GTT (U.S.) Holotropic Breathwork® Double-Breathwork Retreat

This event is open to all.  You do not need prior experience with Holotropic Breathwork® and there are no pre-requisites to attend.

NOTE: For those who have completed a GTT Virtual Module, this double-breathwork will fulfill the requirement toward certification.

With Holotropic Breathwork® each participant gains direct access to his, her or their own inner healing wisdom. In your HB session, this wisdom brings you a unique and ideal combination of experiences that can include aspects of your personal history and birth, as well as psychological death/rebirth, and an infinite array of transpersonal experiences.

Through deep, effective breathing; a specially designed musical journey; and a safe and supportive setting with a trained staff of facilitators, you experience a true expanded state of awareness, allowing deep self-exploration and personal transformation. Mandala drawing and group processing of the experiences are important integrative elements of the Holotropic process.

Approximate daily schedule:

Thursday, September 29, evening: Registration, followed by introduction to, and preparation for, Holotropic Breathwork®
Friday, September 30, morning: Holotropic Breathwork® session 1; afternoon Holotropic Breathwork® session 2; evening sharing group
Saturday, October 1, morning: Holotropic Breathwork® session 3; afternoon Holotropic Breathwork® session 4; evening sharing group
Sunday, October 2, morning: integration and closing; approximately 3 pm closing

Registration

Note: Space is limited to 30 participants
Early registration is $775 before September 1; $995 after September 1
Discount of $100 for certified HB facilitators

Online / A Holotropic Approach to Psychedelics: Past, Current and Future

In recent years, we have witnessed a renewed interest in psychedelic therapy and research being called “the psychedelic renaissance.” Many people are discovering the potential benefits of psychedelic substances and master plants, and shamanism has become an increasingly sought method for healing. Dozens of clinical trials study the efficacy of psychedelic medicines such as MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine to treat serious conditions like PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. At the same time, the importance of Stanislav Grof’s Holotropic Paradigm and of Holotropic Breathwork® in the development of the psychedelic field still remains unknown to many.
With respect to this new era of psychedelics, those of us involved with the Holotropic paradigm have much to contribute and consider. How do psychedelics compare with or compliment Holotropic Breathwork® as tools for personal development? What is the role of Holotropic Breathwork® now that psychedelics are becoming an accessible therapeutic method? How is the future of Holotropic Breathwork® affected, now that more people can access deep experiences through psychedelics and master plants?
In this virtual module we will explore in depth:
  • The different paradigms in which psychedelics have been used, and are currently used.
  • General characteristics of the main psychedelic medicines and the process they induce.
  • The use of psychedelics from the Holotropic Paradigm developed by Grof, Sparks, and others.
  • How do psychedelics compare to Holotropic Breathwork®?
  • The principles of supporting processes from the Holotropic perspective.
  • Dealing with challenging situations.
  • The importance of integration of psychedelic experiences.

Registration
Cost: $398 until May 20; $498 after May 20
See times below

Marc B. Aixalà (see full bio here) Is a GTT module leader trained in the therapeutic use of Non Ordinary States of Consciousness; in MDMA assisted-psychotherapy for PTSD by MAPS;  and in the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Marc works as a therapist and mentor in a clinical trial with psilocybin in Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona. He has experience as a Team Leader and Trainer helping people through difficult psychedelic experiences at Boom Festival (Kosmicare 2010-2016).

Marc collaborates with ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education Research and Service) by offering integration psychotherapy for people in challenging situations after psychedelic experiences, developing theoretical models of intervention and training and supervising therapists. He is the author of “Psychedelic Integration: non-ordinary logics and the challenges of psychotherapy in expanded states of awareness”.
Meeting times

If you are not located in any of the time zones listed below, please remember to calculate the time for your zone.  We will begin letting participants into the meeting room about five minutes prior to the start of the module.

