Association for Holotropic Breathwork International

The Association for Holotropic Breathwork International is a nonprofit organization that has emerged in the wake of the successful spread of the Holotropic Breathwork technique developed in the 1970s by Stanislav Grof and his wife, Christina Grof. Holotropic Breathwork uses a form of accelerated breathing to create an altered state of consciousness in the practitioner. Many people find it a useful tool of self-exploration and some have experienced a range of therapeutic benefits. Following its development and initial testing at the Esalen Institute, where the Grofs resided for 14 years beginning in 1973, the Grofs regularly offered breathwork workshops and then began to train and certify people to teach. By 1997 more than 300,000 individuals were believed to have taken the basic workshop.

The association does not itself offer the basic workshop or the teacher training (both of which are obtained through Grof Transpersonal Training). It is designed to promote the understanding of Holotropic Breathwork and educate the general public concerning its benefits, as well as to provide fellowship for the users of the technique and serve as a professional association for the teachers. Membership is open to the general public, but the association has a special membership category for certified teachers, who must go through a two-year training program prior to receiving authorization to teach.

The association publishes a periodical, The Inner Door. It may be contacted at Box 7169, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-7169, and supports an extensive Internet site at http://www.breathwork.com/. Included in the Internet site are Web pages of certified teachers.

Sources:

Association for Holotropic Breathwork International. http://www.breathwork.com/. May 22, 2000.