FAQ

  • Holotropic Breathwork can be valuable for people from many different backgrounds and life situations. Some participants come with a clear therapeutic intention, while others are simply curious about the deeper dimensions of consciousness.

    People are often drawn to this work when they:

    • feel called to explore their inner world more deeply

    • wish to complement an ongoing therapeutic process

    • want to process unresolved emotional experiences or trauma

    • are navigating life transitions, grief, or personal crises

    • feel stuck in recurring patterns or life situations

    • experience psychosomatic symptoms or chronic stress

    • seek greater meaning, creativity and authenticity in their lives

    • work in therapeutic, coaching or psychosocial professions and wish to deepen their self-exploration and self-care

    Holotropic Breathwork does not require a specific problem to work on. Many participants simply feel a quiet inner curiosity about consciousness and the deeper layers of the psyche.

    In fact, one of the remarkable aspects of this work is that the process is guided by the individual’s inner healing intelligence. Each session unfolds differently, bringing forward what is most relevant for that particular moment in a person’s life.

  • Yes, Holotropic Breathwork can bring about lasting changes in one’s life.

    Results will naturally differ between those who engage with the practice over time and those who experience it once or twice.


    Holotropic Breathwork enables people to open up experientially to aspects of themselves that are normally hidden in their unconscious mind. When this takes place with appropriate care and in the right context, meaningful and lasting changes can occur.

  • While Holotropic Breathwork is generally considered safe, it isn’t for everyone. Because it can cause a strong physical and emotional reaction, certain groups should not attempt it, including people who are pregnant, have serious cardiovascular conditions (including a history of heart attack), serious hypertension, epilepsy, osteoporosis, recent surgeries, physical injuries or a history of severe or acute mental health conditions. People with asthma may be able to participate, but need to make sure they have their inhaler with them.

    A medical questionnaire must be completed as part of the registration process to ensure the workshop is appropriate and safe for you.

  • Arrival & Preparation

    We begin by arriving into the space together.

    You’ll be introduced to the process, the structure of the session and the principles that guide the work. There is time to ask questions, settle in and connect with the group.

    Participants are paired, taking turns in the roles of breather and sitter.

    • The breather enters the inner process

    • The sitter remains present, offering simple, grounded support

    The Breathing Session

    When it’s your turn to breathe, you’ll lie on a mattress, with eyes closed or covered, and begin a deeper, faster rhythm of breathing which is guided by your own natural rhythm.  Specially curated music supports the process, shifting in intensity to accompany the inner journey. Each breathing session lasts about 3 hours.

    The schedule for a day workshop is as follows:

    • 8:00am: Registration

    • 9:00am: Opening circle (including intro talk and pairing of participants).

    • 10:00am: First breathwork session

    • 1:00pm: Mandala painting

    • 1:30pm: Lunch and break

    • 3:00pm: Second breathwork session

    • 6:00pm: Mandala painting

    • 6:30pm: Evening break, light meal

    • 7:30pm: Closing circle

    • 8:30pm: Workshop ends.

  • Training and Certification — Grof Transpersonal Training

    Holotropic Breathwork facilitators are certified exclusively through Grof Transpersonal Training (GTT). Founded by Stanislav and Christina Grof in 1989, it is the most established internationally recognised programme for training in expanded states of consciousness, and represents the gold standard in this field.

    What the training covers

    The programme is grounded in Transpersonal Psychology - a framework that extends beyond conventional models of the mind to encompass the full spectrum of human experience, including somatic, relational, spiritual and collective dimensions.

    The training combines theoretical study with experiential learning. The curriculum covers the theory and practice of Holotropic Breathwork, Transpersonal Psychology, trauma and spiritual emergency, music and consciousness, and energy-focused bodywork. Certification requires completion of seven six-day residential modules, a two-week closing intensive module, as well as apprenticeships, consultations and the facilitator’s own ongoing development. In total, the training typically spans three or more years of sustained personal and professional development.

    Ethics and certification

    GTT events are held with the Principles of Holotropic Breathwork and their accompanying Ethical Agreements at the forefront. Candidates must demonstrate ethics, maturity and theoretical and practical understanding of the entire process before certification is granted. Certification is not automatic - it is at the discretion of the certification staff, ensuring that only those who meet the full standard of the programme are authorised to facilitate.

    Participants who successfully complete the programme receive a certificate confirming that they have undergone training in Holotropic Breathwork and Transpersonal Psychology. After certification, facilitators are required to engage in ongoing CPD.

    We follow strict ethical guidelines which can be read in the code of ethics.

