Holotropic breathing at home. Holotropic Breathwork - a technique at home
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 desired state you need to breathe properly. 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 in time and without consequences for the body. deep dive into the unconscious.
- 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 various 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 effective way solutions to 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 emission occurs. carbon dioxide into the body, because of this, the blood vessels narrow 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 are eliminated psychological reasons appearance of excess weight.
- 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.
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How to achieve the coveted XS size, everyone chooses for himself: through training, fasting, dietary supplements, diets, or a combination of them. The choice is quite large. We invite you to familiarize yourself with a new trend in the field of weight loss - holotropic breathing.
What is Holotropic Breathwork?
Holotropic Breathwork is deep continuous breathing technique, which is used in practical psychology and psychotherapy. Not so long ago, holotropic breathing began to be actively practiced as a method of losing weight.
This is not to say that the holotropic breathing technique was specifically designed for weight loss. Not at all.
In the 70s of the last century, Stanislav Grof (the author of the technique) was concerned about the not overweight of his patients.
He, as an outstanding psychotherapist, was looking for an effective psychotherapeutic method for immersing himself in the subconscious and solving the patient's psychological problems. And, as you can see, I found it.
Today, Holotropic Breathwork is considered one of the the most effective breathing techniques(along with rebirthing and vayvaishn), which is used in modern psychology.
Holotropic Breathwork - what to look for
In some cases, classical holotropic breathing according to Stanislav Grof helps relieve stress, dull or remove feelings of inexplicable fear and anxiety, solve personal problems and conflicts, and according to some reviews, in general, change your life for the better.
In addition to the advantages, judging by the feedback from the participants in holotropic breathing and based on scientific research However, Holotropic Breathwork has its downsides.
What happens with human body during holotropic breathing? During the session, the level of carbon dioxide drops sharply and a kind of oxygen intoxication begins. (Like climbing to the top of Everest.)
Only if climbers go to the top for several days or even weeks (i.e. gradually), and with holotropic breathing, the “ascent” begins after 40 minutes.
The body often turns out to be simply not ready for such a test, so the breathers begin to have muscle spasms and convulsions.
Often this condition is accompanied by hallucinations and peculiar visions. This, in turn, can lead to the death of brain cells, disruption of the central nervous system, or (in a very extreme case) death.
That's why reviews of doctors about holotropic breathing are rather ambiguous, and for the most part come down to criticism and a statement of the fact about the harm to the body.
Stanislav Grof, in his books and speeches on holotropic breathing, has repeatedly emphasized that the sessions must certainly take place under the supervision of a certified specialist in an appropriate authentic environment, and at home, alone, this breathing technique is strictly forbidden to practice!
Nevertheless, such a ban remained for many only food for thought, nothing more. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people practice the holotropic breathing technique on their own, with only rough instructions on how to breathe correctly.
Although no age limits are indicated anywhere for holotropic breathing, nevertheless, this practice It is recommended to engage only in an adult, formed person. To work with children, you need more good reasons than simple interest and idle curiosity.
Contraindications for Holotropic Breathwork
Holotropic breathing has a number of contraindications:
- cardiovascular diseases varying degrees severity (especially at the stage of decompensation);
- chronic respiratory diseases in a particularly neglected form;
- sharp infectious diseases(temporary ban);
- pregnancy at any time;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- recent operations and fractures;
- chronic neurological diseases (eg, epilepsy) and unstable mentality.
Holotropic breathing for weight loss
It should be said right away that it will not work to program the body for weight loss or give it the appropriate setting. Losing weight with holotropic breathing is more of a pleasant bonus to all of the above pluses, rather than a direct goal.
Why are they losing weight?
There are 3 possible reasons:
First reason. Your excess weight is the result of unresolved psychological problems, and you know this for sure.
What does it mean? For example, your soulmate left you / you failed at work / you temporarily lost the meaning of life - and instead of solving the problem, you begin to "jam" in the truest sense of the word.
Considering that holotropic breathing helps to solve such life issues on a subconscious level, then it is not surprising that in the process a person begins to lose weight.
The second reason. Deep breathing activates the metabolism.
Everything is simple here. There is a direct relationship (just like in mathematics): metabolism improves, excess weight goes away.
Third reason. With holotropic breathing, a kind of massage of the internal organs occurs, which contributes to the breakdown of fat cells in “hard-to-reach” places.
But it is worth considering that such a massage (which is also practiced in other methods) can be dangerous, especially for women with gynecological problems. (A significant amount of blood flow can provoke a recurrence of the disease or aggravate its course).
