Niraj Naik is a breathwork instructor, meditation teacher, and professional musician best known for creating SOMA Breath, a training system that fuses pranayama techniques from Yogic tradition with neuroscience and music. A former certified pharmacist, he left clinical practice after recovering from a chronic illness in 2010 and turned to holistic health education full-time, operating under the public name the Renegade Pharmacist.
SOMA Breath distinguishes itself from other breathwork modalities by pairing rhythmic breathing protocols with binaural beats and live music to trigger altered states. The system draws on pranayama, Tibetan Tummo, and intermittent hypoxic training, packaging these methods into structured programs for energy, fitness, and meditation. Naik has trained instructors in the SOMA Breath method across six continents, certifying practitioners who teach the system in studios, retreats, and online platforms.
He founded Breathe In Beats, a music collective that merges electronic production and live instrumentation with guided breathwork in group ceremony settings. These events combine DJ sets, immersive sound design, and choreographed breathing sequences intended to produce what Naik describes as ecstatic or trance states without substances. The collective has performed at wellness festivals and retreat centers internationally.
Naik's background as a pharmacist informs his public messaging, which often contrasts pharmaceutical interventions with lifestyle-based health strategies. His 2010 illness and subsequent recovery through diet, breathwork, and meditation became the biographical anchor for his teaching. He studied pranayama, Kriya Yoga, and Vedic practices after leaving pharmacy, synthesizing these lineages into the SOMA Breath curriculum. He also trained in music production and DJing, integrating these skills into his breathwork programming.
His work has reached audiences through online courses, in-person retreats, and a network of certified SOMA Breath instructors. He has spoken at wellness conferences and collaborated with fitness professionals, biohackers, and meditation teachers in the holistic health space. His online presence includes a podcast, instructional videos, and a subscription platform for guided breathwork sessions. He has written about breathwork science, Yogic philosophy, and plant medicine integration on his website and in guest articles for wellness publications.
Naik currently leads residential wellness retreats in locations including Bali, Costa Rica, and Europe, often combining breathwork with plant-based nutrition, ice baths, and Vedic rituals. He continues to develop the SOMA Breath instructor training program and expand the Breathe In Beats live event series. His teaching calendar includes monthly online ceremonies and quarterly in-person intensives.
For someone discovering his work today, Niraj Naik offers a structured entry point into pranayama and breathwork that bridges ancient Yogic methods and contemporary performance science, delivered through music-driven group practice.
