Holotropic Breathwork Information
Background and context
The term “Holotropic” is from two Greek roots and means “Moving towards wholeness.” It can be contrasted with the term “Hylotropic,” which would indicate “Moving towards matter.” Hylotropic consciousness is the normal Western way of being in the world, where your experience is bound by time and space and limited to what takes place within the realm of your body, senses, and ego. Holotropic consciousness implies a nonordinary and expanded way of being in the world, where you potentially have access to all kinds of other experiences and information.
Where many might judge what we are doing in a workshop as strange, working in nonordinary states is actually quite common around the world and throughout history. There are burial sites and cave drawings that are 40,000 years old indicating evidence of shamanism. In 1973, some researchers found that 90% of cultures they studied have institutionalized a way for their members to access these states. We live in one of the 10% that does not honor Holotropic consciousness.
Nonordinary states are experienced in a variety of contexts, including shamanism, rites of passage, various healing and other rituals, and spiritual practices. Most traditional religions were sourced by mystical practices that involved Holotropic states. For thousands of years in ancient Greece, the secret Eleusinian mysteries involved drinking a brew that was likely psychoactive.
As a birthright, there are many ways that humans can access the nonordinary realm, including meditation, fasting, chanting/drumming/rattling, dancing (and spinning), extremes of temperature, pain, breathing techniques, sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, and sensory overload. In addition, there are plants (and even some animals) all over the world, as well as synthesized compounds, that generate nonordinary states when ingested.
Obviously, some of these techniques are better than others for healing and spiritual growth. In my experience, Holotropic Breathwork is more powerful than any except the substances. Compared to these however, Breathwork has the advantages of being natural, safe, legal, and leaving you in good shape when you are done. Plus, you are in control of how deep you take your experience. It has the tendency to activate what we call the “Inner Healer,” seeming to provide whatever kind of experience is needed at the time, even when we have no idea what that might be.
Why Breathwork Works
Early in life we learn to suppress our emotions physically by tensing muscles and restricting the breath. Over time, this protective process becomes chronic and automatic, and we lose the capacity to experience and express emotions. The accelerated breathing reverses this suppression, allowing for the release of the long-held emotional charges. The process also reduces the primacy of the cortical functions / logical mind and relaxes psychological defenses.
In the same way that we have a force inside us that heals our physical body when it is injured or sick, we also have an inner healing force which heals our emotional body when it is out of balance. Doing Breathwork allows this inner healer to work with great power. One reason is that you are drawing the veil between the conscious and the unconscious. Another reason is that you are circumventing your resistances to healing.
Things that Happen in Breathwork
Experiences can be physical, emotional, and intellectual. They can include material from your history, your unconscious mind, and even your birth. They may also tap into transpersonal or spiritual dimensions, such as past life sequences, archetypes and symbols from the collective unconscious, experiential identification with animals or other life forms, encounters with various deities, or merging into the light.
Along with held back feelings, memories may emerge as well. However, experiencing old memories and emotions through Breathwork is quite different from experiencing them in real life -- not so overwhelming. It is more like watching a movie of them, because you retain your current adult ego state. Sometimes you can feel the old pain and the bliss of letting it go simultaneously. When you are regressed, you can create a reparative experience by changing the outcome – making noise and expressing when you couldn’t before, or having someone hold you when you lacked that as a child.
One of Stanislav Grof’s major contributions was pointing out the importance of the birth process on the psyche. The emergence of perinatal (around the birth) material can be very healing. Stan divides the birth process into four perinatal “matrices,” each with its own energies, feelings, and themes. These are thoroughly discussed in Stan’s books and in the lecture I normally give before a workshop.
Tetany
About 40% of new breathers will experience tetany, which can range from a tingly or numb sensation to spasms and cramps. It seems to be an indication of blocked energy or armoring. The most important thing to know about tetany is that it is not dangerous and that it always passes. If you have this experience, relax into it the best you can. You might also ask yourself, “How does this energy want to express itself?” or “What am I holding onto right now or in my life?” Often, finding a way to let go of the physical holding provides an insight into a valuable letting go that can be applied to life circumstances. If you are blowing or forcing the exhale, letting it come out naturally will reduce the tetany. If you feel stuck and want help in handling the tetany, have your sitter call one of us over.
Workshop Format
Those new to Breathwork usually arrive at 8:00 for an orientation and questions. At 9:30, the remaining participants arrive and the workshop begins with a circle where we introduce ourselves, check in, and answer any remaining questions. Then we ask those who do not yet have a partner to raise their hands -- find someone you feel drawn to or comfortable with and pair up. We help facilitate this so that it causes negligible trauma.
In the first breathing session, one person will do the breathing while her partner “sits” for her. The sitter’s role is to hold space and give support with practical matters, without intervening in the process. Breathing sessions are between 2.5 and 3 hours. After checking in with a facilitator, you will be invited to draw a mandala. Don’t worry if you are not artistic, as the purpose of the mandala is solely to help integrate your experience. Besides drawing representations of what happened, you can express through abstract color or even words.
After a short lunch break, breathers and sitters switch roles for the second session.
Then we have dinner, followed by a closing circle where we briefly share our experiences.
Body Work
When you seem done with your session, one of us will check in with you. If you were able to flow with your process, you will most likely feel clear and good in your body. Sometimes unfinished material will create a feeling of pain or tension; in this case we will ask if you want to work with it. If so, our job is to provide resistance so you can intensify whatever feeling is happening. By making the feeling bigger, you might get insight into what it is about, or it may move or release. You should move your body or make noise in whatever way feels right. If the feeling is moving, guide us so that we can stay with it. If at any time we are working with you physically and it feels wrong, or you want us to stop, say “STOP” or “STOP, I MEAN IT.” Other vocalizations, such as “Get the f--- off me” will be taken as part of your process.
