Data from the Australian Government Productivity Commission shows poor mental health costs the Australian economy $12.2 – 22.5 billion each year.
Research from Stanford University has shown that breathwork is more effective in reducing stress than meditation, and Australian businesses and government bodies such as Google and the Navy SEALS are embracing the practice, incorporating breathwork into wellness programs to help and sustain employees’ mental health.
Australia’s leading breathwork coach, Johannes Egberts, founder of Breathless Expeditions, is at the forefront of the breathwork industry in Australia and worldwide.
In the last 12 months, he has led more than 100 face to face workshops with employees from ASX companies and introduced more than 3000 people to breathwork, ice experiences and freediving through hundreds of workshops, retreats and programs.
His published research with the University of Queensland, Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review, found breathwork can help people overcome issues including PTSD, treat anxiety, recover from addiction, compulsion, depression, psychiatric conditions, healing from burnout, autoimmune conditions, shattering limiting beliefs and lifelong patterns of conditioning.
Netherlands-born Johannes says, “Breathwork is the largest growing wellness trend in Australian businesses, and there’s a reason why.
“The breath is the remote control to the human body and nervous system.
“The average human takes between 12 to 20 breaths per minute. The first step is to use this breath retraining protocol to bring our chemistry back.
“When you learn to control it the right way, you can use it to shift the state that you’re in.
“Research shows breathing retraining can help relieve anything from mental health issues, to epilepsy, asthma hypertension and autoimmune conditions. It’s used to treat conditions ranging from PTSD , managing and overcoming anxiety, chronic stress, sleep issues, the inability to focus and lack of energy.
“When we restore people’s natural breathing patterns, we restore their health.”
The insights gained from his study with the University of Queensland have directly influenced the development of Breathless methodologies, underscoring Johannes’ commitment to an evidence based approach and he launched the Breathless Instructors Partnership Program, training instructors in his modalities, in late 2022.
Breathless Expeditions currently has 300 instructors in Australia and aims to have approximately 400 certified trainers by the end of this year, and then move into other markets.
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