What is it?

Grof® Breathwork is a therapeutic breathing practice that is intended as a means of self-discovery, personal growth and transformational healing.  The process uses faster and deeper breathing, evocative music, and focused bodywork to access holotropic states of consciousness, in a safe and responsible supportive environment complemented by mandala drawing and art therapy.
 

Holotropic Breathwork was developed by Stanislav Grof as non-drug alternative for psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, after LSD became outlawed in the late 1960’s.
 

Grof® Breathwork represents the form of holotropic breathing that Stan Grof wishes to be practiced and taught.  Grof® Legacy Training is the certification program founded by Stan and Brigitte Grof in 2020.

 
Methodology

Grof® Breathwork combines accelerated breathing with evocative music, and localised body work when necessary, to release blocked energy. Sessions are generally held in groups but can also be held on a one-to-one format. In a group setting, participants work in pairs, and alternate in the roles of ‘breathers’ and ‘sitters'. The process is supervised by trained facilitators, who help participants whenever special intervention is necessary.
 

After the breathing sessions, participants express their experiences by painting mandalas and sharing stories of their internal journeys with the group. Follow-up interviews and various complementary methods are used to facilitate completion and integration of the breathing experience.

Holotropic States of Consciousness

Stanislav  Grof coined the term ‘holotropic states’ to refer to expanded states of consciousness that have the potential for healing and transformation.

Holotropic means literally ‘moving toward wholeness’ (from the Greek).  In addition to the therapeutic potential, in these states we become available for deep insights into the nature of the human psyche and reality.
 

Techniques and practices for accessing these altered states have been cultivated for millennia by many different cultures, with the aim of promoting healing, transformational growth and spiritual connection. Ancient and aboriginal cultures developed such diverse methods as drumming, chanting, rhythmical dancing, breathing, social and sensory isolation, fasting, sleep deprivation and the use of psychedelic plants.
 

Experiencing expanded states in a safe and welcoming environment, for therapeutic purposes and self-knowledge, constitutes a fundamental characteristic of the holotropic approach.

Origins of Holotropic Breathwork

Stanislav Grof (1931-) and Christina Grof (1941-2014) created Holotropic Breathwork together at the Esalen Institute in California in the 1970s-80s.
 

As a psychiatrist Stan Grof was one of the pioneers of psychedelic research since the1950s, first in the former Czechoslovakia, then in the USA, where he still lives today. He is one of the founders of transpersonal psychology and his notable contributions to psychotherapy and modern consciousness research are published in 22 books and 160 articles.
 

Christina Grof was a practitioner of hatha yoga and an art teacher. Together Stan and Christina led hundreds of Holotropic Breathwork workshops in several countries, founded the International Transpersonal Association, and coordinated and participated in several international conferences.
 

In 1989, Stan and Christina founded Grof Transpersonal Training (GTT) as a training course for Holotropic Breathwork facilitators. From 1998 - 2020, GTT was managed by Cary and Tav Sparks.

In 2016, Stan married Brigitte Grof and together, in 2020, they created a new training — Grof Legacy Training — to train professionals qualified to facilitate Grof® Breathwork (holotropic breathing) workshops, supporting people in spiritual emergency, in the process of death and in psychedelic sessions.