Online / The Inner Healer, Surrender & the Yoga of the *Cross

The Inner Healer, Surrender & Yoga of the Cross*
(*the geometric cross)

“Geoff is not only a gifted facilitator, but the content was amazing and he brought it all to life with his extraordinary slides and videos, music, and breath. In addition, I rarely experience someone who can hold space and create a safe container in the way he does – especially on zoom, and he did this in spades! He also radiated such joy in being with us and in teaching what he is so passionate about. It was truly a beautiful experience.” – virtual module participant

In this module we will explore a triad of core holotropic principles:

  • The Inner Healer
  • Surrender
  • The Yoga of the Cross – also called the Awareness Positioning System, or APS

Tav Sparks championed the primacy of the Inner Healing Principle for healing, spiritual growth and transformation. He wrote, “The most essential foundation of any authentic psycho spiritual practice is the experience that all true power of transformation COMES FROM WITHIN”.

Everything we need to heal is within us. However sometimes our ability to access our inner healer is obscured by clouds.  Surrender and Letting Go can support us to cleanse the lens of our perception and help us get direct access to this natural resource.’

Drawing from the example of traditional mandala creation and dissolution we will explore how to let go and surrender to the deepest, truest part of ourselves. Guided visualizations, mandala work and journaling will be harnessed for facilitating access to your inner healer.

A welcome nuance of virtual modules is the fact that as we illuminate our inner healers ‘remotely’ we are already in our everyday lives. Even though Holotropic states can be ‘top of the mountain / peak experiences’ where we can be gifted glimpses beyond the veil into the true nature of reality. The time inevitably comes when we return from the top of the mountain to our everyday worlds.

True transformation includes being and becoming. In addition to the mountaintop peak experiences, Holotropic work blossoms beautifully when we engage with it as a moment-to-moment yoga.

‘The Yoga of the Cross’ is a bridge from the top of the mountain into our everyday lives. Starting with a simple diagram, this practice is an invaluable resource we can use to bring the brightness of our true selves into meeting the world just as it is. Now!

Learn about:

  • The Inner Healer – The Pearl Beyond Price
  • Surrender and Letting Go
  • Cleansing the lens of perception
  • “Be Here Now”

Experience:

  • Guided Visualizations
  • Journaling
  • Inner Healer Meditation
  • Mandalanature process

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.

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.

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.

REGISTRATION
COST: $398 until January 8; $428 after
Discount for certified HB practitioners

Below shows U.S. Pacific and Dublin times, so please adjust for your time zone:

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

Online / Deepening into Samhain

The season of Samhain, and the festival which marks the beginning of the Celtic New Year, is one of four important festivals in Irish tradition: Imbolc (Spring); Bealtaine (Summer); Lughnasadh (Autumn) and Samhain (Winter).
The word Samhain means ‘Summer’s end’ and is seen as important in all Celtic calendars. Samhain is the beginning of the dark season and is greatly associated with the dead (ancestors) and the Otherworld. The Irish, in common with many indigenous cultures, placed great importance on their dead ancestors and this was reflected in their customs and beliefs.
At Samhain, focus was placed on the telling of our ancient myths and legends; storytelling and the telling of anecdotes; fireside craft; study and learning. Samhain Eve was a time of setting out on voyages to the Otherworld and the blurring of customs through mask-wearing and cross-dressing. In ancient times, the fires were put out in the home and relit from the sacred fire on the Hill of Tlachtga.
In this workshop, we will prepare for the coming of Winter, exploring our ancestral stories and the evolution of familial and cultural traditions. Through shamanic journeys, creativity, sound and movement, we will explore the fears we carry societally and individually, represented by the masks we wear at Halloween.
* * *

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.

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.

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.

REGISTRATION
COST: $398 until September 30; $428 after
Discount for certified HB practitioners

Below shows U.S. Pacific and Dublin times, so please adjust for your time zone:

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

Online / The Holotropic Paradigm: The Psyche, The Inner Healer and Moving Toward Wholeness

This Virtual Module is an exciting exploration of the philosophy, principles, and strategies underlying the experience and practice of Holotropic Breathwork®.

Topics covered include:

  1. the power of the Inner Healer and moving towards wholeness;
  2. presence: the disciplines required to become an effective Holotropic Breathwork® practitioner;
  3. COEX’s: how the Inner Healer orchestrates transformation through our experiences of the psyche;
  4. exploration of the frontiers of the psyche through Movie Yoga;
  5. session stories: valuable teachings from practitioners through their work with breathers;
  6. open forums focusing on every facet of the Holotropic experience;
  7. experiential personal work facilitated by Vicky Nicholson (not HB)

No previous experience with Holotropic Breathwork® is necessary.  Space in this event is limited to approximately 40.

REGISTRATION AND COST

Open to anyone interested.  This topic is also one of the four Required Modules for anyone wishing to become a certified Holotropic Breathwork® Facilitator, see below about attending a future in-person double-HB workshop to complete the requirement.

Module schedule (all times Eastern Australia)

Thursday evening – opening, 6-9 pm
Friday morning – 9 am-noon
Friday afternoon – 1:30-4:30 pm
Friday evening – there will be an related activity to do on your own
Saturday morning – 9 am-noon
Saturday afternoon – 1:30-4:30 pm
Saturday evening – there will be an related activity to do on your own
Sunday morning – 9 am-noon
Sunday – afternoon – 1:30-4:30 pm, closing

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.

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.

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.

Holotropic Breathwork® Double-Breathwork Weekend Workshop

Meets the requirements to complete one GTT Virtual Module.

This double Holotropic Breathwork® workshop allows for self-healing and self-exploration as well as accessing the roots of emotional and psychosomatic challenges one might face. This workshop will allow you a very safe setting to access expanded states of consciousness, in which your own wisdom connects with your inner healing and inner transforming power. This healing wisdom guides the experiences towards those aspects which carry a charge, and are ready to be processed or integrated. Holotropic Breathwork® might be of interest if

  • You are seeking a more experiential approach to healing, one that goes beyond talk therapy.
  • You are experiencing a major life crisis and seeking deep wisdom and insights.
  • You want to release unresolved issues from the past.
  • You want to understand the emotional roots of a persistent physical / psychosomatic condition.
  • You want to expand your consciousness and further explore your spiritual path.

Schedule

We start on THURSDAY, with registration from 16:30 pm to 18:00 (with introduction for the first time breathers) and close on SUNDAY around 1 pm.

Thursday evening: Opening Circle, getting to know each other, collage making and introduction to Holotropic Breathwork®.

Friday and Saturday: four breathwork sessions:  two times “breathing” and two times: “sitting”. Integration will happen through artwork, sharing (as much or as little as you like) and body movement. Information on integration and self-care will be given.

Sunday: sharing and closing circle and practical information on integration.

The workshop will be held in English with translation to German if needed.

To register please fill in the registration and medical form. If you have any severe physical or mental conditions please contact Thomas Liska (+43 699 17187915) in advance to exclude any possible contraindications.

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