How SOMA Breath Became a Leading Breathwork School Breath is a path to physical healing for entrepreneurs.
By Robert Tuchman Edited by Dan Bova
The founders of SOMA Breath School argue that there is a lot to learn about something as simple as breathing. Hundreds of thousands of happy students are proof they are indeed on to something with teaching people to use their breath correctly.
The breathwork movement is rapidly taking over the West, just as some time ago yoga infiltrated every gym and studio from megapolises to small towns. At the forefront of the movement is SOMA Breath: an online school of breathwork that started just 5 years ago and quickly rose to become one of the best-recognized names in the industry. Founded by a former pharmacist from UK Niraj Naik, SOMA Breath has reached hundreds of thousands of students around the world, certified over 2000 instructors, and headlined some of the best stages in personal development industries, such as Mindvalley or Envision festival. What is the secret to the brand's rapid growth?
Breath is a path to physical healing
Today, various breathwork modalities are used for emotional and physical healing, and they are even being studied clinically as a form of therapy. As a founder of SOMA Breath, Naik himself is living proof of the power of the modality. In his early 30s, he was faced with ulcerative colitis: an autoimmune disease that left him with little choice between becoming a guinea pig for an untested new drug or having his colon permanently removed. Instead, life offered him an alternative path. He was initially skeptical that some simple breathing exercises would help his condition. However, in his desperation, he was willing to try anything. Imagine Naik's surprise when lifestyle changes, combined with dedicated breathwork practice started to show true improvements in his condition. A year later, having completely recovered he was truly encouraged to study the science behind breathwork and share it with more people.
Researchers prove breath aids emotional healing
Loyal to his pharmaceutical background and scientific outlook on physical healing, Naik has created precise protocols that allowed many students of SOMA Breath School to use ancient breathing techniques for physical healing. Many of the school's students are sharing other inspiring stories of physical transformation, such as the improvement of arthritis, muscular dystrophy, gut issues, and many more. Breathwork is also getting known as a tool for emotional healing. Once again, thanks to using precise protocols for its breathing techniques SOMA Breath has caught the attention of Cambridge University researchers. The research that's currently being carried out studies the impact of the SOMA Breath technique on conditions such as anxiety and depression. A previous clinical study led by Dr. Jeff Tarrant of Neuro Meditation Institute has found that the SOMA technique helps with anxiety and depression. It has been proven to create effects similar to those achieved using psilocybin. Multiple case studies and clinical research are now an important part of SOMA Breath's rapid growth through word of mouth.
However, let's get it straight, no breathwork technique is truly unique, as most of them such as shamanic breathing, rebirthing, and others derive from ancient pranayama practices described thousands of years ago by ancient yogis. So what makes SOMA Breath different?
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Ancient Practice to the Sound of Modern Beats
Our modern life requires us to move fast, make hundreds of decisions a day and stay constantly connected. We might know of the benefits of things like meditation and pranayama, but deprioritize the practice, giving space to more pressing tasks. Often, it takes a serious health challenge like Naik's to make people question their lifestyle. And this is a challenge many in the wellness industry face. It's not the lack of knowledge but the lack of commitment to healthy practices that keep people unhealthy. No one has the time and patience to practice breathwork as ancient yogis did. People of the 21st century need a modern way to use ancient practices that honor the rhythm of our day-to-day lives. SOMA Breath addressed this issue by integrating the rhythm into the core of its product. Unique music created by a global team of musicians is the true secret behind the "stickiness" of the practice. Students report feeling "hooked" onto the practice because of the beautiful music created by Naik himself as well as multiple artists. Taking this even further, SOMA Breath started to collaborate with some well-known DJs and music producers around the world to truly create a unique musical experience. A real modern twist to ancient techniques.
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There is no one factor behind business success, and in the case of the rapid growth of SOMA Breath, there is a combination: the rise of interest in breathwork globally, accessibility of the practice, and the strong and dedicated team behind the scenes. However, Naik believes a lot of it boils down to creating a truly unique product. SOMA Breath's "pharmacy" of techniques offers a winning combination of ancient wisdom, scientific backing as well as modern music that leaves people completely hooked on the practice.
