The History of Grof® Breathwork
Grof® Breathwork is a powerful method of self-exploration and healing emerging from decades of research and insight into human consciousness. Originally developed in 1974 by Stanislav Grof and his late wife Christina at the Esalen Institute, this practice draws on the transformative potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness. From its beginnings as an experimental approach to therapy, Grof® Breathwork has become a cornerstone of transpersonal psychology and an enduring tool for personal growth, spiritual insight, and emotional release. Explore the journey that shaped Grof® Breathwork into what it is today.
Origins at Esalen
One of the primary original researchers into the therapeutic potential of LSD and other psychedelics, first in Prague and then at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in the United States, Stan Grof pioneered a range of studies into topics once again investigated in the psychedelic renaissance of the last few decades. In the mid-1970s, Stan decided to take a sabbatical to begin writing what became one of his most important works, LSD Psychotherapy. Serendipitously, he met Michael Murphy, a co-founder of the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, who offered him a position as Scholar in Residence at Esalen. So began nearly two decades of workshops at Esalen in collaboration with many of the most important thinkers and researchers in the human potential and new science movements. Through these workshops at Esalen, Stan met his wife Christina, who became his partner in training for many years.
In 1974, following the request of many workshop participants for a means to enter nonordinary states of consciousness without substances, Stan and Christina developed the method they called holotropic breathwork. Both Stan and Christina described themselves as "midwives" of a method based on various "technologies of the sacred" practiced by societies around the world since the dawn of humanity. Coined by Stan, the term "holotropic" means “moving toward wholeness” and suggests the transformative experiences this practice can catalyze. Holotropic breathwork quickly became a cornerstone of Grofian consciousness studies, with its potential to reach deep levels of the psyche through simple but powerful techniques.
Development and Experimentation
Having observed the profound therapeutic benefits of psychedelics administered in a safe set and setting, Stan recalled that many participants in psychedelic sessions spontaneously used focused breathing to move into or through transformative experiences. He also recalled the request of some participants for pressure on parts of their bodies to assist processing of experiences. These recollections inspired Stan and Christina to develop holotropic breathwork through use of deep breathing, inspiring music, and the possibility of "bodywork" or "energy release work" when requested by participants. Over several decades, thousands of participants reported profound and transformative experiences, through this form of breathwork, often analogous to those in psychedelic sessions.
A breakthrough in practice came when Stan suffered a back injury shortly before a large workshop. Unable to actively facilitate, he and Christina instructed participants to work in pairs, alternating roles as “breathers” and “sitters.” This approach allowed the breather to fully experience the process while the sitter provided undivided support. The Grofs discovered that this model not only enhanced the emotional and psychological impact for breathers but also fostered a sense of empathy, connection, and learning for sitters. The partnership between "breather" and "sitter" became a hallmark of the practice. Grof Breathwork sessions continue to follow this format today.
Evolution into Grof® Breathwork
Over the years, the practice of holotropic breathwork evolved and continued to draw on insights from modern psychology, depth psychology, and spiritual traditions. When Stan Grof and his wife Brigitte launched Grof Legacy Training in 2020, they introduced Grof® Breathwork as the primary term for this method, ensuring that the method created by Stan and Christina would be taught and practiced according to their high standards and principles.
The international Grof Legacy Training program now serves to protect and expand Stan Grof’s life’s work, authorizing skilled teachers around the world to share his methods with new generations. Following reawakened interest in the healing potential of psychedelics, programs in the Grof lineage now include training in Grofian Psychedelic Therapy as well as Grof Breathwork.