#337: Power of the Breath with Niraj Naik
“So this is how you suck people in. It's how you make people pawns in your game and keep them doing what you want and the system just stays as it is. It doesn't change. And if you speak out, you get struck off the register. So it's really hard. So my advice is just find people who are really, like you admire, you trust, they look healthy, copy their patterns of what's their habits, do what they do, you'll probably get the same result.” –Niraj Naik
How did Niraj Naik transform his life from chronic illness to breathwork mastery, and what led him to create the revolutionary SOMA Breath program?
In this episode of I AM HUMAN, I interview Niraj Naik about breath work and the SOMA Breath program. We learn about the importance of the breath, the paradox of oxygen vs. CO2, and how we can utilize breath work to increase our wellbeing and joy.
Niraj discusses his transformative journey from chronic illness to self-healing through breathwork, leading to the creation of the SOMA Breath program. Known as the renegade pharmacist, Niraj shares his insights on optimizing breathing to combat oxidative stress, enhance athletic performance, and elevate energy levels. He highlights the benefits of practicing breathwork on an empty stomach and the importance of integrating it into daily routines for holistic health and stress management. The episode delves into the limitations of modern medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, emphasizing the need for personal responsibility in health management. Niraj advocates for lifestyle medicine and pranayama as empowering alternatives for both doctors and patients, addressing issues like physician burnout and systemic pressures in healthcare. The SOMA Breath program's unique approach, combining music and rhythmic breathing, is presented as a tool for achieving profound states of consciousness and improving overall well-being.
Niraj Naik is a former pharmacist turned holistic health and breathwork expert, known as the Renegade Pharmacist. His journey began as a community pharmacist until stress-related depression and ulcerative colitis prompted a profound self-healing quest. This led to the creation of SOMA Breath, a global movement with over 3,500 certified instructors and hundreds of thousands of students worldwide. Advocated by wellness leaders like Ben Greenfield and studied by neuroscientists at Cambridge, Niraj is dedicated to educating others on holistic health, breathwork, and meditation, while also developing various health-related brands.
Discussion points:
(00:00) Guest intro - Niraj Naik
(05:29) Niraj’s career path ups and downs, oxidative stress, breathwork, and optimizing well-being and enhancing energy levels
(11:30) Breathwork helps manage stress and balance in business, the broken business model of healthcare, big pharma’s control over media and the people
(23:54) Getting off processed food, eat more whole home-cooked foods
(25:00) Feeling trapped as a physician, wanting to help people
(27:30) Breathing practices like pranayama, CO2 tolerance, and mindful practices can improve well-being and longevity, breath-hold time
(45:00) The power of SOMA Breath program - combining music and rhythmic breathing for transformative experiences, improving energy levels and athletic performance
(52:25) Closing questions, what we wish people knew
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Niraj Naik
Holistic health and breathwork expert
Niraj Naik is a professional musician and pharmacist turned holistic health and breathwork expert. He started his path in healing others, as a community pharmacist, yet after several years he found himself a patient with stress-related depression and ulcerative colitis. This was a wake-up call that made him embark on a journey of profound self-healing and education. He created a global community of heart-centred changemakers by founding SOMA Breath - the global breathwork and wellness movement with over 2000 certified instructors, and hundreds of thousands of students around the globe.
Known internationally as the Renegade Pharmacist, Niraj is dedicated to educating others on topics of holistic health, breathwork, meditation, and more. Niraj’s breathwork is advocated by some top names in wellness such as Ben Greenfield, Marisa Peer, Vishen Lakhiani, and Josh Trent of Wellness Force Radio and his techniques are currently being studied by leading neuroscientists at Cambridge University.
In addition to the global breathwork and wellness movement, Niraj has created many other brands related to health and healing and was featured in articles from multiple news outlets across the world as well as hundreds of podcasts.
The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.