Photo by Venessa Rodriguez
“In order for us to re-sacralize the world, we have to really get back in touch with the sense of sacred within, and it can also be done by getting a sense of sacred without.” ~ James Frazier
I’m happy to share this interview audio from my archives with James Frazier, who led me in my first holotropic breathwork experience several years ago. James is one of the most experienced breathwork practitioners in the country having led Breathwork seminars throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. James has over 30 years of experience in the field of counseling and personal growth and development consulting, having studied under Dr. Stanislav Grof who developed holotropic breathwork and was in the first group to be certified by Dr. Grof to practice.
In this interview we discuss what holotropic breathwork is and why it is so powerful, James’ experience studying with Dr. Stanislav Grof and over 30 years leading workshops, plus James breaks down the history of our disconnection from nature - and what we need to do to get it back in order to save ourselves and the planet.
This conversation goes DEEP, looking at the erosion of myth in our culture, the rise of rationality and the origins of what James calls our “collective schizophrenia” that we must breakthrough in order to create a new story (hint: we need to do both our inner work and connect with nature today!)
Show Notes
In this episode, we discuss:
How James almost quit being a therapist after poor outcomes within addiction work and found holotropic breathwork by accident, changing the course of his life
How James began studying and working with Dr. Stanislav Graf and Holotropic breathwork after the 2nd most powerful experience of his life, and continued a 30+ year long career of doing holotropic breathwork
Why holotropic breathwork is a powerful and safe way for accessing the subconscious and expanded states of consciousness/awareness while also retaining ego awareness
One of the oldest techniques to go into non-ordinary states of consciousness and how it has been a part of human practices for thousands of years
Why taking a medicinal plant out of its culture and insert it into a different place and context is problematic
What is “Participatory consciousness” - looking at oneself as part of the whole cosmos rather than a detached separate observer position, operating as one unit
James’s theory on the origin of separation from nature, ritual, and the spiritual with literalization of religious text through the protestant reformation
The origins of capitalism and collapse of the mythological worldview
How the ancients viewed the stars and great philosophical issues
How the Psyche speaks in myth, story and symbol
The detriment of Descartes’ statement “I think therefore I am.”
The erosion of myth and rise of rationality - how this created a “collective schizophrenia” detaching ourselves from nature in service of capitalism
How this separation has bled into allopathic healthcare system with specialization and over-compartmentalization
The “thingification” of humans and the importance of expanded states of awareness that brings you back to wholeness
The importance of individual inner work and personal development for the collective and how James is dedicated to supporting people in cultivating that reconnection with nature
The important cycles that we have closed off from our awareness - death and rebirth, the importance of grief
How our inability to grieve also prevents us from connecting to nature
Why we don’t connect with our deepest selves because it takes us to our deepest and painful issues such as grief
James thoughts on re-storying and the critical importance of initiatory processes and rites of passages that have been lost to our detriment
How we “need to go way out and we need to go way in”, and why creation myth does just that
James’ urgent message: “We’re either going to transform or we are going to die”
Veriditas - the greening of nature
The importance of changing the sense of self to combat the tidal wave of narcissism we have today and support our reconnection to nature
More about James’ work and offerings in nature and personal growth
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Connect With James Frazier
Holotropic Breathwork Website | Nature Retreat Website
Email: JamesFrazierNow@gmail.com
Next Breathwork Workshop: Chicago Nov. 10, 2018
Resources + Links Mentioned
Note: Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links. Making a purchase through these links won’t cost you anything but we will receive a small commission. This is an easy, free way of supporting the podcast and production costs. Thank you!
Wildly Rooted Resources
Sacred Ecology Activation Journey Audio
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