DOUBLE Holotropic Grof® Breathwork with
YOGA in the STARS
LONDON / EPPING FOREST
MAY 23 - 26 2025
A potent experiential breathwork technique for activating self-discovery and self-exploration toward wholeness, devised by pioneering psychiatrist, Stanislav Grof MD. Ph.D., together with his late wife, Christina Grof at the Esalen Institute in California.
_
Yoga in the Stars is hosting a DOUBLE Holotropic Grof® Breathwork residential retreat in Epping Forest, with senior facilitator and Francesc Guinart.
Enquiries: [email protected] /
complimentary 30 minute consultation call here
Nestled within seven acres of blissful woodland and thriving habitats in Epping Forest, we invite you to join us for a rare and spacious Holotropic Breathwork immersion; an internal spring clearing for the psyche, the heart, and the body.
This retreat is held at The Hive, a simple yet thoughtfully modern facility, renowned for its longstanding commitment to reconnecting people with the natural world. Acknowledged by Sir David Attenborough for its decades of inspiring children with a love of nature, The Hive continues to offer an atmosphere of care, reverence, and environmental intelligence.
Over thirty years of scientific research has revealed that the air in ancient woodland carries significantly higher levels of oxygen, along with beneficial essential oils known as phytoncides, natural compounds emitted by trees and plants that support immune health and wellbeing.
Breathing in this air, while slowing down and immersing yourself in nature, becomes part of the medicine.
Studies on “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku) have shown measurable reductions in stress hormones, enhanced mood, and improved cognitive clarity. In the context of deep inner work like Holotropic Breathwork, nature as the "setting" as well as a co-regulator helping to ground the nervous system, soften inner defences, and make space for insight to process.
WHAT IS GROF®/ HOLOTROPIC BREATHWORK?
MOVING TOWARD WHOLENESS
through NON-ORDINARY STATES of CONSCIOUSNESS
Grof® Breathwork, also referred to as Holotropic Breathwork, is known for its deeply transformational insights as it takes you into expanded (or non-ordinary) states of consciousness, induced only by breath and music.
Grof® / Holotropic Breathwork is highly experiential work developed by pioneering psychiatrist, Stanislav Grof MD. Ph.D., together with his late wife, Christina Grof at the Esalen Institute in California in the 1970's.
Yoga in the Stars is delighted to be hosting our fourth, DOUBLE Grof® Breathwork since being the first to re-launch this experience in London in September 2023.
Join our visiting facilitator, Francesc Guinart, of Spain (more info below).
The deeply immersive experience will allow you to participate as a breather twice across the weekend, with preparation and integration to support your journey towards wholeness.
Grof® / Holotropic Breathwork is recommended for those interested in personal and spiritual growth through deep inner exploration. Stanislav Grof’s concept is that the wisdom of our 'inner healer' will direct us and bring to our consciousness what is best and most healing for us, at any given moment.
THE METHOD
The facilitation consists of 2 x Holotropic Grof® Breathwork sessions where the participants are lying with eyes closed, using the power of their own breath and evocative music to enter a Non-Ordinary State of Consciousness (NOSC) and 2 x "Sitter" sessions, where participants support the breather through their journey. A promisingly profound experience of trust and surrender.
Such states are shown to activate our innate inner wisdom, bringing healing, release and/ or insight.
We honour the 3 guidelines of any work with holotropic states: The Preparation. The Experience. And the Integration - of the experience
YOUR LEAD FACILITATOR
Francesc Guinart is a dedicated advocate for self-discovery and deep personal connection. From an early age, yoga and breathwork profoundly shaped his life, leading him on a path of introspection and transformation that now allows him to guide others on their own journeys.
Based in Spain, Francesc has trained with esteemed masters in disciplines such as Caycedian Sophrology, Holotropic Breathwork®, non-dual philosophy, and sacred plant therapies. Since 2008, he has been supporting therapeutic processes, integrating both microdoses and macrodoses of sacred plants alongside the MindDetox Method, a therapeutic approach designed to release deep-seated stress and anxiety.