The Breathing Technique
In our meeting before the workshop starts, I will demonstrate a fast and full breath, and give you a chance to try it. It involves breathing through the mouth, mostly into the chest, with the inhales and exhales connected, so it’s sort of like a circular breathing. More effort goes into the inhale, with the exhale being more of a letting go. Once you get into a rhythm of breathing that works for you, you can stay with it without worrying about proper form. The main thing is to breathe faster and deeper, because that is what drives the process. The more air you pump, the deeper your experience is likely to be.
Some people find this way of breathing to be liberating and joyful, while others experience much resistance. If you are having a hard time, it is important to stay with the powerful breathing as much as you can anyway. Sometimes it’s like riding a bike uphill, and after a while you get to experience the ease of the downhill ride. The resistance can be about many things, mostly having to do with being afraid to feel the feelings that your inhibited breathing has served to keep suppressed. If you trust the process and let go, the scary feelings will come up and you will be able to move through them, providing access to a new freedom.
When asked how long to keep up the breathing, Stan says, “Breathe until you’re surprised.” If you are wondering whether it’s time to back off on the fast and full breath, then don’t. When you are in the place you want to access, you will not be having this type of internal conversation. If you go into a process, spend some time there, and come back, feel free to resume the accelerated breathing. Some people go through several cycles in one session. If the music is still powerful, you will know there is plenty of time left.
If we sense that your breathing is blocked and insufficient to bring you to a fruitful experience, we may coach you to deepen the breath. If you are already where you need to be, or if you don’t want to be disturbed, just wave us off. We won’t be offended! Sometimes it’s not possible to know where someone is in his experience, so we want you to let us know if necessary. In addition, please let us know when we check in with you before your session any kind of intervention you would or wouldn’t want.
The Partnership
Sitting and breathing allow the exploration of the roles of giving and receiving respectively. If you have issues with these roles, they will emerge during the workshop. If you have difficulty giving, you will feel bored as a sitter and want to read or otherwise distract yourself. If you have difficulty receiving, you will want to take care of your sitter while you breathe, wondering if you are demanding too much or not providing enough entertainment. Notice what comes up around these roles and see if you can get something that you can apply in day-to-day life.
Before your breathing session, make a “contract” with your sitter. Tell her if you want to be reminded to breathe if it looks like you stopped the process, and specify if you’d like a hand on your chest, a tap on the shoulder, or a whisper in your ear to ”breathe.” You may set up hand signals for practical needs like tissues, your water bottle, an extra blanket, etc. Spell out any boundaries around touch that you would like.
The Role of the Sitter
While your partner is breathing you will sit to his side observing, ready to offer any assistance. You will have the difficult task of treading that fine line between giving too little and too much. You want to assist the breather in any way you can, but you don’t want to interrupt his experience! For example, it’s best not to touch him unless he asks. Use this process as an opportunity to focus within, maintain connection with another, and develop your intuition. When in doubt, it is better to do less, or call a facilitator over.
If the breather asks you for something, provide it within the limits of your own comfort and boundaries; it is important that you take care of yourself in this regard. In addition to verbal requests, you may be aware of unasked needs of your partner. Is he obviously cold? Is the blanket he’s lying on clumpy and distorting his back? Put a tissue into his hand if he begins to cry, and have his water bottle handy. Be sure his glasses are safe. If a neighbor is getting very active, create a barrier with pillows and/or your body to keep your partner safe.
Make sure the breather continues to breathe. Notice if he is keeping the breath continuous and uninterrupted, especially during the beginning. It is very common for the breather to take long pauses between breaths or to stop breathing altogether. If he does this, respond according to your contract. This may have to be repeated many times depending on the breather. When difficult emotions come up the breather may subconsciously attempt to avoid them by engaging in idle conversation or some other distraction to short circuit the intensity of the experience. If something happens that you are unsure about or need help with, call one of us over.
The Role of the Breather
Your job is to breathe. If you can, also begin to notice, to scan, your body. Notice physical sensations as well as emotions that may manifest in physical form in your body. For example, the emotional componentof neck stiffness may be anger or frustration, tightness in the chest may have sadness underneath, or nausea may be covering terror.
Since your sitter will be trying to avoid interrupting your session, you will need to be brave and go ahead and ask for what you need. This is your time to be King or Queen for the hour. It is up to your sitter and facilitators to say “no” to any requests that would be inappropriate for us to honor. But there is never any shame in asking.
Ground Rules and Safety
Experiencing sexual or aggressive energy can be valuable and healing, but it must be done in a way that doesn’t violate the other participants. If you want to express anger and aggression, feel free to call one of us over, and we can help you find safe ways to do that. Yelling, cursing, and making noises is permitted in all cases. Chatting tends to pull people back into their conscious minds, disrupting their process, so please be aware of your surroundings if you want to talk.
We will do our best to allow any expression you want to enact. If we stop you, it is because we believe that there is a danger to you, us, another participant, or the facility.
As mentioned before, if at any time we are working with you physically and it feels wrong, or you want us to stop, say “STOP” or “STOP, I MEAN IT.”
It is your responsibility to report any medical conditions to us, and relevant ones to your sitter.
Occasionally people ask about continuing with Breathwork on their own. While some facilitators unequivocally recommend against it, I believe it can be useful under the right circumstances, especially after being facilitated for ten or so sessions. Feel free to discuss this issue with me.
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