Fundamentals of Holotropic Breathwork
Holotropic Breathwork can be practiced without special time restrictions provided that you feel normal during the sessions. Practice shows that those who have discovered holotropic breathing have been doing it for years, unite in groups and do not miss a single training or seminar.
Those who have not felt any potential positive changes usually stop the practice after a few sessions. As before, everything is very individual and depends on your own feelings.
If you are a beginner, there are a few rules and guidelines that you need to be familiar with before starting the practice of holotropic breathwork.
Where to practice?
Specialists and gurus of holotropic breathwork insist on holding sessions in special empty halls and rooms. Why? At home, while unconscious, you can accidentally hit or injure yourself on objects around you.
If there is no desire to leave your home, just free the room (if possible) from unnecessary furniture (chairs, stools) and secure all corners.
Who to deal with?
Initially, holotropic breathing involves pairing: a breather (or holonaut) and an assistant (sitter). The latter should help the breather in every possible way and monitor his condition, but the help should be unobtrusive and only at the request of the holonaut.
If the request for help has not been voiced, the sitter is strictly forbidden to interfere with the breathing process.
And by the way, since during the session the holonaut can behave strangely and unusually, it is recommended to choose a close person whom you trust as a sitter.
Holotropic Breathwork Technique:
- the first 10 minutes breathing should be deep and slow (without any delay);
- for the next 60 minutes, breathing should be deep and intense (it is better for beginners to reduce this stage to 30-40 minutes);
- then breathing goes "on the wane" - 20 minutes of shallow breathing and the transition to normal breathing (up to 5 minutes).
Breathe better on an empty stomach. (If you are unable to fight hunger, limit yourself to a light snack). Also, take into account that the session can stretch from 2 to 3 hours, so before you start, you should take care of the natural needs of the body!
Music for Holotropic Breathwork
The ideal option would be to attend a special training or seminar. There you can “meet” not only the usual stereo sound, but also authentic drums (tam-toms), maracas…
For homework, select music based on the stages of breathing. Yes, at the beginning music should be light and unobtrusive(lounge style is suitable), then ethno-rhythms will be optimal (the same drumming).
After 20 minutes, you can turn on dramatic music (preferably something from the classics), and at the end add relaxation music to your playlist (the sound of the sea, nature, or whatever makes you relax).
At the end of the session, the holonaut should lie down for some more time, then you can discuss all your experiences and “visions” with the sitter or express the images you see in the form of a mandala.
Holotropic Breathwork - video
If the theoretical part is not enough for you, watch the video on holotropic breathing and the technique at home, presented below. Although the lesson is held in the hall, it is individual, and besides, it is held with a beginner.
The video talks in detail about the correct technique and the nuances of holotropic breathing. The session is conducted by Sergey Poprotsky, a certified international practitioner in Holotropic Breathwork, President of the Ukrainian Transpersonal Association.
Holotropic breathing is a psychotherapeutic technique, the foundation of which is built on intensive breathing. This technique is known today as one of the most common in psychotherapy and it originated in the seventies as a legal alternative to psychedelic techniques. Christina and Stanislav Grof introduced this technique into the everyday life of psychotherapy. Before the ban on the use of psychoactive drugs, a phenomenon was recorded - at the end of a psychedelic session of psychotherapy, when the problematic aspect was not fully worked out, clients began to breathe intensively in order to maintain an altered consciousness and refine the psychological material that had grown from the depths of the unconscious. Grofs began to use enhanced breathing after the entry into force of the ban on the use, with the intention of achieving a psychotherapeutic effect, psychotomimetics.
Holotropic breathing involves a combination of the following means: rapid breathing, the sound of music and selected sounds, types of bodily work. Actually, thanks to the complex use of these tools, holotropic breathing is able to give rise to the full range of experiences usually observed during psychedelic sessions. As a rule, when using active breathing, such experiences are mild. It also allows the holonauts to be more in control of them. In terms of the content of experiences, there are no differences with the disturbances that arise during psychedelic sessions, however, they are still extracted without the use of chemical preparations. The key catalyst in the described technique is not a psychoactive drug, but a natural and fundamental physiological process - breathing.
Holotropic Breathwork Technique
The natural physiological process, which is called breathing, is the pivotal link between the surrounding world and the physical body of the subject, his spirituality and psyche.
The miraculous power of the holotropic breathing technique is based on four components, namely, both deep and enhanced, as well as coherent breathing, inducing measured music, spontaneous immersion in the deep streams of the unconscious and analysis of emerging experience. Further manifestation of the psychotherapeutic effect occurs in the flight of creative invention, for example, the image of mandalas or body-oriented therapy. At the same time, in breathing with this technique, there should be no intervals delimiting inhalation from exhalation.
