DIALOGUE

Hi all,

I wanted to share some info on an event that is very near and dear to my heart. I have had a huge interest in Holotropic Breathwork, a powerful modality created by Stan Grof MD, PhD, one of the pioneers in the Transpersonal Psychology movement (learn more about him at www.stanislavgrof.com) since I first experienced the modality as a remarkably life-changing event in 2006. Stan's life work has surrounded his deep interest in non-ordinary states and the healing and insight that can be accessed therein. Transpersonal psych is founded on the work of CG Jung (among others), and Stan himself has a long background in the study of many spiritual traditions of various cultures. 

Holotropic Breathwork itself combines accelerated breathing with evocative music and close one-on-one supervision in order to access insight and healing in non-ordinary states of consciousness. For more information about Holotropic Breathwork,read some FAQs here: http://www.grof-holotropic-breathwork.net/page/hb-faqs or watch the short video with Stan Grof listed later in this text.

I have some exciting news I wanted to pass along to you all. I have been on the board for AHBI (The Association of Holotropic Breathwork) for several years and wanted to share with you a groundbreaking collaborative project going on between Stan and Christina Grof, AHBI (The Association of Holotropic Breathwork), GTT (Grof Transpersonal Training), and Wisdom University. 

June 11, 2011 is designated to be the first ever Global Holotropic Breathwork Day where hundreds or even thousands of people will breathe on the same day across the globe. Imagine the implications for both global and personal healing!

This Global Breathwork Day will take place as the focal point of a 6-week teleseminar series starting May 24 in which Stan and Christina will speak each week with designated guests (including Archetypal Astrologer Rick Tarnas and Buddhist Jack Kornfield among others) on special topics related to Holotropic Breathwork, current culture, and Transpersonal Psychology.

Certified Breathwork Facilitators the world over will be hosting events on June 11 so that individuals and groups can locate and participate in Holotropic Breathwork events all on the same day. Much in the spirit of other collective events involving other modalities like meditation or prayer, it is the deep hope that creating this kind of powerful "field" by having so many people focused on a transformative practice like Holotropic Breathwork at the same time can have an amplified impact on healing for both individuals and the world at large. 

Check out this other 8.5 minute video from creator Stan Grof outlining the event and talking about the origins of and his take on Holotropic Breathwork: http://www.grof-holotropic-breathwork.net/video/stangrof-on-global-holotropic?xg_source=activity.

For a growing list of Holotropic Breathwork events taking place around the world on June 11--and to find one near you, visit http://www.grof-holotropic-breathwork.net/page/global-breathwork-day-2011 (Each event is priced and sold separately by individual certified practitioners in each area).

To register for the teleseminar series only (cost $179 for all 6 weeks) , visit http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1337885.

Holotropic Breathwork truly changed my life and I hope you will follow up on any inclination you feel to learn more about Stan Grof and his remarkable work.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to share my own experiences on whatever level you have interest.

See the following for a breakdown & details of each weekly teleseminar for the 6-week series:

WEEK 1 - May 24, Toward a Psychology of the Future:
Lessons from Consciousness Research
This first session will discuss the far-reaching implications of modern consciousness research for psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy. It will include the vastly expanded cartography of the psyche and new insights into the architecture of emotional disorders, therapeutic mechanisms, and strategies for self-exploration.

WEEK 2 - May 31, Cosmos, Psyche and Society:
Archetypal Forces in Personal and Collective Life
This session will focus on the remarkable potential of the combination of responsible work with non-ordinary states of consciousness, archetypal psychology, and astrology for understanding the human psyche in health and disease. We will also explore the striking correlations between historical events and planetary transits.

WEEK 3 - June 7, The Power of Breath and Insight:
Moving Toward Wholeness:
This session will detail the pioneering work of Stan and Christina in developing Holotropic Breathwork, a powerful approach to self-exploration and healing that integrates insights from modern consciousness research, anthropology, various depth psychologies, transpersonal psychology, Eastern spiritual practices, and mystical traditions of the world. This method combines accelerated breathing, evocative music, focused bodywork, and artistic expression.

Saturday June 11, 2011
Holotropic Breathwork™ is a powerful approach to self-exploration and healing. The process itself uses very simple means: it combines accelerated breathing with evocative music in a special set and setting. With the eyes closed and lying on a mat, each person uses his or her own breath and the music in the room to enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness. This state activates the natural inner healing process of the individual's psyche, evoking a particular set of internal experiences.

On June 11th, Holotropic practitioners from around the world will be hosting Breathwork events. This is the first global Breathwork event, and we are excited to see what will emerge from the process. AHBI has set up a special community site to provide a space where we can connect and share our stories and the mandala drawings created following the breathing sessions. This collective reflection of our experiences will help us to see the impact this event has had on us as individuals as well as on the whole.

Some events may begin Friday evening (June 10th) and end mid-day Sunday (June 12th). A link to a full event directory with practitioners, locations, time and cost will be sent to all TeleSeries participants. The cost for attending a live Breathwork event is separate from the TeleSeries registration fee and will vary depending on the scope of the event. Our intention is to make the combined offerings as affordable as possible while still maintaining a high level of quality in this work.The average cost for Breathwork events can range from $145 to $250 based on what is included and when you register.

WEEK 4 - June 14, Bringing it Home:
Integrating the Breathwork Experiences into Ordinary Life
During this session, participants will share their experiences of the Global Breathwork Day. We will discuss the conditions and strategies for the optimal integration of the sessions. On the basis of more than 30 retreats combining Holotropic Breathwork with Vipassana Buddhist meditation, we will explore the power of breath and insight for the spiritual journey.

WEEK 5 - June 21, Spiritual Emergency:
Breakdown or Breakthrough?
This session will describe and explain one of the most important insights from the work Stan and Christina have done over the years -- the realization that many spontaneous episodes of non-ordinary states of consciousness, currently seen as manifestations of mental illness, can be better understood as crises of spiritual opening (“spiritual emergencies”) that properly understood and supported can be transformative, healing, and even evolutionary.

WEEK 6 - June 28, Celebrating Transpersonal Psychology:
A Gathering of Elders
On this final call we want to honor many of the pioneers and elders of transpersonal psychology and the new paradigm in science. They will share their perspectives concerning one of the most significant explorations of the human spirit in our day, which may prove to be fundamental in shaping the human future.