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.