The task of holotropic breathing is the passage of the path of self-knowledge, "return to the whole", the unity of the deep subconsciousness and consciousness into a holistic mechanism for understanding oneself, one's own emotions, the maturation of emotional and personal maturation.
The use of this technique allows you to find long-forgotten psychological traumas that are buried deep in the unconscious, conflict situations, provoking the emergence of pressing life problems, and getting rid of such "barriers".
Holotropic breathing is faster and deeper than normal breathing. Before or during this technique, often no other specific recommendations are given. In other words, the speed, nature, or manner of breathing depends entirely on the patient's inner experience. As a rule, sessions of active breathing take place with minimal intervention from the therapist. The only exceptions are spasms of the larynx, problems with loss, sensation or severe pain that prevent the continuation of therapy, as well as the active breathing practitioner's request for help.
Acoustic stimuli such as tambourines, drumming, natural sounds or rhythmic music are an inseparable element of holotropic practice. Often, the choice of musical accompaniment supports specific stages that hit the most general properties deployment of the holotropic experience.
Music for holotropic breathwork can be stimulating and stimulating in the beginning, gradually it turns into a more dramatic sound, becomes more dynamic and energetic, and then it marks a breakthrough. As the climax is reached, the sound gradually becomes calmer. At the very end, the musical accompaniment becomes peaceful, fluid, like melodies for meditation.
The method of holotropic breathing to create optimal conditions is best practiced in groups whose participants are divided into pairs, where one client is a holonaut (that is, one who practices active breathing), and the other is a sitter (those who provide safety to the breathing holonaut). Often, no more than two breathing sessions are performed in one session, in which at first one participant is a holonaut, and the other is a sitter, then they change roles. Clothing practicing holotropic technique should be loose-fitting, comfortable and not restrict movement. The training room should be spacious, and the seats for the participants should be soft. After conducting relaxation techniques, holonauts begin a breathing session to the rhythmic sound of music, which helps to keep the heart and respiratory rhythm. Participants, upon completion of the main breathing session, proceed to the formulation of their own experiences using mandala drawing, modeling, free dance, and then discuss the experienced emotions, if desired. The duration of one practice can be a minimum of two hours and a maximum of eight hours. Each holonaut selects for himself the number of breathing sessions, but not more than 12.
Holotropic Breathwork is based on transpersonal psychology. Before proceeding directly to the session, each participant undergoes a thorough briefing. Participants are explained the main types of manifestations generated in the course of altered consciousness. The goal of achieving an altered consciousness is the therapeutic effect of the unrest associated with immersion in the deep unconscious of the psyche. Among such worries, one can single out: recollection of the experience, extraction of perinatal matrices (birth or post-natal emotions), comprehension by the individual of the relationship with space, the world and time. During the theoretical briefing, they introduce in detail the indications and contraindications, give other recommendations separately for sitters and holonauts. After all, a holonaut, through active breathing, reaches an altered state of consciousness, as a result of which he begins to behave authentically, while completely liberating himself. At such moments, it must be close, which will create conditions for safety and ensure freedom of expression of feelings. When in an altered consciousness, the subject does what he wants, paying no attention to others and not suppressing his own desires. Often, before the session, the participants agree on what kind of support will come from the sitter. And to support a single respiratory rhythm, partners are advised to develop non-verbal communication signals.
The physiological mechanism of action of intensive breathing is based on the fact that prolonged hyperventilation leads to a decrease in the content of carbon dioxide, which provokes vasoconstriction, as a result of which hemoglobin begins to more tightly connect red blood cells with oxygen. The result is a less efficient supply of oxygen to the tissues – tissues suffocate due to oxygen deficiency. The consequence of this is the appearance of paradoxical oxygen starvation, which inhibits the functioning of the cerebral cortex and vice versa, provokes a more intense work of the subcortex, thereby releasing previously repressed experiences from consciousness.
The holotropic breathing method has some contraindications, namely chronic diseases of a severe course, in the first place, cardiovascular diseases, decompensatory phase, epilepsy, glaucoma, recent surgery, infectious ailments in the acute phase, pregnancy, recent fractures, osteoporosis.
