Emilia Sanabria

About

Emilia Sanabria discovered Holotropic Breathwork in 2013 and began her training in 2017. She certified with Grof Transpersonal Training in Loveland Colorado in 2022. She has also completed the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science (MAPS) training in MDMA for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (2021). She is passionate about plants, permaculture, cross-cultural wisdom in more-than-human relationality, the subtle alchemy of space holding and the wisdom of the body and the breath.

In her everyday life, Emilia is an anthropologist and works as a full-time researcher at the CNRS in Paris. She has been conducting ethnographic fieldwork in South America (particularly Brazil and Peru) for over two decades. Emilia is currently Principal Investigator of the European Research Council funded project "Healing Encounters: Reinventing an indigenous medicine in the clinic and beyond" that examines the expansion and prolific reinventions of healing practices that make use of the Amazonian herbal brew ayahuasca: https://encounters.cnrs.fr/en

She lives in France with her partner, daughter and two cats and is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Qualifications

Holotropic Breathwork Facilitation (Grof Transpersonal Training, 2022)

MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD (MAPS, 2021)

PhD in Anthropology (University of Cambridge, 2008)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Sanabria, E. (forth. 2024). « La Dieta como metodologia » in Lopez Sanchez, José & Mesturini, S. ; Trabajar con plantas que tienen madres. Diálogos con un Onanya Shipibo. Fineo Editorial.

Benedito, P. & Sanabria, E. (under review) « Psychedelic Nation? (De)Provincializing “the” psychedelic renaissance from Brazil. » Science, Technology & Human Values.

Sanabria, E. & Tofoli, L. F. (under review) “Integrating Psychedelic Experiences: An Interdisciplinary Discussion”Transcultural Psychiatry.

Sanabria, E. & Mesturini, S. 2023 “Introduction: Plotting PhytoFutures.” American Anthropologist. 125(3): 673-678 https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13863

Lopez Sanchez, J., Mesturini, S. & Sanabria, E. 2023. Planting the Future. American Anthropologist. 125(3): 701-706 https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13862

Sanabria, E. 2023. Futures. The Cambridge Handbook of Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality. McCallum, C. and Posoco, S. (eds). Cambridge University Press. pp624-645

Dumit, J. & Sanabria, E. 2022. Set, Setting and Clinical Trials: Colonial Technologies and Psychedelics. The Palgrave Handbook for the Anthropology of Technology. Hoeyer, Klaus and Winthereik, Brit Ross (eds), pp291-308

Sanabria, E. 2021. Vegetative Value promissory horizons of therapeutic innovation in the global circulation of ayahuasca. BioSocieties, 16, 387-410

Sanabria, E. 2020. (Psychedelics) Beyond the “Neuro”. HotSpots, Fieldsites. Cultural Anthropology. July 21. https://culanth.org/fieldsights/psychedelics-beyond-the-neuro

Hardon, A. and Sanabria, E. 2017. “Fluid Drugs: Revisiting the Anthropology of Pharmaceuticals.” Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 46: 117-132

Talin, P. and Sanabria, E. 2017. “Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’.” International Journal Drug Policy. Vol. 44 pp23-30

Upcoming Events (1)

View Previous Events

2025-09-15 00:00:00

Shamanism meets Holotropic Breathwork-7day-6 nights Spain 15th-21th of September 2025 Jose

This 7-day, 6-night workshop integrates Holotropic Breathwork with shamanic practices in a harmonious and integrative manner, facilitating a profound healing experience. Following the tradition of an "amazon diet," participants will engage in the consumption of Tobacco and Luz de la Selva, a blend of 8 different master plants. Working with these master plants occurs within a ritual context, emphasizing the intentions of cleansing, healing, and gaining insight, thereby fostering a deep connection with oneself.

Holotropic Breathwork® Association of Europe

Holotropic Breathwork® Association of Europe – a Network of GTT certified Holotropic Breathwork® Practitioners in Europe – is providing information and support for people interested in exploring the healing potentials of Holotropic Breathwork®, as well a platform for exchange and learning for GTT (Grof Transpersonal Training® certified Holotropic Breathwork® Practitioners.

Events

Here you can find “Holotropic Events” all over Europe (incl. Russia and Turkey). You can either look at all events or filter your search by Holotropic Breathwork® Workshops, Grof Transpersonal Training® Modules and others such as lectures and conferences on Transpersonal Psychology and Psychotherapy. Furthermore, you can search events by date, location etc.

Holotropic Breathwork®

Holotropic Breathwork® is a powerful technique for self-healing and self-exploration allowing for greater self-understanding, expansion of self-identity and access to the roots of emotional and psychosomatic challenges one might face. Holotropic Breathwork® comes from the Greek words ‘holos’ (whole) and ‘trepein’ (going to) meaning moving towards wholeness.

Training

GTT is a program for experiencing and studying Holotropic Breathwork® and the transpersonal perspective. It is a two-track program that can be used either to become a certified practitioner or simply to experience this practice in a more in-depth format. It is the best way to spend time with HB co-developer and one of the founders of transpersonal psychology, Stanislav Grof. Although semi-retired, Stan still teaches at some of the six-day training workshops, also called modules.

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