What Is Holotropic Breathing: Benefits, Risks & How It Works

If you’re searching for what holotropic breathing is, I’m going to guess why.

You saw a video where someone was shaking, crying, or laughing, and the comments made it sound like a spiritual breakthrough. Or you’ve heard people say it feels “psychedelic without drugs.” Or you’re simply curious, and you want a straight answer that does not try to sell you the experience.

That’s what this is: a clear explanation, with the safety piece taken seriously.

What Is Holotropic Breathing?

Holotropic breathing is a form of “high ventilation” breathwork. In plain language, it uses faster and deeper breathing than normal to intentionally shift your physiology and your state of mind.

You’ll also see it written as:

• Holotropic breathwork

• Holotropic breathing technique

• (Spanish) respiración holotrópica

The important thing to understand is this: holotropic breathwork is not designed to be “relaxing breathwork.” It is designed to be intense.

Where Holotropic Breathwork Comes From

Holotropic Breathwork was developed in the 1970s by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof, and it was shaped in the context of workshop-style settings (often associated with Esalen in Big Sur).

You do not need the full history to practice safely, but it helps to know the original intention: this method was built to explore non-ordinary states of consciousness using breath, music, and a supportive environment.

How Holotropic Breathwork Works

Here’s the “why it works” explanation that actually matters.

When you breathe faster and deeper than your body needs, you often blow off carbon dioxide. That shift can change blood chemistry and blood flow, and it can create sensations that feel dramatic.

Common effects of overbreathing can include:

• Lightheadedness and dizziness

• Tingling in the hands, lips, or face

• Tight hands or cramping (sometimes called carpopedal spasm)

• Strong emotional swings or a sense of “rush”

That does not mean the experience is fake. It means the body is doing what bodies do under intense breathing.

One more key point: research reviews on high ventilation breathwork note that these practices can strongly influence the autonomic nervous system, blood flow, and alkalosis-related physiology. That’s a fancy way of saying, “Yes, this is powerful, and power demands good judgment.”

What a Holotropic Breathwork Session Involves

A classic group setup includes paired roles:

• The breather (the person doing the intense breathing)

• The sitter (the person there to support and keep things safe)

In many workshops, partners switch roles so each person experiences both sides.

Typical elements you’ll see described by official Holotropic Breathwork materials include:

• A structured introduction and preparation

• Faster, deeper breathing supported by music

• A sitter present, instructed not to “coach” the experience

• Optional focused bodywork or support from facilitators if needed

• Integration practices, including drawing (often called a mandala) and group sharing

This is also why I’m cautious about “holotropic breathwork guided” videos online. A screen can’t replace screening, supervision, and real-time support if things go sideways.

Claimed Benefits of Holotropic Breathwork

People report benefits like:

• Emotional release and catharsis

• Personal insight and meaning making

• Shifts in perspective or self-awareness

• A feeling of connection or spiritual experience

Some published studies and reports describe positive outcomes, but the overall evidence base is still mixed and not as rigorous as people on social media imply.

A broader scientific review on breathwork and mental health suggests breathwork interventions can help with stress and well-being, and it did not find lasting adverse events reported in the included studies, though that does not guarantee safety for every method or every person.

So I frame the “benefits” like this: many people have meaningful experiences, but you should not treat that as proof that it is right for you, or that it is a replacement for mental health care.

Holotropic Breathwork Risks and Dangers

Let’s be honest: yes, there are real risks.

Physical side effects (often from overbreathing)

Holotropic breathing can involve hyperventilation-style breathing. Hyperventilation can cause lightheadedness, chest discomfort, and feeling short of breath.

When carbon dioxide drops too low, blood chemistry changes can contribute to tingling and muscle tightness or cramping.

Some clinical references also describe that overbreathing can reduce cerebral blood flow fairly quickly, which is one reason fainting can happen in susceptible people.

Psychological risks

This is the part people gloss over.