This technique has proven itself in the treatment of fears of various etiologies, neurotic conditions, spiritual crises, depressive states, and even in the treatment of obesity, although it is believed that holotropic breathing for weight loss is an auxiliary technique that contributes to weight correction. Most psychologists are sure that the subject, during the session of holotropic breathing, re-experiences a state similar to the state during birth, which makes it possible to eliminate some blocks in the subconscious, to get to the deepest layers of the psyche. It is not recommended to use holotropic breathing for weight loss as a the only way to get rid of extra pounds. The treatment of any disease and obesity is no exception, but it should be comprehensive.
Holotropic breathing at home
Most experts do not recommend home holotropic breathing, but due to its excessive popularity, many still conduct breathing sessions at home to clear their own consciousness and adjust the inner world, eliminate problems.
Home holotropic breathing, first of all, should be safe for the practitioner. Therefore, it is necessary to cover all dangerous surfaces with soft materials in the room where the session is planned. In addition, during the session, there must be a sitter nearby, which will protect the breather from possible injuries or excesses. It is recommended to choose as a sitter an experienced individual who understands the techniques of holotropic breathing, who will help the holonaut, and not impose his own conditions. The sitter should not be afraid of the different reactions of the breather. Also, his role is to listen to the holonaut at the end of the session.
The technique of holotropic breathing at home is as follows. The emphasis, first of all, is placed directly on breathing, which should be quite frequent, but at the same time deep. It resembles the breathing of a dog, but with an increased amplitude. It can be difficult to combine the intensity and depth of breathing the first time, but with regular practice it will work out.
In a holotropic session, the first 20 minutes are very important, during which the subject is immersed in an altered consciousness or trance. The rest of the time, the holonaut should listen to his own sensations and control the frequency and intensity of breathing according to these sensations. It happens that at some moments you don’t feel like breathing at all - this should be taken as an element of the session.
In any session of holotropic technique, a significant role belongs to well-chosen music of an inciting nature. First 8 minutes of the session - musical composition light, motivating, facilitating breathing, for the next 12 minutes the music should affect the stimulation of the breathing process, then for 20 minutes the musical composition consists of drumming, maracas, for the next 20 minutes - quintessence, the so-called breakthrough, then warm music of flight, openness should be played for 15 minutes , the remaining time until the end of the session, rather intense contemplative music should be played, which will serve as motivation for continuing spiritual practice.
Holotropic breathing technique at home: recommendations for beginners.
Beginners feel particular difficulty during the session when working with psychological clamps and their own bodies. When working out the clamps, bodily “clamps” may appear, which are expressed in the form of sensations resembling the reduction of the muscles of the limbs. Such sensations hinder, distract the novice holonaut and prevent him from advancing into the abyss of his unrest. They are worked out by tensing the limbs, but without the intervention of the sitter. The breather may ask the sitter to apply pressure to the painful area. The exit from the negative feeling marks the end of processing. There are forbidden areas of the body that an experienced sitter should know. These areas include: the throat, face, genital area, in the female - the chest. These areas are prohibited.
At the end of the session of active breathing, you should lie down for a while, and then draw a mandala representing a circle. In such a circle, you can enter whatever you want. Then the sitter must listen to the holonaut. The final stage is in, during which the sitter pushes the breather to realize and solve the problem.
Holotropic Breathwork instruction
At first, you should come to the sessions in advance to give yourself the opportunity to prepare the place, tune in, calm down and concentrate. It is necessary to wear only comfortable attire that will not hinder movement. Jewelry and other accessories must be removed as they may injure the holonaut. Contact lenses are also classified as dangerous things, so they must be removed before an active breathing session. To facilitate breathing, it is recommended to consume light foods as food before sessions, and it is better not to eat at all. This promotes easier, cleaner and deeper breathing. Before the start of the session, it is imperative to visit the toilet so that in the process nothing distracts from breathing and working through problems. It is also recommended to be very careful when choosing a sitter, since nothing should interfere or annoy during the session. Therefore, you need to listen to your own feelings in relation to the alleged sitter. Before moving directly to breathing, you need to take time to relax. To this end, you can use all kinds of relaxation techniques, but without immersion in a trance state, and musical melodies, for example, the sounds of nature, that is, those that will not cause absolutely no emotions and memories. In turn, music for holotropic breathing can be different, the main requirement for it is the absence of words.
After the participant has chosen a pair for himself, the session can begin. But before that, you should conclude a so-called verbal contract with the sitter about the following:
- how exactly will it remind you of breathing;
- necessary support - how it will be manifested;
- signals of non-verbal communication.
With the holotropic technique, it is necessary that each of the couple understand their role and clearly follow it. The holonaut must breathe, gradually entering the altered consciousness and working through internal problems, and the sitter must play the role of the so-called guardian angel of the holonaut, with whom he is paired.
The holonaut's breathing should be deep and at the same time intense, frequent. Particular attention is paid to the breathing process in the first twenty minutes of the session. And then you should listen to your own feelings and independently regulate the depth and intensity of breathing. The sitter helps the breather to travel through the depths of his unconscious and ensures his safety. For a sitter in a session, the holonaut must be the only significant person on the entire planet. If the breather begins to move vigorously, then the task of the sitter becomes to protect him from physical damage with the help of pillows or his own body. In other words, he provides an opportunity for the manifestation of an authentic state for his holonaut. In addition, the sitter should not interfere with the process of the holonaut session. The exception is when the holonauts themselves ask for help.
Another task of the sitter is to help relieve tensions that appear during the session, but only at the request of the holonaut. Assistance in the elimination of physical blocks is carried out either by providing a static load on the muscles, or by kneading the clamped areas of the body. However, the latter method is often not recommended for use, since it does not allow the clamped areas to be discharged and does the work instead of the holonaut.
After the end of the session of active breathing, experts advise not to rush anywhere, calmly “digest”, comprehend the experience. You can lie down for a while after the end of the session, and then draw a mandala. In principle, it is recommended to end the sessions with mandala drawing and sharing, that is, group speaking.
The duration of the session depends on the professionalism and qualifications of the facilitator, the number of participants and the quality of the group. Usually, the process ends naturally after two hours. If there are signs of incomplete processing, it is necessary to carry out additional focused work with the holonaut's body.
Holotropic breathing responses of the participants are quite diverse, but everyone agrees that excessive unreasonable anxiety or anxiety disappears, views on some situations change, life becomes more positive, you get to know yourself better.
In conclusion, it must be said that in reality the results obtained using the holotropic breathing technique are impressive. This is evidenced by the research and practical experience of many specialists. The positive results of using this technique include: getting rid of the influence of stress, chronic psychological trauma and deep fears, which, being unconscious, negatively affect the life of the individual.
The holotropic breathing technique is rightly considered a universal path to the fastest personal and spiritual growth.
Breathing is one of the main connecting elements between the outside world and the human body, his psyche and spirituality.
In the ancient traditions of shamanism of the northern peoples and Mexican tribes, the practices of Indian yogis and Shaolin monks used deep breathing as an important part of religious, mystical rites.
Modern methods of healing the soul and body have absorbed the "duet" of the secret knowledge of magicians, healers and research of the founders of psychoanalysis and analytical psychology - Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. One of the most outstanding psychotherapeutic methods recognized by official medicine is holotropic breathing.
The ingenious author of this powerful and miraculous practice is the greatest scientist, "guru of psychology", an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst of Czech origin - Stanislav Grof. Together with his wife Christina in the middle of the last century, he developed a respiratory psychotechnics, which was based on a serious theoretical basis.
In contrast to the founders of rebirthing Leonard Orr and Vaivation Jim Leonard, the coryphaeus of holotropic breathing is a well-known scientist, professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, head of the international transpersonal association, author of 13 books and 140 articles translated into 16 languages of the world.
In 1975, his development was recognized by official American medicine as an effective psychotherapeutic practice, in 1993 it found recognition in Russia, in 1998 Stanislav Grof visited Moscow, and in 2007 he became an honorary doctor of Moscow State University.
What is the purpose of Holotropic Breathwork?
Miraculous power is based on four elements: deep, intense and at the same time coherent breathing, in which there are no pauses between inhalation and exhalation; stimulating rhythmic music; spontaneous immersion in the stream of the unconscious and psychoanalysis of emerging experience.
Its further manifestation occurs in creative fantasy: mandala drawing, body-oriented therapy, discussion of ongoing processes.
"Holotrop" or, affectionately called by the Russian students of Stanislav Grof - "holotrope", is translated from Greek as holos - "whole" and tropein - "that which leads, path, road." The goal is the path of self-knowledge, "return to the whole", the unification of consciousness and the deep subconscious into a single mechanism for understanding oneself, one's emotions, emotional maturation and maturation as a person.
Holonaut practitioners can discover long-forgotten deep psychological traumas, conflict situations that create life problems in the present, and get rid of these "barriers".
Holotropic - harm or salvation?
This popular method, created as an alternative to the psychotropic drug LSD, has many supporters among professionals, but there are also experts who actively criticize it, calling it dangerous to health. What happens during a breathing session with a person?
The technique of deep rhythmic breathing through the mouth at a fast pace with no pauses (like climbing mountains or) causes a sharp increase in the level of oxygen in the body, including the brain, provoking a drop in carbon dioxide in the tissues and hyperventilation in the lungs.
