Breathing – the foundation of life of any living creature, until we breath, we live and only stops as well and all ….. It would seem such an obvious thing, but in addition, to maintain the spark of life, enriching the brain of oxygen, the breath may yet become the key to the entrance to the emergency state of consciousness and an important tool in self-knowledge. Since ancient times, the magical properties of respiration have been known various shamans, yogis and monks who used them to complete in their spiritual practices.

Indian yoga breathing techniques associated with known practice of pranayama and has more than one millennium. Orthodox Hesychasts combined reading of the Jesus Prayer with a certain rhythmic breathing, and the shaman during the ritual ceremony (entering into contact with the spirits), breathing heavily in order to enter into a trance.

The whole trick is that if we begin to breathe more rapidly than we breathe in everyday life, and at the same light of our attention for a certain time will focus on the breath (in the normal state of your breath, we do not notice it as it comes on the machine) and yet all this will take place under specific music if we fulfill all the conditions will see how the world will be the most amazing things.

In the 70s of last century, breathing techniques, which allow you to expand consciousness, have been re-opened the pioneer of Transpersonal Psychology, a famous psychologist and psychiatrist Stanislav Grof Czech origin. Before the S. Grof engaged active study of extended states of consciousness, using the hallucinogenic drug LSD. However, in the 70’s LSD came under the ban, and all research projects to study the effects of LSD on the mind had collapsed. To find an alternative to the so-called psychedelic LSD therapy, Grof began to use breathing techniques, which yielded an effect similar to the use of LSD.

It is the breath Grof called holotropic. Holo from Greek translates as “holistic” and Holotropic can be translated as “directed toward integrity.” Holotropic breathing has been used by many people interested in psychology as a fascinating journey depths of their subconscious, tools and self-introspection.

Holotropic Breathwork is practiced, usually in a group of people. Of course, everything must be completely sober, but it may not be good. One half of the people rests on the floor (or mat) and begins to breathe heavily a particular (predominantly shamanistic) music. Music has very important role, it enhances the effect of the breath and accelerates the entry into a trance. The second half of the people caring for the first half, the one that lies and breathes. People who breathe, called holonaft. Next to each holonaft sits a man who watches his breath and in general for them (and if possible try to adjust his breathing by holonaft’s breathing). This person is called sitter.

In this session (which on average can take anywhere from an hour to two hours) holonafts (and sitters, too) can experience the most unusual experiences and feelings. People can cry, can laugh at some of the new experience of their birth, and feel the tiny infant, newly born into the world. (According to S. Grof, the memory of our birth, which is on the scientific name of perinatal, lays a very deep mark on our psyche and is in the subconscious, during the same Holotropic breathing memories of our birth can leave the surface.). Some go even further and remember their past lives, it happens that people start talking in an incomprehensible language, for example, someone never knew the French language, and suddenly begins to recite verses in fluent French.

I myself have also twice been practicing Holotropic Breathwork sessions, and it was very interesting and even a little scary. Scary, when you start getting all sorts of strange things. Strange things began to happen to the body, arms and legs began to twist and move themselves, though they managed some invisible force, and not me. Then get used to it and continue to travel the depths of consciousness, which is really growing and offers you many interesting things that were invisible in the normal state. Sometimes people during these sessions, breathing can come true discoveries and Eureka (like Archimedes in the bathtub). Abouts the discovery, which came to me I will not tell, the only thing that it (opening) the result was a very strong laughter, which lasted around 20 minutes since. And at the end of the breathing session, I was all wet with sweat, as if there was a sauna in the Inflamed, although the room was warm, and the yard was generally quite cold. (Because it was the end of November). And after all, the Holotropic Breathwork can wake up a very strong appetite.

That’s so interesting is the practice of Holotropic Breathwork, the only thing I do not advise trying to do it by yourself, but only under the supervision of experienced professionals who have recently divorced a lot.

P. S. After Holotropic brathing, also very undesirable not to drive the car. Because altered state of consciousnesst can easily involve you in some kind of car accident. But unless you take care about good auto insurance rates, so insurance company will compensates all your damages.