Grof® Breathwork Residential Retreat, 5 Days / 4-Nights

Join us for a five-day, four-night immersive retreat exploring the transformative potential of Grof® Breathwork, the experiential practice developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof. 

Through a carefully supported combination of accelerated breathing, evocative music, focused bodywork when needed, creative expression, and integration practices, participants are invited into expanded states of awareness that can open pathways toward healing, insight, emotional release, and deeper connection with oneself and life. 

Held within the peaceful setting of Ojas Retreat Center in Murrieta, CA, this residential retreat offers a spacious and supportive environment for meaningful inner exploration. The workshop will be guided by senior Grof® Breathwork facilitators Marianne Murray, Ph.D. and Jay Dufrechou, Ph.D., alongside a dedicated support team of certified facilitators and apprentices.

Over the course of the retreat, participants will take part in four Grof® Breathwork sessions — two as a breather and two as a sitter — allowing for both direct personal experience and the practice of holding supportive space for another participant. The retreat will also include opening orientations, integration time following sessions, mandala drawing, group sharing opportunities, nourishing meals, and time to rest and connect with the natural surroundings. 

This workshop is open to both newcomers and experienced breathers. No prior experience is required. 

As with all deep experiential work, participants should be in sufficient physical and psychological health to engage safely in the process. Grof® Breathwork is not recommended for individuals who are pregnant or who have certain cardiovascular conditions, recent surgeries or fractures, severe hypertension, seizure disorders, or acute psychiatric conditions. A full list of contraindications and health screening information can be viewed here.

We are intentionally keeping this retreat intimate in size to support depth, safety, connection, and individualized attention throughout the weekend. 

All meals and accommodations are included in the retreat experience. Participants will be nourished throughout the weekend with fresh gourmet vegan meals prepared daily by a private chef, along with snacks available upon arrival Wednesday evening and dinner on the first night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, along with breakfast on Sunday morning prior to departure. 

Fresh coffee, tea, filtered water, and juices will be available throughout the retreat to support comfort, grounding, and restoration during the workshop process. 

In addition to the breathwork sessions themselves, participants will have access to the peaceful amenities and natural beauty of the retreat grounds, including fire pits, pool, hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, indoor and outdoor dining areas, patios and courtyards, and private hiking trails throughout the property. Ojas Retreat Center also provides organic bed linens, clean eco-friendly shower products, and filtered drinking water throughout the facility, helping create a simple and supportive environment for rest, reflection, and integration. 

Tentative Schedule

Wednesday, October 28 

Arrival & Check-In: Begins at 4:00 PM 

Opening Circle & Orientation: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Thursday, October 29 

7:30 AM – 9:00 PM 

Friday, October 30 

7:30 AM – 9:00 PM 

Saturday, October 31 

7:30 AM – 9:00 PM 

Sunday, November 1 

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Closing Circle & Departure 

An additional optional integration session will be offered via Zoom approximately one week after the retreat. 

Accommodation Options

Retreat amenities include: 

• Fresh gourmet vegan meals prepared daily by a private chef 

• Coffee, tea, fresh juices, and filtered water available throughout the retreat

• Snacks upon arrival Wednesday evening 

• Dinner Wednesday evening 

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 

• Breakfast Sunday morning prior to departure 

• Pool, hot tub, sauna, and cold plunge 

• Two outdoor fire pits 

• Indoor & outdoor dining areas 

• Patios, decks, and courtyard spaces for rest and integration 

• Private hiking trails on the property 

• Organic bed sheets and eco-friendly shower products 

• Clean filtered drinking water throughout the retreat center 

• The retreat will include a mix of shared and private accommodations designed to support both accessibility and participant comfort.

Current accommodations include: 

• Shared rooms with shared bathrooms 

• Limited private room upgrades 

• One private ensuite couple suite 

• Limited commuter/offsite participation options 

Total estimated participant capacity: approximately 14–16 participants. 

Private Accommodation Options 

We are offering a limited number of upgraded private accommodations for participants desiring additional privacy and personal space during the retreat. Please note that private accommodations availability may be finalized approximately 60 days prior to the retreat based on overall registration flow and may be reassigned to shared occupancy if needed to support overall retreat capacity. If you are interested in a private room upgrade, please note this during your registration.

Private Room Upgrade (shared hallway bathroom):

+$750 upgrade 

(Two rooms available) 

Private Ensuite Couple Suite: 

$4500 total for two participants 

(Private ensuite room with loft configuration) 

Cost Per Participant

We are committed to making this retreat as accessible and sustainable as possible through a tiered registration structure based on participants’ financial availability and community involvement. Cost ranges from $1,825 - $2,450. See price breakdown and options in the ticket section below.

We are committed to making this experience accessible while sustaining the integrity of our offering. To support this, we also have a limited number of partial scholarships available through an application process. If you feel called to this work but require financial assistance, please inquire directly with Gianna at gianna@grof-legacy-training-usa.com. Applications are due by August 15, 2026.

Facilitators

Jay Dufrechou

Jay Dufrechou, J.D., PhD is the Director of Grof Legacy Training USA, the United States branch of the international training organization founded in 2020 by Stanislav and Brigitte Grof. Along with Marianne Murray, Jay leads the teaching and facilitation team for Grof Breathwork training programs in the US.