This condition leads to the appearance of dangerous reactions: reflex vasoconstriction, a sharp increase in blood pressure, hemoglobin - the main conductor of oxygen to the cells of the body - reduces its efficiency, creating a deficiency of this vital element in the tissues, the acid-base balance is disturbed and general exchange substances. Temporary hypoxia (suffocation) of the brain sets in, against which the death of nerve endings occurs.
Moreover, the body loses from two to three liters of carbon dioxide during a session of holotropic breathing, which is referred to in medical treatises as an extremely severe degree of hypocapnia.
Independent, unprofessional experiments with this practice can in this case lead to irreversible changes, up to cerebral edema and death. This condition can also cause significant harm to the central nervous system, heart muscle, liver and kidney tissues.
Supporters of transpersonal psychology, the main component of which is holotropic therapy, argue that an absolutely healthy adult who has no contraindications to this method of self-examination, trained by professional students and followers of Stanislav Grof (in Russia - Vladimir and Christina Maikov and Svetlana Doroganich) or accompanying certified centers, the entrance to altered states of consciousness is not terrible.
Holotropic breathing is safe in itself, supervised by a sitter (or a group of sitters), and carried out under the supervision of an experienced lead instructor (psychotherapist). It is a scientifically proven, experimentally proven effective method identifying and effectively solving a variety of psychological problems. The main catalyst for these processes is not a chemical psychoactive substance, but a powerful natural physiological process -.
The most important effect of holotropic therapy is the colossal liberation of human consciousness from internal “hooks”, clamps, barriers, unconscious fears, blocks, and a variety of mental stresses. In addition, the holonaut receives carte blanche from his unconscious for the most daring steps in self-realization, self-actualization and creative expression.
For whom are there contraindications to such therapy?
- For people with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, acute heart disease, spasms of cerebral vessels),
- severe asthma,
- deep neuroses,
- brain diseases,
- pregnancy
- acute infectious diseases,
- glaucoma
- dislocations
- recent abdominal surgery (less than a year),
- serious emotional disorders.
For people with epilepsy, permission is issued by a psychotherapist. In addition, instructors work with them on an individual basis; such patients are not allowed to group sessions.
Learn the right technique yourself!
No matter how much they talk about harm self-study holotropic breathing techniques, but due to the popularity of this process of self-knowledge, many extreme lovers still take the risk at home to try to clear their minds and adjust inner world by fixing the problems. In this case, you need to protect yourself from injury in the room where you will practice by covering all dangerous corners and surfaces with soft materials.
Together with you in this room there must be a sitter, or a nanny, who will protect you from possible excesses. He must be experienced enough to know most of the techniques of this type therapy, to help the breathing person, and not to dictate their own conditions, not to be afraid of various reactions of the holonaut, and at the end of the practice, carefully listen to the “traveler”.
So, holotropic breathing has a couple of characteristics: frequency and depth. Imagine how the dog breathes, and try to reproduce the same breathing by increasing the amplitude. At first, it can be difficult to combine the depth and intensity of inhalations and exhalations, but over time it can work out.
The first 20 minutes of the session are very important for immersion in ASC, or trance, that is, an altered state of consciousness. During the rest of the holotropic session, you will have to carefully listen to your feelings and adjust the frequency and strength of the breath in accordance with them. Perhaps, in some moments you will not want to breathe at all, you need to take it as part of the ongoing processes.
It should be noted that in the holotropic important role stimulating, rhythmic, well-chosen music plays. Special compositions are compiled on the basis of: the first 8 minutes - music is encouraging, light, helping breathing, the next 12 minutes - stimulating the respiratory process, another 20 minutes - drums, maracas, ethno-rhythms, the next 20-25 minutes - dramatic music, quintessence, " breakthrough”, another 15 minutes - warm heart music of flight, openness, the rest of the time until the end of the session, a contemplative, but quite intense melody should be played, which will serve as an incentive to continue spiritual work.
Beginners experience particular difficulty when working with the body and psychological clamps. When they are worked out, bodily blocks may appear in the form of sensations, as if reducing the muscles of the limbs. They interfere, distract the beginner and prevent him from moving into the depths of his experiences. They are worked out through the tension of the arms or legs, but without the help of a sitter.
The nanny can take the hand, but the holonaut must pull it towards himself, investing maximum resistance. Blocks can be expressed in pain. The holonaut may ask the sitter to press on the painful area: successful processing will manifest itself as a way out of this negative feeling. An experienced sitter knows the forbidden areas of the body that cannot be worked with! These are: the region of the throat, face, genitals and, in women, the chest. To compensate for this pain, the sitter can give the holonaut a rag to twist or move the legs in the hip area.