Opening Circle: Thursday, June 10th

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time / 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Spain (Central Europe Time)

Days 2-4: Friday-Sunday, June 11th-13th

Session One:  6:30 – 9:30 a.m. US Pacific Daylight Time / 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. Spain (Central Europe Time)

Days 2-4:  Friday-Sunday, June 11th-13th

Session Two:  11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. US Pacific Daylight Time / 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Spain (Central Europe Time)

Double-breathwork session to complete Virtual Modules (Australia)

Led by Vicky Nicholson.

For those who have participated in a GTT Virtual Module in 2020 or 2021 and need to add the in-person Holotropic Breathwork® element to get module credit toward requirements for certification.

This two-day HB workshop in Tasmania can be used to complete the requirement.  While it will be attended by other participants, those who are using it to complete a GTT Virtual Module will also have a 2-hour post-workshop meeting to be announced.

Online / Movie Yoga® Salon #5

Movie Yoga® is a way to use movies for personal transformation, as described in the book by Tav Sparks, Movie Yoga: How Every Film Can Change Your Life.  Movie Yoga is about taking our reactions to any movie, no matter how we feel about it – even (maybe especially) a movie or genre we don’t like or feel resistance to – and applying a Holotropic perspective to discover something about ourselves, not only for insight but hopefully for transformation.

This will be the fifth Movie Yoga Salon and it’s been so much fun to gather with the extended Holotropic Breathwork® community in this way.

We will be watching the film:

STRANGER THAN FICTION

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAY 7 (MAY 8 IN AUSTRALIA) MOVIE YOGA SALON #5

1) There is no charge, but you do need to register.  When your registration is sent, you will get basic a chart showing the APS – Awareness Positioning System as explained by Diana in this short video, and by Vicky in this longer video.  And here is a written summary as well.

2) Watch the video, in which Diana Medina tells us how to practice Movie Yoga®. For those who wish to go in-depth on the practice with lots of detail, stories, insight into many films, and overall movie fandom from Tav, the book Movie Yoga is available from Holotropic.com, from publishers Hanford Mead, or on Amazon.

3) Before the appointed date and time, we all watch the same movie, whenever we want to in our own homes.  Going to repeat that – watch the movie ahead of time! The movie selected for the Movie Yoga Salon #5 is STRANGER THAN FICTION, a 2006 fantasy comedy-drama directed by Marc Forster. This film is available through Amazon Prime and Netflix for a small rental fee. We have been told it is available in multiple countries, although the links may be different.

4) As you are watching the movie, follow the guidelines Diana has outlined for practicing Movie Yoga®.  Try to have a pen and paper nearby to take notes, for yourself but also in case you wish to share during the get-together.  Remember, this is not primarily about enjoying the movie, although that would be great too. Negative reactions of any sort are great for doing Movie Yoga®!

4) On Friday, MAY 7 at 2 pm Pacific Time (or, if you are in Australia, Saturday, MAY 8, at 7 am Eastern Australia time), join the Zoom meeting via the link sent in your confirmation email.  We’ll take it from there.  Depending on how many people participate, we will talk a little bit about the practice of Movie Yoga®, and then all can share with each other in small groups and as a larger one, about the experience and our reactions.

5) That’s it!  If you can’t make this one, watch for the next announcement. We hope to continue having Movie Yoga® gatherings together for awhile.

REGISTRATION

Online / Advanced Music Practicum

GTT is excited to present this new opportunity for certified practitioners and training participants to enhance their skills at creating music sets for Holotropic Breathwork® sessions.

After leading the Music & Transcendence module online in 2020, Stacia Butterfield continued to work with those who wished to deepen their knowledge and expand their experience creating music sets. Since many people have asked us for just this sort of opportunity to work with the music, we decided to offer a similar program to anyone in the Holotropic community who has had the Music module, whether pre- or post-certification.

Meeting twice a week over a three week period, participants will work together developing new sets while supported, tutored and mentored by Stacia.  You will gain experience putting together HB music, increase your understanding of the process, and come away with one or more sets to use in your Holotropic Breathwork® practice.

Space is limited. Open to any certified person and to training participants who have previously attended the Music & Transcendence module (either in-person or online).