Holotropic breathwork can bring up intense emotions, panic, dissociation, or destabilization, especially for people with certain mental health histories. Mainstream health sources caution that it can be psychologically distressing and recommend doing it only with trained support.

“Holotropic breathwork brain damage” fears

I see this search a lot, and I get it. If someone feels dizzy or loses control of their hands, their brain goes to worst-case scenarios.

Here’s the grounded answer: the more realistic concern is hyperventilation physiology and contraindications, not a simple “this causes brain damage” claim.

Overbreathing can reduce cerebral blood flow temporarily and can provoke fainting or seizures in vulnerable people, which is exactly why screening matters.

If you have a neurological condition or you have ever had seizures, do not treat this like a casual wellness activity.

Is Holotropic Breathing Safe for Everyone?

No. And good facilitators will tell you that upfront.

Holotropic Breathwork organizations and workshop screening forms commonly list contraindications such as pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma, detached retina, epilepsy, and serious psychiatric conditions.

If any of the following apply, I would not “push through”:

• Heart disease or significant cardiovascular issues

• Uncontrolled hypertension

• Glaucoma or retinal issues

• Epilepsy or seizure history

• Pregnancy

• History of psychosis or severe psychiatric instability

And even if none of those apply, it can still be a bad fit if you tend toward panic attacks with bodily sensations. Hyperventilation sensations can mimic panic, and that spiral is not fun.

Holotropic Breathwork Criticism and Limitations

Most criticism falls into a few buckets:

Evidence quality: the research is not as robust as the marketing suggests.

Intensity chasing: some communities treat intensity like proof, which is not how real nervous system work should be measured.

Safety gaps: doing this alone, without screening, or without skilled facilitation increases risk.

If you want the simple takeaway, it’s this: a powerful experience is not automatically a helpful experience.

Should You Try Holotropic Breathing?

I’m not here to talk you into it or shame you out of it. I’m here to help you make a clean decision.

I’d consider it only if:

• You are medically cleared for intense breathwork

• You can do it in a properly screened, well-run setting

• You are not using it as a substitute for therapy or mental health support

• You are willing to prioritize integration over the peak experience

If what you actually want is calm, focus, better sleep, and emotional steadiness, you do not need holotropic breathing to get there. Slow breathing, nasal breathing, and simple nervous system regulation practices can take you far with much less risk.

That’s the lane I live in as a teacher.

If you want to explore breathwork in a way that builds skill and self-trust, start with the basics and progress from there. You can find my main work and free resources on my site.

And if you’re serious about learning to teach breathwork safely and confidently, my Language of Breath Certification is where I lay out the framework and standards I wish the entire industry used.

FAQ

Is holotropic breathing the same as holotropic breathwork?

Yes. People use both terms to mean the same method: accelerated, deeper breathing (often with music) in a structured session that aims to create an altered state. “Holotropic breathwork” is the more common name in workshop settings.

Is holotropic breathing dangerous?

It can be. For healthy people in a well-screened, supervised setting, risks may be lower. But for people with contraindications like pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma, epilepsy, or serious psychiatric instability, it can be unsafe.

Can you do holotropic breathwork alone?

I do not recommend it. Mainstream health guidance and educational sources warn that practicing it alone can increase risk because dizziness, fainting, hyperventilation symptoms, or psychological distress can happen. The sitter and trained facilitation are part of the safety design.

What are the benefits of holotropic breathwork?

People commonly report emotional release, insight, and changes in perspective. Some studies suggest possible benefits, but overall the evidence base is still developing and not definitive. If you choose to try it, treat it as an experiment, not a guaranteed therapy.

Who should not try holotropic breathing?

Avoid it if you are pregnant, have significant cardiovascular issues, uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma or retinal problems, epilepsy or seizure history, recent surgery, or a history of severe psychiatric conditions. If you are unsure, speak with a qualified clinician first.

Final note

Holotropic breathing sits on the intense end of the breathwork spectrum. If you choose it, choose it with respect. Screening, supervision, and integration matter more than the technique itself.