My credentials in short:
- Grad Dip Psychology studying towards a Masters
- Hypnotherapist
- Grof Transpersonal Breathwork Facilitator – training in progress
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy – training in progress
- Yoga teacher
- Martial Artist
My interest in breathwork started many years ago when I started training in the traditional Japanese martial art of Aikido. Aikido emphasises the importance of the breath in the performance of its techniques in harmony with a sparing partner. Aikido led to Tai Chi and yoga, yoga led to pranayama and meditation. The thread was the breath.
Personal research led to Holotropic Breathwork, a method designed by Stanislav Grof, a psychiatrist who’s research in the 60s relied on lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) commonly used at the time to treat of alcohol and heroin dependence, depression, anxiety to name just a few. LSD escaped clinical settings and its subsequent popularity and abuse led to a global ban. To continue his work, Grof designed a breathing method that induced non-ordinary states of consciousness. Grof called this technique “Holotropic Breathing”, holotropic meaning “moving towards wholeness”.
I will be opening a therapy practice by the end of 2019, focusing on Breathwork, Neuro Emotional Techniques and Mindfulness-Based therapies.