In addition to organising Holotropic Breathwork® workshops, he has been leading silent retreats since 2018, providing participants with a space to explore their inner world, heal, and reconnect with their most authentic essence. His approach is rooted in integral attention, addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of each individual. Believing in the transformative power of silence and deep reflection, Francesc creates opportunities for participants to release what no longer serves them and embrace new possibilities.
His retreats offer a sacred pause—a chance to step back, realign, and reconnect with one’s centre. He is committed to accompanying others on this profound journey of self-exploration and healing.
Visiting London: Yoga in the Stars, 344, Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, London.
For more info [email protected] / complimentary 30 minute consultation call here.
SUPPORTED BY
Yoga In the Stars co-creator & curator; Basia Zieniewicz.
Basia Zieniewicz, B.Ed., PGDip Integrative Art Therapy, PGCert Psychedelics, Altered States & Transpersonal Psychology, EMCC PGC Psychosynthesis Leadership Coaching Psychology, Reiki Master, YTT 700(ish), a certified Grof® Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist, and in her final year of 4 as a trainee of Grof® Breathwork through the Grof Legacy Training®.
Inspired by an interweaving of esoteric mysticism, sacred arts, and evidence based modalities Basia's speciality is in the liminal spaces, supporting individuals who seek inner and outer balance to resource their heart's desire. She offers constructive guidance in both the preparation and integration of NOSC, with tender care. helping clients navigate their experiences into lasting transformation.
Enquiries: [email protected] /
complimentary 30 minute consultation call here.
What To Expect
Emotional Release
Let go of what’s been held. Supported breathwork sessions can lead to deep emotional unblocking and release.
Inner Clarity
Drop beneath the surface noise. Connect with your own wisdom and see your path with renewed perspective.
Community Connection
Meet others on the path. Share with fellow seekers. Be fully supported and welcome, just as you are.
Plant-based meals
Nutrient-dense & home-made with love.
Morning Gentle Yoga
Start your day grounded. These optional sessions offer soft, accessible yoga to awaken the body, calm the mind, and prepare you for deep inner work.
Silent Solitude
Step away from the noise. Spacious time in silence helps deepen your process and reconnect with your inner world.
Guided Meaning Making
You won’t be alone. Skilled facilitators help you make sense of your experience and carry its gifts home.
Yoga In The Stars Pass
One-month unlimited access to Yoga in the Stars—gentle, grounding practices to support integration after your retreat.
Follow-Up Integration Calls
Schedule
Please note times are subject to change, this is to frame the structure.
Friday, May 23
Arrival from 5:00 PM
Welcome & settle
Dinner
Preparation: theoretical framework & participant pairing
Saturday, May 24
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
3-hour Breathwork experience
Lunch
3-hour Sitter experience
Mandala
Sharing circle
Dinner
Sunday, May 25
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
3-hour Breathwork experience
Lunch
3-hour Sitter experience
Mandala
Sharing circle
Dinner
Monday, May 26
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Integration session
Closing circle
Lunch
HOW TO BOOK?
WHEN: May 23 - 26
WHERE: Epping Forest / London
INVESTMENT OPTIONS:
Supporter & Single Accommodation:
£775
Standard & Shared Accommodation:
£675
Community & Shared Accommodation:
£525
Karma Breather: bring your own tent & contribute (help set up/break down, assist with meals, etc.)
£395
SPECIAL Yoga In the Stars Members Only Price:
£375!!
Please note, shared accommodation will be two per pod. To hire full pod will be an additional £150. Subject to availability.
For more info [email protected]
Or book in for a complimentary 30 minute consultation call here
My first experience with Holotropic Breathwork at Yoga In The Stars in November was incredible. Without wanting to sound too hyperbolic, it changed my life. I had heard good things about this modality but nothing could prepare me for what happened that weekend. I had a deeply spiritual experience. It gave me a lot of insight into my past & helped guide me in the direction I want my life to go in the future. I feel that the benefits I got from this weekend were like spending many months in therapy. People close to me have said the same, and noticed a positive change in my outlook on life.
I have been a yoga teacher for years now & so I’m used to holding space for others. I felt truly held that weekend and it’s something I am deeply grateful for. Our hosts Basia & Amy were incredibly professional in the preparation for, the execution of, and in the aftermath of the event too. A lot of thought went into making sure that everyone there felt comfortable, safe, welcomed and accepted.
