What is meant by holotropic breathing
Holotropic respiration is a particular energetic breathing technique developed by Stanislav Grof, psychiatrist, researcher in the field of non-ordinary states of conscience, creator of the concept "holotropic mind", born in Prague and in 1967. This type of breathing is useful for those who wish to undertake a path of evolution of consciousness, made possible through a natural method such as breathing, in fact. In fact, this allows a self-exploration of the individual, which mobilizes the spontaneous energy and healing potential of the psyche and its being. According to Grof's theories, the experiences that emerge during this activation of the unconscious are therapeutic, as they serve to unblock stranded parts of us and emotional blocks.
Circular respiration, rebirthing, connected, integrated or conscious breathing: these are all bases from which Grof started to theorize his holotropic breathing.
How does holotropic breathing work?
Holotropic breathing is a technique that uses music, mostly it is evocative, ethnic, shamanic and tribal, meditative sounds, and some simple techniques of working on the body to activate the different levels of the unconscious and mobilize those energies which remained blocked, thus making it possible to restore the natural psycho-physical balance of the individual. Music accompanies the breath in various phases. In the first phase the breath and the first chakras are activated; the second phase is exploration of experiences, accompanied by the activation of the central and upper chakras. With the third phase one goes even deeper, towards a state of total inner peace, through meditative and transcendental melodies it is possible to penetrate into a sort of yogic sleep, the deepest relaxation of yoga.
Sometimes the person who leads the group in holotropic breathing intervenes on the body through simple exercises and movements to help the person overcome physical blockages or pain.
Once the experience is over, the participants are invited to tell each other what they have just experienced, or they can also draw mandalas or other, to share, if they wish, what they felt through breathing.
Who is holotropic breathing for?
Holotropic breathing is aimed at all those who wish to undertake a path oriented towards spiritual growth and self-knowledge, but also to those who wish to improve their creativity and artistic perception or simply share a certain type of journey with other people. Through holotropic breathing it is possible to access different levels of human experience, which include memories of the past, childhood memories, sequences of rebirth and death, transpersonal experiences.
Everything is possible.
It is a journey without form, without space, without time, accompanied by the security that comes from purely psychological and human support: once the deep section begins, it is no longer guided from the outside, to give way to the individual to explore and increase self-confidence. People can turn to this type of therapy for problems of various origins: emotional, physical, psychosomatic or simply relational or linked to daily stress.
What remains of this natural method of self-discovery is precisely the deep contact of the individual with his own spirit.
