A Holotropic Breathwork Experience

[PsiNomad]

Any experience with Holotropic Breathing? There is going to be a new workshop in January. See here

 

PsiNomad

[paulno]

Wanted to up this thread instead of starting my own. Wondering if anyone has any background in Holotropic/Shamanic Breathwork? Find it pretty interesting.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

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I believe I do similar exercises.

 

Be warned, effects can be sudden and extreme.

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[paulno]

I tried some on my own (probably shouldn't have), almost instantly I felt a state of euphoria over me.

[soaring crane]

Could you give the basic gist of the methods please? Thanks :-)

[Spotless]

It is a particularly intense "mechanical" practice that I very much enjoyed.

 

I first experienced it by treating myself to several private sessions at the end of a 23 day fast.

I was in an excellent space and had no expectation and very little idea of what I would be doing - other than intense breath work which I was comfortable with particularly in what was my state at the time.

 

During my first session by the end my hands were contorted into an odd twisted shape and my mouth and cheeks needed to be slowly worked open again - totally unexpected!

 

I did three private sessions and decided to take a 6 week class.

We paired up in class and each week one person did the breathing and the other facilitated - ( helped the breather stay awake and breathing) very little else was done except that after the breathing session we all talked about what had happened.

 

During one of my sessions I went into a clear and vivid scene from an Indian life - three of us were riding our paints in the sage brush - I was completely there!

 

During another session I suddenly had to go into an old inverted yoga pose I had not done in years and did not know I could do anymore. It is the one where you are fully arched with your belly pointing to the sky, hands backward. I found myself breathing through my chakras and they were all opened up very large with a surging flow of energy - they were opened up way beyond their ordinary settings - it was a very powerful experience of power -,I was surprisingly grounded - the Qi force was a moderated explosive flood but unlike any other Kundalini experience I have had.

 

On another note: during the class almost all the female breathers were crying - many were great weeping sobs.

I do not recall a single male having this reaction.

 

During the after talks the female comments circled around release. The male comments around past lives, chakras, dream states and metaphysical mystical experiences.

 

I came away seeing this was a very powerful mechanical tool for women to release a ton of pain pictures in a very short time.

It recommend it highly to all healthy individuals.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Spotless

[marcus2013]

Yes it is a very good and powerful technique. I've tried a slight variation many times and it has given me a few things :

 

1.- Much improved general circulation of blood and oxygenation on the following days.

2.- Increased awareness and much less brain fog.

3.- Clear insights that your ego won't let you see, or subconscious patterns. This is the big point. But please don't expect magical results... I've given up on that. Development/problem solving/health is like peeling layers of an onion. That breathwork will surely help but won't be aanything definitive.

 

Also, let me say, that in my experience there are many factors involving the results of the work. First, of course, yourself. But also the facilitators, the group with whom you breathe, the intention of the group, the place, etc...

 

The only drawback I can see is that you might need some knowledge or help to integrate the experience. But it is not common since with this kind of breathwork you can stop your "trip" whenever you want, so you won't go that far that your psique can't handle it. Not like LSD or things like that.