Linda Star Wolf’s Shamanic Breathwork® program is a transformative practice born from a fusion of deep personal exploration and decades of expertise in breathwork and shamanism.
In an exclusive interview with MysticMag, she shared how her experiences with pioneers like Stan Grof and Leonard Orr, as well as teachings from indigenous healers, inspired her to create a unique approach to breathwork that bridges altered states of consciousness with grounded personal healing. At its core, Shamanic Breathwork® is designed to empower individuals to confront their inner shadows, unlock hidden potential, and reconnect with their life’s purpose.
Through this method, countless people have experienced profound personal transformation, healing, and spiritual awakening.
What inspired the founding of the Shamanic Breathwork® program and what is its core mission?
I created Shamanic Breathwork® about 35 years ago. At that time, I was already involved in various breathwork programs, including Holotropic Breathwork, which many people are familiar with. This method, pioneered by Stan Grof, was one of the first well-known forms of breathwork, along with Leonard Orr’s Rebirthing. Leonard was a dear friend of mine who has since passed. He brought rebirthing practices to people around the world, while Stan, a psychiatrist, developed breathing techniques to guide individuals into altered states of consciousness. When psychedelics became illegal, Stan focused on using breathwork to help people achieve those same states. He found it led to significant cathartic releases and healing experiences.
With a background as an energy addiction specialist and clinical therapist, I was deeply interested in finding effective ways to support my clients. This led me to explore Holotropic Breathwork further. During that journey, I met Jacqueline Small, a remarkable teacher who was one of Stan’s first students. Unlike Stan, who was more clinical in his approach, Jacqueline was a therapist and shared my values. She was personable, and she had close ties with visionaries like Ram Dass and various Jungian analysts. I learned so much from her, and her teachings became a core influence in my own work.
In my early 30s, I started studying with shamans and indigenous healers, who guided me toward grounding my work. While I had already explored “going up and out,” I came to realize the importance of “going down and in” — connecting deeply with the Earth and with the psychological roots of our healing, like family origins and shadow work. This grounding process was essential for reaching new levels of consciousness in this world.
After years of personal development and training, I realized that my path was rooted in shamanism even more than traditional breathwork. I felt called to use breathwork as a tool to help people enter altered states safely and come back with insights that could heal them. My commitment to this work has only deepened over the past four decades.
How does Shamanic Breathwork® facilitate personal transformation and healing?
If we want to truly change, we need to focus on ourselves. When we constantly look outward and blame others for our challenges or shortcomings, real healing is hard to find. Healing begins when we turn inward because many of the issues we face today — from pollution to various forms of discrimination and violence — stem from within us. These aren’t inherent evils of the world; they’re the consequences of human actions, often driven by unresolved trauma and pain.
Human beings, I believe, aren’t inherently evil. Much of the harm done is due to unprocessed psychological wounds. Many people carry the weight of abuse, neglect, or trauma, which then manifests in their interactions with the world. Our leaders and those in power often operate with an underdeveloped sense of self-awareness, acting from unresolved childhood issues. Ideally, people in positions of influence would do deep inner work to understand themselves and heal past wounds before making decisions that affect others. This introspection would break the cycle of generational trauma, which is passed down when healing isn’t pursued.
My life’s work has focused on helping people heal from these deep-seated issues. I discovered that breathwork is a powerful tool for this, as it accelerates consciousness. Breathwork helps us bring our “holy fertilizer” — all our unresolved emotions and issues — to the surface, where it can nourish us instead of hinder us. When we work with our own darkness, it can transform into fertile ground for growth.
As Grandmother Twylah, a wise Seneca elder, once told me, we need darkness to discover our light. In my own journey, especially in recovery from alcoholism, I had to face a lot of darkness to truly transform. That descent allowed me to “die” and be reborn with a renewed purpose, greater humility, and a drive to help others find their own paths.
Breathwork, to me, is like a superpower. It provides a laser focus in the dark, allowing people to awaken to their own insights. It’s not about a therapist guiding you but about your own body and mind leading the way. When people experience that deep awakening through breathwork, it naturally inspires them to make meaningful changes in their lives and to pursue their unique purposes.
What unique elements set Shamanic Breathwork® apart from other breathwork practices?
I get asked that question a lot, and I’d say there are quite a few similarities, but also key differences. The first similarity is that both practices involve breathwork, assuming that by engaging the breath, we can alter our consciousness. We know that various activities—whether it’s running, sleeping, making love, giving birth, feeling fear, or experiencing joy—all shift our breath accordingly.
With specific breath patterns, we can actually amplify certain states. For example, if we want more peace, we take longer, deeper breaths. When grounding, we center ourselves with this type of breathing. Breathwork can also support different goals, like awakening kundalini energy or opening the third eye, and can reduce stress. But Shamanic Breathwork®, specifically, is curated to help induce a profound, altered state where the body’s natural chemicals start to work through your biochemical system, affecting inner vision. With your eyes closed, this state often leads to vivid insights, visions, and even a sense of connecting with ancestors or other spiritual beings.