  • No, bodywork or any other kind of physical contact is not mandatory during Holotropic Breathwork.

    At a Holotropic Breathwork workshop, everything is based on informed consent and mutual agreement. Bodywork in the context of Holotropic Breathwork (focused energy-release work) follows two basic principles:

    • It is initiated by the breather

    • It is done collaboratively between the breather and facilitator

    In focused energy-release work, the breather remains in control throughout.

    We follow strict ethical guidelines about touch, boundaries and physical contact which can be read in the code of ethics.

  • It may be, depending on your temperament and the origin of your condition.

    In Holotropic Breathwork, healing can occur through a process that starts with allowing ourselves to dive into parts of our psyche that are normally unconscious. When we do that – within a safe and supportive environment – over time, this can create the opportunity to get in touch with the root causes of our problematic psychological states, including depression, anxiety, phobias and panic attacks.

    This process can be challenging at times — but so too is living with these symptoms over the long term. Besides, simply managing symptoms over the long term does not always lead to deeper resolution..

    By bringing this hidden material to conscious awareness in the holotropic process, while subsequently properly integrating them, it may be possible to reduce their impact on daily life, so that they no longer cause difficulties in our daily life.

    It is advisable to work simultaneously with a psychotherapist, as this can powerfully enhance the very important integration process.

    If you are taking prescription medication to help with your symptoms of depression, anxiety, phobia or panic attacks, you must inform your facilitator.

  • Holotropic Breathwork should not be considered a primary treatment for physical illness. Physical illness should always be treated within an appropriate medical framework.

    That said, it is not uncommon for Holotropic Breathwork to support improvement in psychogenic illness or chronic pain. In some cases, this may occur where conventional medical approaches have not fully resolved the issue.

    It is important to work with a qualified facilitator and your physician when considering whether Holotropic Breathwork may be appropriate for a physical condition.

  • It can be helpful to begin with a definition of addiction proposed by Gabor Maté:

    Addiction is manifested in any behaviour—substance-related or not—that provides temporary relief or pleasure, followed by long-term negative consequences, and which the person craves and cannot give up despite these consequences.

    In this view, addictive behaviours, whether it be to substances, technology, sex, pornography, work, food, gambling etc, often serve as attempts to cope with underlying emotional or psychological issues.

    While Holotropic Breathwork can provide a therapeutic roadmap to treat underlying conditions that result in addictive behaviours, it is important to realise that serious substance addictions are more complex and typically requires a comprehensive and structured approach.

    Overcoming active addiction to substances such as alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, or heroin generally involves significant support, commitment and often professional treatment.

    Holotropic Breathwork on its own is not sufficient as a primary treatment for active addiction. In fact, ongoing substance use is generally considered a contraindication for participation, as it can interfere with the safety and effectiveness of the process.

    For those dealing with serious substance addiction, engaging in appropriate medical or therapeutic treatment is essential.

    Once the treatment proceeds to the stage where the person is not actively using the substance anymore, Holotropic Breathwork may be introduced as a complementary practice - supporting ongoing recovery, helping to address underlying patterns, and in establishing new meaning and purpose in the life of the recovering person.

  • No, there is only one Holotropic Breathwork.

    There are, however, many different kinds of breathwork. You may have heard of Conscious Breathwork, Transformational Breathwork, Maitri Breathwork, Psychedelic Breathwork, Breathwork for Mental Health, Breathwork Meditation, Rebirthing Breathwork, Neurodynamic Breathwork among others.

    Breathwork can have a significant impact on mental and physical wellbeing. If you are considering engaging in it, it is important to understand that different approaches can lead to very different experiences and outcomes.

    For this reason, it is important to be clear about what kind of breathwork you are engaging in, and what you can expect from the practice.

    Holotropic Breathwork is an internationally recognised method grounded in Transpersonal Psychology - a framework that extends beyond conventional models of the mind to encompass the full spectrum of human experience, including somatic, relational, spiritual, and collective dimensions.

    Holotropic Breathwork Facilitators are certified exclusively through the Grof Transpersonal Training programme, and includes over nine weeks of residential modules, along with additional requirements such as a practitioner’s own personal work, consultations, and apprenticeships.

    The training programme is a hybrid of theoretical study and experiential learning. The curriculum includes the theory and practice of Holotropic Breathwork, Transpersonal Psychology, trauma and spiritual emergency, music and consciousness and energy-focused bodywork.

    Only certified graduates of Grof Transpersonal Training are authorised to facilitate Holotropic Breathwork.