In the mid-90s, while working as an attorney, experiences of “spiritual emergence” changed Jay’s understanding of the cosmos and led him to the doctoral program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (ITP), now Sofia University, to follow and integrate his experiences. Earning a Ph.D. in 2002 in Transpersonal Psychology, Jay has taught for various transpersonal-related schools and supervised dissertation research, often involving Stan Grof’s work.

Jay first experienced Stan Grof’s Breathwork in 1995, immediately realizing the power of the technique for personal growth and healing. He came back to breathwork in the mid-2000s and started the facilitator training path in 2009, receiving certification in 2015. He has worked as a holotropic breathwork and Grof Breathwork facilitator across the US, as well as in the UK, Europe, Canada, India and China.

When not traveling for work in Grof programs, Jay divides his time between Helena, Montana, and Panama City Beach, Florida, where he lives with his partner Rob Sharp. Jay is the proud father of three children and “papa” to three grandchildren.

Marianne Murray

Marianne is an eclectic and experiential practitioner in the field of learning. Her academic studies include master’s degrees in transpersonal psychology and mindfulness-based psychotherapy and a doctoral degree in transformative learning and change in human systems. Integral to her work has been her training with Stanislav Grof – she completed the Grof Transpersonal Training in 2001, is a certified GROF® Breathwork facilitator, and has facilitated holotropic breathwork in the US, UK and Europe, Kenya, and India. She is certified also as a facilitator of Bert Hellinger’s systemic constellation work and completed her training as a massage therapist, both of which inform her practice as a facilitator. Marianne had the good fortune to study with Stan during the mid-1990s, both in breathwork training and as a student at CIIS. Living into Stan’s insights on the nature of consciousness and his cartography of consciousness catalyzed not only deep personal healing, but also radically informed her work with group facilitation in the field of personal learning and change.

A faculty member at the Academy for the Love of Learning in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Marianne has been intimately involved with the development of their Leading by Being curriculum and helped to establish the Academy’s overall pedagogy. Topics that motivate her include: somatic awareness as an integral aspect of learning (and un-learning) as we explore unconscious, and semi-conscious, beliefs and biases. The role of facilitator presence in individual and group learning and healing. Now in her mid-70s she can’t help but ask, too, what is the conscious completion of a life’s journey?

Marianne is senior faculty/teacher for the GROF® Legacy Training USA, serves on the Board of Directors for GROF® Legacy Project, and is a Mind and Life Fellow.

Sepi Tabai (apprentice)

Sepi Tabai is a guide and facilitator whose work is rooted in presence, compassion, and a deep respect for each person’s inner healing intelligence. Drawing from training in GROF® Breathwork, Integrative Hypnosis, Identity Development (IoPT), meditation, and somatic practices, she supports individuals as they navigate the layers of their psyche, often touching the places that have been unseen, unspoken, or waiting for attention.

Her approach is gentle yet profoundly attuned, creating a space where clients can access their own wisdom, integrate shadow material, and reconnect with the parts of themselves that long for wholeness. In her one-on-one work, Sepi blends trauma-informed methods with intuitive guidance, helping clients explore limiting patterns, emotional imprints, and the deeper questions that shape their lives.

Sepi is currently an apprentice with Grof Legacy Training USA, continuing her multi-year study in non-ordinary states of consciousness and expanded awareness. She brings years of experience as a meditation guide, Integrative Hypnosis practitioner, and Identity Development facilitator, along with a background as an End-of-Life Doula, work that has taught her to meet every human experience with tenderness and dignity.

Whether in group settings or private sessions, Sepi holds a steady, compassionate field that invites people to soften, turn inward, and discover what is longing to emerge. Her work is guided by humility, curiosity, and a deep trust in the human capacity for transformation.

Pablo Nardi (apprentice)

Pablo offers a grounded and compassionate space for inner exploration, healing, and self-discovery through expanded states of consciousness. Rooted in years of Tibetan Buddhist practice, he has facilitated meditation circles that emphasize presence, insight, and embodied awareness as pathways to understanding oneself and finding meaning within the complexity of human existence.

As a Reiki Master and GROF® Holotropic Breathwork apprentice facilitator, his work integrates breath, mindfulness, and subtle energy awareness to support emotional release, inner clarity, and reconnection with one’s innate wisdom. His approach honors the intelligence of the psyche and the healing that becomes possible when individuals are met with steadiness, respect, and non-judgment.

A devoted swimmer, Pablo draws inspiration from the rhythm of breath in water. The kinetic movement of swimming allows him to connect with himself and with life, breath guiding the body, water holding and enveloping him in the very element that sustains existence. This relationship with water subtly informs the way he supports others: with fluidity, depth, and an attunement to the natural intelligence of the body and the breath.

With a calm and attentive presence, Pablo supports participants in navigating their inner landscapes with curiosity and trust, allowing meaningful insights to emerge organically. His work is shaped by a sincere commitment to personal practice, ongoing training, and a deep respect for the transformative potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness.