“Transformational crises — although they can be overwhelming — may open the way to healing, deepened awareness, and an expanded sense of Self.”
— Christina Grof
Holotropic Breathwork is a method of working with experience, consciousness, and the body that allows access to expanded states of awareness without the use of substances. It emerged at the intersection of depth psychology, breathwork, the transpersonal approach, and group process. It is a process in which we follow what is alive and meaningful in the moment—without imposing content, interpretation, or direction. Each experience is unique and deeply personal.
The method was developed by Stanislav Grof, one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, and Christina Grof, in response to the need for a safe and effective way of working with deep inner states. In its current form, Holotropic Breathwork is the result of many decades of development and practice by experienced facilitators and teachers working at the intersection of psychology, trauma therapy, body-based approaches, and the transpersonal field. Among the most influential contributors who have co-created and continue to develop this work in line with contemporary therapeutic standards are **Tav Sparks and Cary Sparks, Juanjo Segura, Sitara Blasco, Jean Farrell, and Diana Medina.
People who are drawn to Holotropic Breathwork often:
This work is not only for times of crisis or difficulty. Many people who come to us live stable lives, yet are looking for a deeper connection with themselves, a sense of meaning, and inner coherence.
We work from a relational and community-based perspective.
We create a space in which safety, trust, and clear boundaries are essential.
We do not place ourselves in the role of all-knowing experts.
We are present, attentive, and responsible for holding the frame of the process.
We accompany what unfolds, taking care that each experience can be completed and integrated.
The work takes place in a group setting, because we believe that relationships are an important part of the integration process.
At the same time, each experience remains individual and is deeply respected.
It is not a relaxation technique.
It is not a quick method for “fixing yourself.”
It is not a psychedelic experience or a substitute for pharmacology.
It is not a spiritual practice in a religious sense.
It is an invitation to meet what is present—in the body, emotions, and consciousness—within the range that each person is ready for.
Holotropic Breathwork is an experiential process. This means that we do not know in advance what will emerge—and we do not attempt to control it. During a session, the following may arise:
Holotropic Poland has developed over the past ten years as a space for working with Holotropic Breathwork and for integrating experiences from expanded states of consciousness. Our approach is grounded in relationship, responsibility, and lived experience — rather than in ready-made answers or promises. We work at the intersection of transpersonal psychology, body-oriented approaches, and long-term group practice.
Holotropic Poland is also a community of people who gather around this work—facilitators and participants alike. We learn from one another. Each meeting, each process, and each relationship co-creates the space in which this work can take place. If you arrive here with curiosity, questions, or a sense that this might be the right moment—perhaps you are exactly where you need to be.
A few words from participants who have gone through this journey with us.
It’s the only place in the world I know where heart-wrenching crying, uncontrollable laughter, intense body movements, and loud cries of anger can happen in a room full of other people — and no one looks at you with judgment. It’s beautiful.
Participating in the breathwork workshops and the Grof Transpersonal Training module with the Holotropic Poland team has become one of the most transformational experiences available in Poland. Encountering the practice of holotropic breathwork, as well as the community of people who form this circle, opened for me a broader dimension of understanding the process of personal development.
As a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology, and as a designer and researcher exploring the relationships between space, consciousness, and experience, I discovered holotropic practice as a tool for crossing boundaries while paradoxically enabling the integration of different inner parts in the direction of Wholeness.
For me, holotropic breathwork is a field in which one can truly experience what in theory we call transcendence.
Holotropic Poland stands out to me for its deep ethical transparency, authentic attentiveness, and an extraordinary culture of presence. The workshops are conducted with the highest level of professionalism, but also with an open heart, in a spirit of respect for every participant and their individual process.
From them I am learning how, in practice, competence can be combined with tenderness, structure with intuition, and technique with unconditional acceptance of another human being.
I believe that holotropic breathwork is not only a method for working with difficult experiences, but also a path for those who simply wish to explore their inner world more deeply and develop consciousness.
For me personally, it has become a method that changed the trajectory of my life and work.
I wholeheartedly recommend Holotropic Poland to anyone seeking an authentic, safe, and integrative environment for growth.
I look with gratitude upon this stage of my path and with hope for the possibility of continued participation in the future—perhaps even as part of the team—who serve others with passion in the process of deepening consciousness and embracing their hidden or repressed shadows.
My first experience with holotropic breathwork was with Holotropic Poland. What I experienced was profound — even the introduction to the paradigm of the method, through education, inclusivity, and acceptance, was itself part of the healing process, even before the breathing session began.
Creating and maintaining a safe space with care and compassion is a skill that requires both experience and love for the process itself — and the Holotropic Poland team has this in abundance.
They have also supported me on my own training path, as I prepare to become a facilitator of holotropic breathwork.
Breath is a magical bridge that connects the unconscious with the conscious. Everyone knows how to breathe — it seems obvious — yet very few people are able to create a truly safe space to explore our often complex psyches and experiences through breath.
I trust most those who have themselves gone through, or are going through, their own dark parts and are able to speak about them openly. And when that is combined with attention to detail, Rachela and Tomek definitely have it.
They know how to design and guide an experience that is not only intense and deepening, but above all safe, full of warmth and care.
I trust their knowledge, wisdom, and understanding — and because of my own experiences, I have very sensitive “receptors” when it comes to whom I allow to come this close.
Breath can irreversibly change the way we experience life — sometimes in the very first session, sometimes after seven, and sometimes it needs more time. It all depends on your starting configuration.
One thing is certain: breath is the only function of our organism that can be both conscious and unconscious. And in that, in my opinion, lies a signpost worth following.
It has just been a year since my first workshop. I remember that a year ago, around this time, I was lying in my bed wondering what the hell had just happened to me. Was it real? Did I really see and hear all of that?
When I arrived, guided purely by curiosity, I had no idea what to expect. I had no expectations—I was simply open to a new experience. I didn’t consider myself unhappy or lost; my life felt good, and I just wanted to continue exploring my personal development.
What happened turned my life upside down. To understand it, you really have to experience it yourself 🙂
Today, exactly one year later, I removed from my life people who, in any way, were draining my mental energy and I feel happier and calmer.
I“rebelled” against those who claimed they knew better how I should live my life, and very soon I am leaving everything I know—my comfortable life, friends, acquaintances, work, the city—to move to a country I have never been to, among people I do not know.
A year ago, I would have thought someone was crazy if they had told me I would do this. Today, I am doing it. I trust myself.
There are days when I want to bury my head in the sand. I feel awful. And that’s okay. As the saying goes—it doesn’t matter whether you’re running, walking, or crawling; what matters is that
you’re moving forward 🙂
I am grateful and sending hugs to all of you, my holotropic family.
One breathing session gave me more than 20 years of ‘talk’ therapy.