I was particularly impressed by the emphasis on making sure that participants were risk-assessed. It was an intense experience, for sure, and I’m glad I had the chance to discuss things before the event, to put my mind at ease about things that I wasn’t sure about. That interview process before the event with Basia was handled with intelligence, sincerity & sensitivity. I found Basia incredibly easy to talk to, very open and obviously a very caring person.
I will definitely join another session at some point in the future.
Mike Julian
WHAT TO EXPECT?
The process itself combines accelerated breathing with evocative music which helps to amplify the experience and release unconscious material. With the eyes closed and lying on a mat, each person uses their own breath and the music in the room to enter a non-ordinary, or holotropic, state of consciousness. Additional elements of the process include focused energy release body-work and integration practices such as mandala drawing.
Expect an eight hour day, more or less, for one breathing session.
The sessions are done in pairs. Each participant will experience being a breather and a sitter. Once the breathwork session is complete, the breather is invited to draw a mandala of their experience. This does not require drawing skills.
The sessions are then followed by a sharing circle where people can share their experience + a talk or practice of integration, to support the content of the breathwork session.
KNOW MORE
Breathwork is a new-age term that refers to rejuvenating breathing techniques aimed at awakening the body’s life force. In many cultures, breathwork is a key modality utilized to inspire peacefulness, healing, and the embodiment of the divine. Stan Grof, MD, Ph.D., a clinical psychiatrist and one the founding forefathers of research in transpersonal psychology for non-ordinary states of consciousness and the therapeutic potential of LSD, has turned breathwork into a psychedelic, theraputic experience, and the benefits are profound.
This method of breathwork, recently renamed as Grof® Breathwork, widely known by the term he coined; holotropic, devised by Stan and Christina to circumvent the prohibition of LSD in the 60's, thereby seizing the therapeutic applications that Stan was researching. This modality relies on our innate inner wisdom and its capacity to move us toward desired transformation and closer to wholeness. With reverence to our psyche's innate wisdom, the participant accesses the inner healing intelligence, being the essential cornerstone of this approach. The Grof's theoretical framework integrates insights from psychedelic research, anthropology, various depth psychologies, transpersonal psychology, Eastern spiritual practices, and mystical traditions of the world.
THE PROCESS
PREPARATION
In advance of the gathering, you will complete an application form where we will screen to be sure this modality is suitable for you.
Arriving Evening: Prior to gathering, the group will meet in circle to learn about the process in greater depth, connect, and finalise preparations.
SITTERS & BREATHERS
Experience Day(s): Expect a three hour breathing session in a context marked by unconditional acceptance and emotional support. The group is divided into pairs - "sitters" & "breathers" and the session experience will be divided into two x three-hour breathing sessions, alternating in the roles.
The sitter’s role is simply to be present and available to assist the breather—not to interfere, interrupt, or try to guide the process. The same is true for trained facilitators, who are available as helpers if necessary.
THE SETTING
This setting is a key part of this work and it allows the breather to open up to its experience with greater sense of confidence. This state activates the natural "inner radar" process of the individual’s psyche, onsetting the breather a particular set of internal experiences. With the inner healing intelligence guiding the process, the quality and content that emerges is unique to each person. While recurring themes are common, every session is different.
INTEGRATION
Final morning / evening: An integration is carried out to weave and anchor the process into creative expression and verbal language.
You will complete a mandala and also be guided through a creative embodiment practice in the form of movement.
A sharing circle will showcase your mandala, your own essence of your insights of your own experience in a sharing circle between you and the group
...
WHO IS THIS FOR?
The goal of Holotropic / Grof® Breathwork is to essentially use accelerated breathing to increase awareness of the self as well as cope with traumatic memories. This technique allows you to access parts of your psyche that can’t be reached under normal conditions, and it helps us to relieve mental health conditions and different symptoms, including:
Depression | Substance use disorder | Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). | Anxiety | Negative thinking | Grieving | Chronic stress | Tension | Avoidance behaviours
WHO IS THIS NOT FOR?