Luminous Breathwork: Our Roots and Commitments

Grounded in the Holotropic Breathwork Lineage

Our facilitators are trained through the NeuroDynamic Institute, founded by Michael Stone, a dedicated long-time breathwork practitioner and direct student of Stanislav Grof, the creator of Holotropic Breathwork. After facilitating thousands of sessions, Michael refined this transformative approach to preserve its effectiveness while making it accessible for modern lifestyles.

With over 200,000 sessions facilitated worldwide, the NeuroDynamic Institute has demonstrated profound results across diverse global communities. At Luminous Breathwork, our method is rooted in this lineage, offering depth, flexibility, and proven results.

Integrating Eastern Contemplative Wisdom

What makes Luminous Breathwork unique is our integration of Eastern contemplative wisdom, particularly Chan (Zen) Buddhism. The name "Luminous" is inspired by the Buddha's teaching:

“Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements.”
— Anguttara Nikāya 1.49–52

This Luminous Mind—clear, radiant, and untarnishable—is not something we create or strive for. It is an innate gift, present from birth, and while can be shrouded by conditioning and trauma, it cannot be tarnished.

Across traditions, it is known by many names: the Inner Guiding Intelligence in Holotropic practice, the Ātman in Sufism, the Inner Light or Eternal Presence among Quakers, and the True Self in Mahāyāna Buddhism and contemplative Christianity.

Our Commitment to Your Luminous Mind

Our primary commitment in each session is to help you cultivate a deep connection with your Luminous Mind—your inner healer. When trust and connection with this inner resource are restored, it becomes a safe and steady container where stored history, energies, and emotions can be met and worked with gently and compassionately.

As facilitators, we don’t push, fix, or interpret your experience. Instead, we hold a compassionate, judgment-free space that allows your innate intelligence to emerge and guide the process. We are dedicated practitioners and fellow travelers on this path, honoring your unique journey with care, humility, and deep reverence.

Rooted in Tradition, Informed by Contemporary Psychology

Our work is grounded in both timeless wisdom and contemporary understanding—drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and contemplative traditions. We are particularly informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), a psychotherapeutic model that honors what it calls the Self—the same radiant awareness we refer to as the Luminous Mind—and explores its relationship to what the Buddha described as defilements, the mental and emotional patterns that obscure our innate clarity.

Neuroscientist Dan Siegel describes these defilements as mind states—neural networks caught in past experiences. In Hinduism, they are known as vasanas; in Sufism, as nafs; and in later Buddhist teachings, as small minds—clouds that veil our pristine awareness.

In IFS, these patterns are called Parts: adaptive inner subpersonalities formed from earlier experiences. They are essential to our survival, yet can become limiting when they dominate our present experience.

Liberation arises when these Parts encounter the compassionate presence of your Self—your Luminous Mind. This inner resource is warm, receptive, and steady. When Parts realize they no longer need to manage everything alone, their protective strategies soften. What emerges is a natural state of spaciousness, clarity, and inner freedom—what some describe as communion with the Higher Self.

Through Luminous Breathwork, we learn to pause in moments of reactivity, breathe consciously, and return to this ever-present resource within. This practice invites us to reconnect with the Luminous Mind—the inner awareness capable of holding all our Parts with compassion.

Over time, this practice helps to:

• Deepen self-trust and internal safety

• Soften reactive and protective patterns

• Bring clarity to aligned decision-making

• Strengthen connection to self and others

Carrying the Work Into Daily Life

Your breathwork journey doesn't end when a session concludes. We offer ongoing support to help you cultivate a sustained relationship with your Luminous Mind. This empowers you to return to this compassionate, clear inner resource whenever needed. We also guide you in understanding your internal Parts, fostering trust and harmony within.

The more we stay connected to this inner resource, the clearer life becomes. Resilience grows. Clarity starts to show up in everyday moments. Life becomes a teacher, and with each small choice, we begin to mend the threads of intergenerational pain through how we show up, speak, and love.

Experience It for Yourself

Breathwork opens the doorway to clarity, insight, and lasting change. Through conscious breathing, you reconnect with your inner wisdom, release limiting patterns, and rediscover your authentic self.

We invite you to experience this firsthand through our free trial sessions—a gentle, welcoming way to explore our approach, ask questions, and determine if it aligns with your path.