Dates and Times (US and Europe-friendly times)

Sessions will be held over three weeks, meeting twice weekly as follows (note that Saturdays start one hour earlier than Fridays):

Friday, April 23, 10:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/1:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/7:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time
Saturday, April 24, 9:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/12:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/6:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time
Friday, April 30, 10:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/1:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/7:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time
Saturday, May 1, 9:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/12:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/6:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time
Friday, May 7, 10:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/1:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/7:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time
Saturday, May 8, 9:00 am-1:00 pm US Pacific Time/12:00-4:00 pm US Eastern Time/6:00-10:00 pm Central Europe Time

Registration
COST: $398 until April 7; $428 after that date

Online / Addiction, Attachment and the Spiritual Quest

In 2020 GTT began offering real-time virtual events that are as close to a GTT module experience as we can make them in an online format.

This “Virtual Module” is open to anyone interested. There will be group interaction, teaching, and experiential sessions.  Everything except actual Holotropic Breathwork® sessions, since HB cannot be done virtually.

To enhance the group experience for everyone, please note that you will be expected to attend all sessions of the module just as you would if it were being held live at a retreat center.

Although you may attend this Virtual Module as a stand-alone event, there is also an option for those who wish to get full module credit. In that case, you will be able to make up the Holotropic Breathwork® component in HB-only workshops that we will offer as soon as it is safe to do so. Up to two of these combined Virtual Modules + HB component can be counted toward the seven modules required for certification.

Addiction, Attachment, and The Spiritual Quest
with Christine Calvert

The Holotropic paradigm and Holotropic perspective offer exciting possibilities in the recovery movement, both for individual seekers and for those who work in the treatment field. This Virtual Module explores a whole continuum, from the idea of addiction as an extreme form of attachment – which affects everyone, and which is crucial to spiritual seekers of all practices – to the more articulate forms of addiction: substance, process, relationship, and more. Through theory, discussion and experiential exercises, we’ll look at:

  • The disease paradigm of recovery;
  • The wellness paradigm and the transpersonal recovery center;
  • Implications of perinatal and transpersonal dimensions for recovery;
  • The 12 steps as a world yoga;
  • Addiction as spiritual emergency;
  • Addiction as shamanic crisis;
  • Recovery as a mystery school;
  • Psychedelics and recovery;
  • Recovery and the feminine;
  • Addiction from the homeopathic perspective;
  • Recovery as death/rebirth;
  • Addiction and the global crisis, and more.

This event will be useful to both laypersons and professionals seeking a broader perspective on recovery.

Registration
COST: $398 until June 17; $428 after.
Discount for certified HB practitioners.

Meeting times below are in the US Pacific Time Zone as well as the Western European Time Zone:

Thursday opening circle: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe

Friday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Friday – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. US Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Saturday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Saturday – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. US Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Sunday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Sunday closing circle – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. US Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe

GTT Poland Module: The Power Within: The Practice of Holotropic Breathwork®

Additional information and registration link

In this module, Holotropic theory comes alive. It’s where we experience the essence of the practice first-hand. We will discuss the principles that support and inform the practice of Holotropic Breathwork®. Sitara will explain the fundamentals of HB and why it is such a special method for personal exploration and self-healing. We will also practice the technique of focused energy release.

Topics include:

1. The power of the inner healer
2. Facilitator presence and skills
3. Focused energy release work – principles and ethics
4. Focused energy release work demonstration and practice
5. Moving toward closure and integration
6. Special challenging situations when facilitating

In this module, participants have the opportunity to learn the practice of Holotropic Breathwork®. During the six days of the module, each participant will have of four sessions of Holotropic Breathwork®, two as “breather” and two as “sitter.”

In addition to theoretical presentations and breathwork sessions, there will be art, music, movies, and integration.

Participants do not need to have previous experience with Holotropic Breathwork®.  For those working toward Holotropic Breathwork® certification with Grof Transpersonal Training, this module is one of the four required topics.

Online / The Power of Trust and Connection: The Neurobiological Effects of Trauma and the Healing Potential of Self-Compassion

In 2020 GTT began offering real-time virtual events that are as close to a GTT module experience as we can make them in an online format.

