropic Breathwork

The technique allows you to effectively solve some of the problems that are relevant to most people, for example:

Allows you to realize the nature of tensions in the body and get rid of them;
Helps in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases;
Alleviates the effects of stress;
Relieves depression, apathy and anxiety;
Helps fight bad habits;
Helps to survive life crises.

As far as psychosomatic illnesses are concerned, psychotherapy and medicine work better together than separately.

This technique makes it possible to make life much easier at home and return feelings of joy and fullness to it, to reveal pent-up talents and aspirations.

Contraindications

Holotropic breathing has contraindications, according to which, due to a state of health or mentality, it cannot be practiced:

Determine which yoga is right for you?

Choose your target

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What is your physical form?

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What pace do you like?

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Do you have diseases of the musculoskeletal system?

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Where do you like to work out?

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Do you like to meditate?

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Do you have experience with yoga?

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Do you have health problems?

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You will suit the classical directions of yoga

Hatha yoga

Will help you:

Suitable for you:

Ashtanga yoga

Iyengar Yoga

Try also:

Kundalini yoga
Will help you:
Suitable for you:

yoga nidra
Will help you:

Bikram yoga

aerial yoga

Determine which yoga is right for you?

Techniques for experienced practitioners are suitable for you

Kundalini yoga- direction of yoga with an emphasis on breathing exercises and meditation. The lessons involve both static and dynamic body work, moderate physical activity and many meditation practices. Get ready for hard work and regular practice: most kriyas and meditations need to be done for 40 days on a daily basis. Such classes will be of interest to those who have already taken their first steps in yoga and like to meditate.

Will help you: strengthen the muscles of the body, relax, cheer up, relieve stress, lose weight.

Suitable for you: kundalini yoga video lessons with Alexey Merkulov, kundalini yoga classes with Alexey Vladovsky.

yoga nidra- practice of deep relaxation, yogic sleep. It is a long meditation in the pose of a corpse under the guidance of an instructor. It has no medical contraindications and is also suitable for beginners.
Will help you: relax, relieve stress, get acquainted with yoga.

Bikram yoga- This is a set of 28 exercises that are performed by students in a room heated to 38 degrees. Due to the constant maintenance of high temperature, sweating increases, toxins are removed from the body faster, and the muscles become more flexible. This style of yoga focuses only on the fitness component and leaves spiritual practices aside.

Try also:

aerial yoga- Aerial yoga, or, as it is also called, “yoga on hammocks”, is one of the most modern areas of yoga, which allows you to perform asanas in the air. Aerial yoga is held in a specially equipped room, in which small hammocks are suspended from the ceiling. It is in them that asanas are performed. Such yoga makes it possible to quickly master some complex asanas, and also promises good physical activity, develops flexibility and strength.

Hatha yoga- one of the most common types of practice, many author's directions of yoga are based on it. Suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Hatha yoga lessons help you master basic asanas and simple meditations. Usually classes are held at a leisurely pace and involve a predominantly static load.

Will help you: get acquainted with yoga, lose weight, strengthen muscles, relieve stress, cheer up.

Suitable for you: hatha yoga video lessons, pair yoga classes.

Ashtanga yoga- Ashtanga, which means “eight-step path to the final goal”, is one of the most difficult styles of yoga. This direction combines different practices and represents an endless stream in which one exercise smoothly flows into another. Each asana should be held for several breaths. Ashtanga yoga will require strength and endurance from its adherents.

Iyengar Yoga- This direction of yoga is named after its founder, who created a whole health complex designed for students of any age and level of training. It was Iyengar yoga that first allowed the use of auxiliary devices (rollers, belts) in the classroom, which made it easier for beginners to perform many asanas. The purpose of this style of yoga is to promote health. Much attention is also paid to the correct performance of asanas, which are considered the basis for mental and physical recovery.

Will help you: relax, relieve stress, get acquainted with yoga.

Try also:

Will help you: strengthen the muscles of the body, relax, cheer up, relieve stress, lose weight.

Suitable for you: kundalini yoga video lessons with Alexey Merkulov, kundalini yoga classes with Alexey Vladovsky.

Will help you: get acquainted with yoga, lose weight, strengthen muscles, relieve stress, cheer up.

Suitable for you: hatha yoga video lessons, pair yoga classes.

PLAY AGAIN!

Cardiovascular diseases;
Glaucoma;
severe form of asthma;
Postoperative period;
Pregnancy;
Serious mental disorders;
Physical injury.

If there are doubts about the admissibility of participation in holotropic sessions or contraindications, then it is worth discussing this issue with the instructor before starting practice at home.

Independent practice

The biggest misconception that exists among the people is that they can be dealt with on their own. It is impossible to predict which group of injuries the subconscious will choose in the process of breathing techniques. In some cases, after holotropic practice at home alone, one can become depressed or earn a complication of a psychosomatic illness. This therapy involves the presence of an instructor-psychotherapist or assistant.

Session Format

Trainings are held in groups under the guidance of experienced instructors and psychotherapists. For work, participants are divided into pairs for mutual assistance. This division allows one to practice breathing techniques and work through emerging injuries, while the other observes and helps him. This partner is called a sitter.

Group classes are always held in the general dynamics. This allows you to tune in to productive work and get the result at the end. At the same time, they provide for a general discussion of emerging issues. For some people, such communication causes discomfort and, as a result, less effective work and results.

A person can accumulate a lot of painful experience during his life, so work with him takes a long time.

For tangible relief, one session is enough for someone, for another, more is required. Usually, people who take care of themselves and want to be happy, free from psychological stress, periodically participate in trainings again.

