Important information regarding our Grof® Breathwork Workshop

Location

Our workshop will be held at Navel in downtown Los Angeles, 1611 S. Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. Information about the facility can be found on the Navel home page. This includes information regarding parking, public transportation, and directions to the entrance to use for our workshop (off the alley between buildings, not on Hope Street). There are several hotels not far from the facility in downtown Los Angeles.  

Schedule

Friday Feb 2, 6-9pm

Los Angeles traffic is world famous, including on a Friday evening, so please plan to arrive early to find parking and be ready for our opening circle starting promptly at 6pm. You are welcome into the facility as early as 5pm for visiting with our team and each other. Water, tea and light snacks will be provided. 

On Friday evening, we will open our circle with welcome from our facilitation team and brief introductions from participants to begin forming our weekend community. The facilitation team will provide an overview of the essentials of Stan Grof's theoretical work as pertaining to working with nonordinary states of consciousness and focus in depth on the preparation for the Grof Breathwork process, including the roles of the "breather" and "sitter."  

As we close our evening together, you will find your breathing partner for our work on Saturday and have a chance to talk briefly about your work together, including who will "breathe" and who will "sit" in the morning and afternoon sessions. The team will introduce you to the integration process that begins with creating a "mandala" with art materials after your session. 

Saturday Feb 3, 9am - 7pm

We will have a full day on Saturday with two breathing sessions of approximately three hours each, including mandala creation. Light lunch will be provided at approximately 12:30 - 1:00pm, with the afternoon session beginning shortly thereafter. You will have the opportunity to share briefly about your experience in small groups on Saturday evening.

Sunday Feb 4, 9am - Noon

Integration work will continue on Sunday morning in the full circle, along with opportunity to ask questions and share observations about the breathwork process. We will conclude our weekend by noon. 

Staff contact information

If you need to reach a staff member please contact Jay Dufrechou at (406) 439-2681 or Alex Lopez at (813) 786-2368.

What to Bring

• We will provide mats, sheets, and pillows for the breathers and backjacks for sitters. If you are able to bring an extra pillow, please do so as the more pillows we have, the better. If you have a favorite blanket, you are also welcome to bring it along. 
• Please wear comfortable, layered clothing (your sense of temperature may shift during the process). We will also you to remove jewelry during your breathwork process so you may want to consider leaving most jewelry at home. 
• Water bottle
• Eye shades - If you don’t have your own we will have some for you to borrow
• Journal and pen

Food Service / Dietary Issues

Our light food will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options but please bring your own food if you have particular needs.

Fragrance Free Environment

In deference to the sensitivity of those around you, we ask that you please refrain from wearing perfumes, or perfumed toiletry products such as deodorants or aftershaves, or other strongly scented fragrances – including essential oils.

Cell Phones

 We ask that you refrain from using or checking your cell phones during the workshop. 

Preparing for your Grof® Breathwork Experience

These days leading up to this breathwork retreat are important in creating the context for your experience. We encourage you to be as intentional as possible as you prepare for the retreat. In doing so, you lay the ground for your experience as you prepare for this ‘adventure of self-discovery’.

We suggest that you take time to think about what prompted you to come to this workshop. Most people have some hope or expectation when they decide to do this kind of inner exploration. While we recommend going into the breathwork sessions with as open a mind as possible and without an ‘agenda’, being aware of specific hopes can provide a useful framework for integrating your sessions.

Also, notice your dreams, synchronicities, and any special insights that present themselves to you. What catches your attention? What peaks your interest? What feelings, memories, imaginations are evoked? In other words, be as curious as possible about yourself in your life. Who are you as you come into these four days of retreat?

Here are some things to consider between now and the start of the workshop:

Be conscious of your diet. It’s helpful to eat light and healthy foods, especially for a couple of days before the retreat.

With the exception of the prescription medications, please refrain from using mood/consciousness altering substances, including alcohol, for at least 24 hours before and during the workshop.