Transpersonal

The Holotropic Wave

Advanced

Deeper, faster breathing to shift into expanded awareness

20 min
Begin

Advanced practice for experienced practitioners. Go slowly, stay aware of your body, and leave time to ground afterward.

contained expanded

Source current

Breathing more fully and slightly faster over an extended period can open expanded, non-ordinary states of awareness. Developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, Holotropic Breathwork is used therapeutically for emotional release and self-exploration. The practice moves through buildup, peak, and integration. Allow time to rest fully after.

The science behind it
Connected, circular breathing increases CO2 fluctuation and can shift subjective state toward openness or emotional release. Holotropic and rebirthing lineages frame this as access to non-ordinary consciousness.

Biologically, sustained connected breath is arousing; integration afterward matters. These practices are not gentle down-regulation tools.
Sources and references
  • Website

    Holotropic Breathwork

    Grof Transpersonal Training

    History, safety, and facilitator-led context.

  • Book

    The Holotropic Mind

    Stanislav Grof

    Transpersonal framework for breath and psyche.

  • Article

    Hyperventilation and altered states

    Frontiers in Psychology

    Research on breath and subjective experience.

Breathing rhythm

Gathering
4 min
Inhale
4s
Hold
0s
Exhale
4s
Pause
0s

Connected mouth breath. Easy and continuous.

Rising
6 min
Inhale
2s
Hold
0s
Exhale
2s
Pause
0s

Quicken slightly. Let the body respond freely.

Peak
5 min
Inhale
2s
Hold
0s
Exhale
2s
Pause
0s

Stay with the wave. Sound and movement are natural.

Landing
5 min
Inhale
6s
Hold
0s
Exhale
10s
Pause
0s

Slow gradually. Return to the body and the room.

Connected breath that gradually quickens, then releases into stillness.

How to practice

  1. Lie down with a blanket nearby for afterward.
  2. Breathe connected through the mouth: inhale into exhale without pause.
  3. Let the pace rise naturally over the middle phases.
  4. If fear arises, slow the breath and open your eyes.
  5. At the peak, let the body express what it needs.
  6. Land slowly. Stay still for at least five minutes.
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