To enter an altered state of consciousness, the practitioner needs to lie on the floor and breathe deeply and frequently through the mouth. Immersion in a trance occurs within the first 20 minutes. All the rest of the time, the practitioner experiences bodily sensations (tension, pain, spasms), emotions and feelings, which, after leaving the altered state of consciousness, are recognized and worked out with the psychotherapist.

Music is used to create a suitable environment and mood for working at home. Special compositions are compiled according to the following principle:

1-8th minute - setting the breath to light stimulating music;
8-20th minute - sounds that stimulate proper breathing;
20-40th minute - ethnic music drum rhythms;
40-80th minute - breakthrough dramatic music, the climax of the session;
80-95th minute - pleasant soulful music;
the rest of the time, intense creative music plays.

Sessions are held over several days, for example, three or four, in each of which the practice takes from one and a half to three hours. After coming out of the trance, participants depict the experience in mandalas. It is discussed and the drawings are shown to other practitioners, but they are not interpreted.

Holotropic breathing is a psychotherapeutic method of healing negative traumas and attitudes, which has become widespread in official and alternative medicine. Let's talk about how to master the technique of holotropic breathing on your own.

Basics

The holotropic breathwork technique is easy to learn, but there are some nuances that are important to be aware of if you plan to practice it at home.

Important points:

In order to enter the desired state, you need to breathe correctly. Very deep, intense, with minimal pauses between inhalations and exhalations.
Holotropic breathing can put a person into a trance, so it is not advisable to practice it alone. There should be an observer next to you who will help you get out of the state of deep immersion into the unconscious in time and without consequences for the body.
In the process of holotropic breathing, many unusual and even frightening reactions can occur in the body: convulsions, vibration of the limbs, and sometimes pain. You need to be prepared for this: in this way, the negative comes out of the unconscious into the body and is lived through.

We do not recommend beginners to practice on their own: it is advisable to do this under the supervision of a psychotherapist so that there are no negative consequences. People in their reviews write that the reactions of the body are so frightening that panic begins. Only a specialist can control the process and competently bring the client out of a holotropic trance.

Harm and benefit

Holotropic breathing is quite a powerful psychotherapeutic practice. Therefore, she has her own contraindications. It is important to take them into account so as not to harm yourself.

What is the use of the method:

It is considered a safe way to deal with psychological problems. Due to deep immersion in one's own unconscious, a person fully lives out the repressed negative emotions, gives them an outlet and gets rid of them.
During the sessions, a person lives through childhood traumas and other negative situations not separately, but as a whole block. Therefore, it effectively solves a variety of psychological problems.
The subject copes with trauma on his own, so there is no dependence on psychotherapy. When using traditional methods, the patient often becomes attached to the doctor, becomes dependent on him and does not learn to solve problems himself.
In the process of holotropic breathing, a person penetrates into the deepest layers of his subconscious. Thanks to this, you can “pull out” everything that has been hidden for a long time, get rid of the negative experience acquired during life.
Holotropic breathing relieves stress, psychological stress is not superficial. The technique helps to destroy the root of the problem. This is the same as uprooting a tree, and not just picking off the leaves from it.
This technique is considered an effective way to solve psychosomatic problems. Therefore, with its help, you can heal the patient from chronic diseases, the causes of which lie in the unconscious.
Helps to get rid of addictions and bad habits easily and without willpower. Also, holotropic breathing eliminates chronic fatigue and overwork, returns the patient a sense of calm, peace and harmony.

Some experts are of the opinion that holotropic breathing can be harmful. Negative consequences for the body can be as follows:

Due to very intense and intermittent breathing, a sharp and very powerful release of carbon dioxide into the body occurs, because of this, blood vessels constrict in a person and the nerve endings of the brain die.
For the same reason, dizziness may begin, which in a person with poor health can cause loss of consciousness.
If a person without special training practices holotropic breathing too often and incorrectly, this can lead to cerebral edema, in rare cases, the case ends in death.

Wrong actions during the session can cause enormous harm to health. Therefore, you should be fully aware of the negative consequences if you take the risk of trying holotropic breathwork on your own, without the supervision of a specialist.

Watch a video with the correct holotropic breathing technique:

What is Holotropic Breathwork used for?

This technique is used to work with the unconscious of a person, it allows you to get to the surface and fully live all the repressed negative emotions.

Special cases of application of holotropic breathing:

Slimming. During the session, hyperventilation of the lungs occurs, the body is actively saturated with oxygen, due to which the fat begins to literally burn, and the body is cleansed. Also, during the session, the psychological causes of excess weight are eliminated.
Treatment of alcoholism, drug addiction, nicotine addiction and codependency. The holotropic method destroys the psychosomatic causes of any kind of addiction. A person fully lives through a negative experience that could be the cause of the disease. Therefore, it successfully overcomes cravings for harmful substances.

Important points:

The most effective method when working in a group. Group sessions under the guidance of an experienced mentor give the most positive result.
If you do not have the opportunity to use the services of a specialist, you can practice holotropic breathing alone. But use its light variations so as not to get negative consequences for the body.
It is very important to define the goal: what problem do you want to solve? Practicing “just like that” will only bring harm, this is not an easy meditation, but a very powerful and deep impact on the human unconscious.
Find the right music that is used specifically for inducing a trance state with holotropic breathing.
Exercise regularly if you want to get the fastest result.

It is strictly forbidden to use this technique for people with cardiovascular diseases, pregnant women, epileptics, as well as patients who are recovering from surgery.