In experiences close to death, people frequently report seeing lights, spiritual beings, or loved ones. My late husband, for instance, saw his father during his last moments, reaching out to him. I was helping him with breathwork as he transitioned, and he was able to breathe himself out peacefully. Scientists often explore this through the lens of the pineal gland, but regardless, the breath plays a huge role in these experiences. Toward the end of life, the breath changes, the heart rate accelerates, and people start to see visions—whether it’s a beloved pet or a familiar tree. This shamanic, otherworldly experience isn’t limited to death but also appears in near-death experiences, psychedelic journeys, and, importantly, in breathwork.
When people practice Shamanic Breathwork®, we encourage a specific pattern: breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth without pausing. This constant breathing helps dissolve boundaries between this world and the other. For those grounded heavily in 3D reality, it might take more time. But for those able to fully release and trust the breath, it can be profoundly transformative, like kundalini or karmic breathing.
Breathwork is as old as life itself; it’s the first thing we do when we arrive and the last thing before we depart. All of life is an inhale and an exhale, and our breath changes with our emotions, whether we’re scared, giving birth, in love, angry, or at peace. Working with the breath is, to me, the most powerful medicine. While I’ve explored psychedelics and other practices, Shamanic Breathwork® is what I believe in most deeply.
What makes it shamanic? It’s elemental—it’s about engaging with fire, water, earth, and flesh through the breath. Studies have even shown changes in the blood after breathwork, akin to the molecular shifts seen in water when infused with intention. I often hear questions about how Shamanic Breathwork® “works,” and while science has its theories, I believe the real proof is in how it transforms people. Changes that might take many hours of talk therapy can sometimes be achieved in just one or two breathwork sessions. People experience true spiritual awakenings, an energy surge, or a profound sense of connection with a higher power.
I’ve witnessed people heal diseases—not everyone, as that might not be their path—but I’ve seen significant improvements in happiness, freedom, and self-awareness. Breathwork allows people to grow, discover their true selves, and reach a profound sense of freedom. For me, that’s the truest liberation.
Can you share a success story where Shamanic Breathwork® significantly impacted someone’s life?
I’m thinking of a woman who’s actually a very good friend of mine, and she’s a co-author of one of the books. I’ll keep her name confidential, as it’s her story to share. When we first met, she came to a breathwork training years ago, back when I was still with Jacqueline Small’s institute and worked with Stan Grof. I was one of the main facilitators, and I remember her sharing in the opening circle, with about 50 people present. She was an incredibly bright, high-profile professional who excelled in any job she took, but she was also battling serious depression and unhappiness.
In the circle, she bravely admitted, “I am so seriously depressed, I’m contemplating suicide.” This is rare; some people say they’re at their wit’s end, feeling hopeless, dealing with an addiction, or trapped in a bad marriage. But it’s unusual for someone to openly share that if this doesn’t work, they’re considering ending their life. Naturally, we were prepared to do whatever we needed to help her.
The breathwork itself was transformative. This was a two-week retreat, allowing her to do several breathwork sessions, which was significant. During one session, she had a powerful vision of the goddess Durga, a warrior goddess riding a tiger, symbolizing strength and fearlessness. Though she didn’t fully understand it, this vision gave her a renewed sense of life and energy.
One day during a break, participants could go into town or spend time in nature. She chose to meditate alone in the woods, focusing on Durga’s strength. She could’ve sworn she heard a tiger growling nearby, and even saw cows in the pasture running away, which made her think, “Have I gone crazy?” As it turned out, a circus was passing through a nearby town, and a tiger had actually escaped. When she found out, she was shocked and wondered if she had somehow called the tiger to her. I explained that this was divine synchronicity—a real-world reflection of her inner transformation.
From that experience, her depression lifted. She went on to become a well-known teacher and author and has helped thousands of people with her work. This was over 30 years ago, but it’s one of the most profound examples of how Shamanic Breathwork® can lead to practical, yet deeply spiritual transformation. That tiger became her power an
What new programs or workshops is Shamanic Breathwork® planning to offer?
We have a lot going on all the time. The best way to stay updated is by visiting www.shamanicbreathwork.org, where you can see everything our core team is offering. Additionally, we have hundreds of facilitators in over 30 countries around the world.
As a nonprofit and a ministry, we ordain ministers, and we even have our own university where we offer non-accredited degrees. While these degrees are not accredited, they are recognized, allowing people to become ministers or earn a Venus Rising degree. However, most people seek Shamanic Breathwork® certification. Some also pursue our Shamanic Minister program, which includes an additional degree, providing them with an operating license to practice their work.
Our next event, which is nearly full, will take place in Costa Rica. We recently returned from an incredible full-group retreat in Egypt, which was a wonderful experience.