At the end of the session, you need to lie down a bit, then draw a mandala: a circle on a sheet, and in it - whatever you want. You can create these "circles of experiences" as much as you like. Next, the sitter will listen to the holonaut, and at the end will conduct a psychoanalysis, pushing the breather to understand and solve problems.
Real testimonials about holotropic breathwork
Andrey, 29 years old: “... I came to the first session of the “holotropic” as a terrible skeptic. However, my skepticism disappeared on the same day! It seemed to me that I had solved many psychological problems a long time ago, but in fact I only hid them deeper. When I pulled them out, an understanding came to me of how to properly treat them. Holotropic breathing for me is a reliable battery and an unknown delicacy that every time gives me a recharge and amazing sensations! And, most importantly, you do not need to look for any third-party resources, since all this is inside you! It remains only to use them wisely ... "
Natalia, 43 years old: “... The company of holotropic practitioners has long become for me a close community of beloved friends with whom we share the most intimate. Every time I come to a session, I know that the deep process of breathing is connected with feelings, and this time I am waiting for the discovery of new emotions and sensations. What kind of experiences do not occur in the treatment of bodily "locks", clamps and blocks! Anger and rage, irritation and gratitude, love and a feeling of infinite happiness - all this can be experienced by freeing your consciousness!
Unforgettable and extremely useful is the experience of sitter - to take care of people, help them, respond and listen to the breather in the process. This opened up new facets of sympathy and empathy for every person in me, I began to return to myself, to my body. I wish you all bright, unforgettable discoveries! »
Svetlana, 25 years old: “... After holotropic sessions, the worldview changes, inside you feel a reassessment of values. But this state persists for no more than six months, if it is not practiced. For example, I gained courage and confidence from an experienced psychologist, and now I have begun to conduct my own trainings, although the responsibility is huge!!! »
Nikolai, 30 years old: “... I dreamed of getting into a session of holotropic breathing for a long time, but urgent matters constantly distracted me, and I again put off my desire for “later”. But one day I decided to go, in spite of any haste. We, the beginners, were first explained what and how it would be, but the process itself defies description. The body twisted and sausage, but all the sensations, like a puzzle, miraculously harmoniously placed in their places. I'm waiting for the "holotropic" again, although it's scary, but insanely interesting! »
Irina, 52 years old: “... For the first time in my life, I had 3 holotropic sessions. Amazing condition! Gena, my sitter, is a real guardian angel! Took care of me all his and my sessions! Thank you! Paradox: in my life now I have a difficult situation, and I feel like a 20-year-old girl! I smile and the wind in my head! »
I have quite a lot of experience working with holotropic breathwork groups, but that was the usual classical work with a group. This work was different in that it was individual (two people) and had a specific goal - to lose a lot of weight. I knew that this method was used in psychotherapy, but after reading the material, I realized that this option did not suit me. I understand all the responsibility for the health of the people who trusted me, because The load on the heart and the whole body during this process is enormous. I searched, scrolled in my thoughts different variants and came up with.
The day came, we sat opposite each other, looked into each other's eyes, and I began to explain the essence and course of work and what are the features of many hours of breathing.
I said: "You will go through all your past incarnations, death, the perinatal period, birth, childhood and adolescence, the period of maturity and old age ... zeroing and transition to new life. You will come out of the breathing process with new qualities, your character will change, your life will change. I don’t know how long the breathing process will last, and I won’t stop you until you stop yourself, even if a day passes.
So, the holonauts settled comfortably on the rugs and began to breathe. We had a lot of work to do: to clean up all the past and move into the future in a new body, free from karmic burdens. But I didn’t know what to expect and how it would go, I only knew that I would do it, because I promised. For the first three stages of breathing, I was with them and helped, because. these are the hardest steps. The process is one, but the paths are different, and I had to split in two in working with them. Past incarnations flickered one after another, and we did not stop anywhere until we were at the end of the "tunnel" - there was nothing further. We flew over and scanned as we went, but we couldn't find the right clue. And only at the end of the road found necessary situation, then the process of deep cleansing of the past began. Puffs of "smoke" flew out from there, some pieces burned down. The holonauts during this period behaved differently: sometimes tears and sobs, spun, they were either hot or cold. On their faces were pain, then a smile. They were clearly talking to someone. They were throwing up, and it was clear that it hurt.
