Holotropic Breathwork® in Auckland

A little space for yourself

Before the year draws to a close, take a day to pause. This one-day workshop at Blockhouse Bay offers time away from your usual routines, with breath, music and attentive support for your own inner exploration.

Whether you are new to Holotropic Breathwork® or returning to the practice, you are welcome to arrive with curiosity. You do not need to have a clear intention, know what will come up, or produce a particular experience.

What is Holotropic Breathwork?

Holotropic Breathwork® was developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, M.D., and Christina Grof. It draws on their work in transpersonal psychology and Stanislav’s pioneering research in psychedelic therapy, offering an approach to self-exploration without substances.

The word holotropic comes from the Greek roots holos (whole) and trepein (moving toward), meaning moving toward wholeness.

Through deeper, faster breathing and a carefully curated musical journey, the practice invites exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness. In the holotropic approach, this is understood as making room for the psyche’s own capacity for healing, allowing personally meaningful experiences to unfold without a prescribed outcome.

Go deeper: our introduction to Holotropic Breathwork and its history and origins.

What makes Holotropic Breathwork unique?

Unlike many guided practices, Holotropic Breathwork creates space for your own inner wisdom to guide the journey.

• Your experience leads. After the opening instructions, sessions unfold without ongoing spoken guidance. Facilitators remain available when support is needed.
• A musical journey. Carefully selected music accompanies and supports the process.
• Time to explore. Each breathing session is approximately three hours long.
• A shared partnership. Participants work in pairs, taking turns as breather and sitter.
• Dedicated support. Each breather has a sitter alongside them throughout the session.
• Focused bodywork. Facilitators can offer support when appropriate, always with your explicit consent.
• Room for natural expression. You are invited to follow the wisdom of the body — moving, shaking, dancing, expressing emotions or resting as the process unfolds.

Everything is welcome. Nothing is required. There is no pressure to perform or produce a particular experience. Expression is held within agreed safety boundaries and respect for each other’s space.

Explore the session experience and bodywork, consent and supportive presence.

During the day

• Two breathwork sessions — one as breather and one as sitter
• Group sharing and integration
• Mandala drawing — no artistic experience needed
• Space for reflection and self-discovery

There is time to settle and reflect after each session. Learn more about mandala drawing and integration.

This workshop may support

• Deeper self-exploration
• Emotional expression and a sense of release
• Creative inspiration
• Inner guidance and personal insights
• Reflection during life transitions and grief
• Exploring family-of-origin patterns
• Exploring emotional responses to physical symptoms, alongside appropriate medical care
• Spiritual connection and a sense of meaning

Every experience is individual; these are possibilities, not promised results. Read about the possibilities and limits of the practice, or explore our videos and resources.

Schedule

• 9–10:30 am: Greetings, introduction & opening
• 11 am–2 pm: First Holotropic Breathwork session
• 2–3 pm: Lunch break
• 3–6 pm: Second Holotropic Breathwork session
• 6–7 pm: Dinner break
• After dinner: Closing circle

Your facilitator

Jiri Hanus has been exploring Holotropic Breathwork since 2008 and is a certified facilitator through Grof Transpersonal Training. He brings a longstanding curiosity about the inner world and a commitment to making this practice available in Aotearoa.

Facilitators remain available throughout the day. Focused bodywork may be offered when appropriate, always with your explicit consent.

Read Jiri’s story

A gathering by the water

We will meet at Blockhouse Bay Boat Club, a light-filled waterfront space overlooking the bay. There is room to settle in, step outside during breaks and spend the day away from the usual rush.

Find us at the beach end of Endeavour Street, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland. Walk through the park towards the point to reach the club.

Open the venue in Google Maps

If you have questions about getting here or access needs, please contact us before booking.

What to bring

• Comfortable clothes that let you move and rest easily
• A cushion and a blanket
• An eye mask or blindfold
• A refillable water bottle
• Your lunch and dinner for the meal breaks

Is this workshop right for me?

You do not need previous breathwork experience. Holotropic Breathwork can be physically and emotionally intense, however, and is not suitable for everyone. The registration includes a health questionnaire so we can consider participation suitability and follow up with you if needed.

You remain in choice about movement, expression and touch. There is no pressure to perform or to share more than you wish. This workshop is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.

Not sure whether to join? Have a conversation with us before registering. We’re happy to talk through what to expect.