This “Virtual Module” is open to anyone interested. There will be group interaction, teaching, and experiential sessions.  Everything except actual Holotropic Breathwork® sessions, since HB cannot be done virtually.

To enhance the group experience for everyone, please note that you will be expected to attend all sessions of the module just as you would if it were being held live at a retreat center.

Although you may attend this Virtual Module as a stand-alone event, there is also an option for those who wish to get full module credit. In that case, you will be able to make up the Holotropic Breathwork® component in HB-only workshops that we will offer as soon as it is safe to do so. Up to two of these combined Virtual Modules + HB component can be counted toward the seven modules required for certification.

The Power of Trust and Connection: The Neurobiological Effects of Trauma and the Healing Potential of Self-Compassion

with Diana Medina

If one has compassion for self, the natural consequence is to have compassion for others. Many of us have a core imprint that “I am not safe, and I can’t trust”. The challenge for us to trust and connect with our deepest selves greatly impacts on our ability to trust and connect with others. This makes it difficult for us to risk reaching out when we need support. A daily practice of mindfulness and compassion for self and others is a crucial step towards healing traumas that make it so hard for us to trust and feel safe. In this module we will explore: a variety of simple daily practices, which can transform our relationship to ourselves; the exciting scientific research of Kristin Neff and Paul Gilbert, which connects neurobiology with our ability to be nurtured; practices of self-compassion that help to shift our neurobiological pathways and heal our instinctual response, changing it from “I don’t trust” to “I can trust and feel safe”; how self- compassion can deepen our ability to support others.

REGISTRATION
COST: $398 until February 25; $428 after.
Discount for certified HB practitioners.

Meeting times below are in the US Pacific Time Zone as well as the Western European Time Zone:

Thursday opening circle: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe

Friday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Friday – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Saturday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Saturday – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Sunday – 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. US Pacific / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Western Europe
Sunday closing circle – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Pacific / 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Western Europe

Online / Celebrating Wild Potency – Bealtaine and the Sacred Marriage

Celebrating Wild Potency – Bealtaine and the Sacred Marriage
with Cáit Branigan

The Festival of Bealtaine is one of the most important celebrations of the Year. A fire festival (Bel – a God of the Sun + tinne – fire), we celebrate the union of the Sun and the Earth, the cleansing and fertility of the land and all of her creatures. We embrace and dance with the wild potency of life.
At a time in the world where societal and sexual relationships are fractured or strained due to gender inequality and the dominance of patriarchal institutions, exploration and healing of our intimate and community relationships is deeply important.
During this workshop, we will take time to explore our creative potency and the balance of our sexual energies. Through meditation, journey, chant and sharing, we will tend to the core of our life, our inner creative spark to help us empower our lives and deepen our relationship with Life.

 

REGISTRATION
COST: $398 until April 22; $428 after
Discount for certified HB practitioners

Meeting times below are in the Pacific Time Zone as well as Dublin time:

Thursday opening circle:   10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time / 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Dublin

Friday – 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Dublin
Friday – 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time / 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Dublin
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Saturday – 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Dublin
Saturday – 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time / 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Dublin
There will be an related activity to do on your own

Sunday – 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Dublin
Sunday closing circle – 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time / 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Dublin

* * *

In 2020 GTT began offering real-time virtual events that are as close to a GTT module experience as we can make them in an online format.

This “Virtual Module” is open to anyone interested. There will be group interaction, teaching, and experiential sessions.  Everything except actual Holotropic Breathwork® sessions, since HB cannot be done virtually.

To enhance the group experience for everyone, please note that you will be expected to attend all sessions of the module just as you would if it were being held live at a retreat center.

Although you may attend this Virtual Module as a stand-alone event, there is also an option for those who wish to get full module credit. In that case, you will be able to make up the Holotropic Breathwork® component in HB-only workshops that we will offer as soon as it is safe to do so. Up to two of these combined Virtual Modules + HB component can be counted toward the seven modules required for certification.