Frequently asked questions

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Others know him as the founder, with Abraham Maslow, of the movement known as transpersonal psychology. He is, in the opinion of Ken Wilber, “arguably the world’s greatest living psychologist.” Many people have also heard of the technique that he developed with his wife, Christina Grof, called Holotropic Breathwork™.

Holotropic Breathwork has had a complicated history, with variations on the process offered under a variety of names and sometimes, to my mind, limited understanding of the proper technique. The term Holotropic Breathwork is a trademark, and only those trained and certified by Grof Transpersonal Training are entitled to use it. But in Ireland, I have heard the terms “holotropic therapy,” “Grof therapy,” and even “Groffing,” and it’s not clear to me what these actually were. This has caused widespread misunderstanding about the actual technique, what constitutes good practice, and when it is recommended. Even without this complicated history, however, a technique that is as subtle and dramatic as Holotropic Breathwork ™ is bound to be misunderstood. In this article, I aim to correct some of the most common misunderstandings about Holotropic Breathwork and help to establish ‘best practice’ for practitioners, clients, and those therapists who might like to refer their clients to a holotropic workshop.

Holotropic Breathwork™ refers to a process in which deep, fast breathing, in a supportive context, is used as a catalyst for the experience of a non-ordinary state of consciousness (NOSC). This state of consciousness is thought to be inherently healing and evolutionary, bringing to the surface any issues that need addressing and helping the client to resolve them in a creative way. Holotropic Breathwork has been called “industrial strength meditation.”

In a Holotropic Breathwork, clients work in pairs, with one as the ‘breather’ and the other as the ‘sitter’. The breather lies down on a mattress, while the sitter ensures that the breather is physically safe and supported during the session. The instructions for the breather are simply to breathe deeper and faster, keeping eyes closed. This gradually brings on a non-ordinary state of consciousness—like a vivid dream—and the breather simply trusts the wisdom of whatever emerges. Breathers are free to make any motion, move into any posture, or make any sound they wish. The experience is supported by music, which begins with drumming or similar ‘driving’ music, reaches an emotional crescendo, transitions to ‘heart’ music, and finishes with meditative music. Sessions are scheduled to last for three hours. Later that day, or the next day, the breather and sitter swap roles. Sessions are followed by two activities: expressive artwork and small group sharing. Facilitators are always present to explain the method, create a safe setting, support the process, and work with people if they experience any difficulty.

Finally, one of the most common misperceptions about Holotropic Breathwork, to my mind, is one that Grof himself, and many trained facilitators, are guilty of advancing. They have described this technique primarily as a way to experience a non-ordinary state of consciousness safely. That’s a very attractive proposition to some people, but it misses many of the other reasons to participate in a workshop and does not describe very accurately what most people experience as the main benefits of a workshop. In a Holotropic Breathwork workshop, people experience a place of deep safety and profound trust, often for the first time. They learn to take time out from ordinary life for their deeper concerns and dreams. They learn how to bear witness to their own suffering and the suffering of others. They learn how to support one another through a dramatic process of unfolding. They learn that the enormous spiritual treasures of the Kosmos are available in each of us. They learn to trust their inner healer. They learn that experiencing their truth is the quickest way to wholeness. They learn to be compassionate to themselves and others. They learn to celebrate their uniqueness and respect other peoples’ differences. They learn that it’s okay to feel little and vulnerable and that it’s okay to feel big and powerful. They learn to empathize with everything in the created universe as part of themselves, and they learn that they too are part of everything. They learn how to trust the deep wisdom of their own psyche, and to stay open to its ever-evolving story. Martin Boroson is the author of The One-Moment Master: Stillness for People on the Go, and the interfaith creation story Becoming Me, based on his holotropic experiences. He ran Holotropic Breathwork workshops in Ireland for ten years with the Transpersonal Group and is currently Vice-President of the Association for Holotropic Breathwork International. He can be reached at www.martinboroson.info. Jean Farrell, Nienke Merbis, and Dara White are Grof-certified facilitators who run regular workshops in Ireland. They can be reached at www.breathingtime.ie. More information about Holotropic Breathwork, including research into its effectiveness, can be found from the Association for Holotropic Breathwork International website at www.ahbi.org. A list of certified facilitators is available by email from GTT through their website - www.holotropic.com.