Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
Learn More.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
past workshop

Integrative Gestalt™ and Hologenic™ Connected Breathwork Immersion Training

March 10-21, 2025

Perry Holloman and Johanna Holloman

“Breath is a force, a medicine, and a gateway to the unconscious mind and the very essence of our Being.” – The Holloman’s

Join us for an immersive experience where ancient breath practices intersect with contemporary Gestalt to unleash the transformational power of awareness. For millennia, diverse yoga traditions have harmonized breathwork with mindfulness to nurture psychological healing and spiritual growth. Today, science is validating the profound impact of breathwork and embodied awareness on stress management and immune resilience. Visionaries like Bessel Van der Kolk champion the fusion of breath, movement, awareness development, and educated touch in healing trauma.

This twelve-day full immersion training at Esalen provides a sanctuary for professionals seeking to infuse Gestalt and breathwork into their practices as well as for anyone on a journey of self-discovery. Participants will learn about and experience different forms of breathwork. Extended two-to-three-hour breath sessions can open expanded states of consciousness for self-exploration of deeper, authentic dimensions of our being. We will begin our days with shorter “daily-dose”breath practices (50 minutes) which can be used for at-home exploration. Integrative Gestalt is a powerful tool supporting self-inquiry helping us to understand and metabolize our experiences as we journey together into realms of altered consciousness through breath.

In this training, we will explore:

  • Using breath alongside educated, attuned touch and body awareness in working with individuals and groups.
  • Engaging in three longer 2–3-hour Hologenic Breath meditations to delve into our unconscious minds and altered states of consciousness, complemented by morning sessions of shorter 50-minute “daily dose” breath practices for ongoing use at home.
  • Learning the art of self-inquiry through Integrative Gestalt to cultivate “presence-based consciousness” in our everyday lives.
  • Applying breathwork and Integrative Gestalt techniques to address trauma and restore our innate capacities to self-organize and heal.

Embark on this transformative journey crafted to nurture your personal healing and spiritual growth. Acquire essential skills to expand your practice, whether you’re a professional who wants to enhance your expertise or an individual dedicated to deepening your self-inquiry.

Perry Holloman

Perry has been a facilitator and teacher of Integrative Gestalt Coaching™ at Esalen for over 40 years, specializing in body-oriented approaches to inner development and trauma recovery. In collaboration with his wife Johanna, he co-developed the transformative method of Hologenic Breathwork™. As a senior teacher of Esalen Massage and the creator of Deep Bodywork®, Perry continues to inspire students both at Esalen and internationally.

Full Bio

Johanna Holloman

Johanna Holloman is a German-born clinical psychologist and Diamond Approach® teacher. Her international teachings in Integrative Gestalt Coaching™, Integrative Somatic Practice™, Deep Bodywork®, Esalen Massage®, and Yoga focus on embodied presence and inner development through inquiry, breath and movement.

Full Bio