Holotropic Integration

What is Breathwork Integration?

You’ve just experienced a profound, possibly life-changing holotropic breathwork experience, and now you’re left wondering what is the best way to process this material or to integrate it into your everyday life? This blog will provide you with a variety of options for integrating a non-ordinary state of consciousness (NOSC). Keep in mind, there is no one size fits all when it comes to processing content from your psyche. Determining which integration practice is best for YOU is important and recognizing that each person integrates at a different speed or depth that is guided by intuition.

Why is it important to focus on integration after a non-ordinary state of consciousness? One of the key factors in experiencing an altered state of consciousness is to bring material forward from your psyche to help you become more aware. Your inner healing wisdom is connected to your emotions, memories and/or transpersonal experiences. This inner healer assists in clearing blockages and becoming aware of subconscious feelings or “shadow” material to help you feel more whole. Oftentimes, a non-ordinary or holotropic experience can be awe-inspiring, numinous and emotionally stimulating. Numinosity can feel expansive, but also fleeting unless you continue to nurture and reflect on the meaning of it all.

What are the different types of Integration?

Staying inspired or deepening into feelings that have emerged after a holotropic session is really the icing on the cake. Immediately after your experience is the best time to capture thoughts and ideas that come forth. After a Grof Breathwork session, it is recommended to draw a mandala. A mandala simply represents a circle in Sanskrit. This circle on paper represents wholeness and drawing images allows your creative right brain to integrate waking brain waves and capture any important symbols or visual memories. 

It can be helpful to pay attention to any vivid or emotive dreams after an altered state experience. Some folks will put a notepad near their nightstand to write down any dreams immediately upon waking. Journaling is a popular creative activity after a holotropic session. If you write out your experience in detail, including the feelings and thoughts that have emerged, you’ll record as much as possible while it is fresh in your mind. It is also common to write poetry or a series of one word descriptions to express how you feel. 

Any practice of artwork or writing will keep your creative juices flowing. After a Holotropic session you may find yourself drawn to various insights: it can be to researching a specific time in history, an abstract idea, or a concept that you feel passionately about to the point you can’t let it go in your mind. Meditation is beneficial to keep your right brain active and the trajectory of your holotropic experience fluid. Listening to soft music, singing or humming to a favorite song can gently stimulate the energy around your heart center to help you feel more connected with others or with your higher Self. 

Grounding after Breathwork

When it comes to a more physical process of integration, activities like dancing or yoga can boost your energy or help you feel grounded. Grounding can be necessary after a deep spiritual experience or an out of body sensation. What feels grounding for one person may not be grounding for another, so it’s important to try different things. 

One of my favorite ways to feel connected with my body is to walk or be in nature. I love to immerse myself in the energy of the trees, plants and botanicals. Hiking in a pristine forest or on a nature path is the ultimate. Walking barefoot in grass or standing with my back against a tree are simple yet powerful activities. I like to imagine the roots, grass or vines growing up around my feet to feel energetically connected to the earth. Being surrounded by nature will keep your energy open and flowing, but also grounded, and this is ideal for stimulating creative thoughts.

Integration, in my view, also includes self-care. Self-care can be paramount for a smooth integration into everyday activities after a Breathwork session. My way of understanding self-care is through the 5 pillars of health: healthy eating, proper sleep, hydration, exercise and stress management. When you focus on healthy habits and take good care of yourself, you’re able to feel more balanced emotionally and have more energy. 

Self-care can also mean taking time for a hot bath, a long shower, or to immerse in a body of water. There are a multitude of healing modalities that promote self-care such as getting a massage, acupuncture, reiki or any other specific body work. For some, self-care can be talking with a mental health professional, psychotherapist, or any trusted professional that is trained in transpersonal psychology and understands the interior landscape of the psyche. For others, sharing about your non-ordinary consciousness experience with a like-minded group, a friend or family member feels supportive and healing. 

How much time should I spend on integration?

What integration method you feel called to explore will depend on how much time (and cash flow) you have. Your intuition will bring awareness to insights as needed which can happen several weeks after the experience itself. No matter how much time you spend, self-care is essential, especially if you’re wanting to change behavioral patterns or life habits. You may want to feel accountable for a new self-care practice or commit to a pillar of health (mentioned above) that needs your attention.

In a nutshell, integration is a practice that helps keep you more aware, awake and aligned with the intention of keeping your energy open and expanded both physically and emotionally. Take time to consider the various integration practices available and find the activity, modality or practice that feels best for you. Overall, it can be beneficial to stay present with the unfolding of your holotropic experience or the various emotions that may emerge versus dismissing them, especially when it comes to integrating abstract material into our practical world.

K Mari Castle has been facilitating Grof Holotropic Breathwork since 2005. You may contact her by e-mail at Mari.Breathwork9@gmail.com to schedule an integration session or you may book an appointment on-line here.