So an hour passed, and, finally, the reason for excess weight in the past was highlighted, a silhouette of a person appeared who did not want to leave, he was used to sitting like that, his legs couldn’t walk because of the heavy weight, his lungs couldn’t breathe. And I had to intervene in the situation to help free myself. But not everything is so simple, he rose to a certain level and then stopped. I left him alone, continuing to monitor the situation. Meanwhile, the second holonaut talked to someone for a long time, and it was a long period. But still, the situation shifted from its place, and the past began to brighten. The picture of past incarnations looked like an intestine clogged with fecal stones, and now these stones began to dissolve, and space was freed ... then the past from the very "tail" began to move towards the body. It entered the body and rose up, burning and burning everything that had to do with it along the way. It reached the middle of the body, and everything seemed to freeze.
During this time, the holonauts lived through their death, let go of attachments, fears, said goodbye and forgave everyone. Their bodies twisted, they moaned, laughed and cried. Then a smile appeared on their faces. And they began to descend to earth in the state of the embryo. Here the situation of one of the holonauts caught my attention. I see a child who stands on his feet for a long time and stubbornly, as if in defiance of the whole world, he wants to prove something. It lasted more than half an hour and will not lead to anything good. A pregnant woman may have a threatened miscarriage or be born with a wrapped umbilical cord. I watched and didn't interfere. After some time, he still took the right position, relaxed. And the energy went up, continuing the liberation from the past. And the silhouette from the past has risen even higher in the throat, but their bodies have not yet come out.
So the time of birth has come, contractions have begun, and the child feels tremors. One of the holonauts began to moan, his body twisting in pain and tension. He frantically searched for something to grab onto, and I gave him my hand. At the same time, I mentally relaxed the birth canal so that the birth would be easier, increasing the prerequisites for a person to have an easier and more pleasant life. And then the child was born, and on the face of a smile and fatigue.
The music changes, and we continue to breathe. Two hours have passed, and so much has been lived. The muscles of the body contract strongly, the rhythm of breathing slows down, then feverish breathing appears; the holonaut does not find a place for himself, spins, then takes cover, then throws everything off himself.
For one, the period of childhood passes relatively calmly, while the second is stuck. He spent all his childhood and youth in limitations, I see a second skin around the body and a heavy load inside, and he lived with him all his life. This did not allow him to realize his desires, depriving him of strength, constant depression. This stone was removed with difficulty until the end of the process.
The period of maturity passed relatively calmly, the body no longer broke, there were almost no convulsions. So the silhouette from the past has already come out and pulled a train of problems that did not allow to live fully. Now I could rest a little. They breathed for another two hours, and everything was quiet. More and more often they stopped and fell into sleep, then sharply breathed again, as if squeezing out everything that was left in them.
Then I felt that something else was needed, otherwise the situation would remain unfinished: they were cleared, reset to zero. And there is no completion yet. I quietly approached and whispered in my ear: "Start to breathe in. Breathe in life, a new wave of life". They took only a few deep breaths, and then something changed in the faces of the holonauts. They relaxed and after five minutes they opened their eyes, it was a clean clear look. Knowing that after holotropic breathing they can sleep or lie down for half an hour or more, I asked them: "What's the matter, why did you get up so quickly?" And they answered me that they all exhaled, they all lived so deeply that there is no need for rest.
Thus ended our breath, with my help it ended safely in four hours. What would happen without my help to the holonauts? They would breathe two or three hours longer, perhaps more. The processes would be more difficult. The fact that I went through almost all the stages with them helped them change situations in the process itself, reprogram, erase destructive programs from their subconscious and replace them with new ones.
What has it led to and what will it lead to? Have we reached our main goal? It would be more correct to ask the holonauts themselves, but I can say that we are constantly in touch, and therefore I know everything that is happening with them. Changed thinking, outlook on life, attitude towards yourself. The body regulates itself. There are new opportunities for the implementation of their ideas. After two weeks from that day, changes occur at the cellular level. We were able to rewrite the map of Destiny, and a new happy destiny lined up. Sometimes the process of transformation is very difficult - it is both physical pain, and sometimes emotions are seething. Only I think that this is natural, because the physical body, the voice is changing. There is a full reboot, and this process will take some time and effort. When you know for what, then all these processes bring joy, and the pain is dulled.
What did it give me personally? I got great pleasure from the process itself, from the fact that we reached the goal.
We watch the changes with interest, and a sense of satisfaction warms our hearts. I am grateful to my wards for their trust and fearlessness. We went through a difficult path and got what we wanted. And the most interesting is ahead. Life is beautiful and amazing if you openly go towards it.