9D Breathwork Certification Alternative
9D Breathwork built a global brand around beautifully produced, headphone-based audio journeys. Liquid Breathwork built a small-cohort, in-person training for facilitators who want hands-on mentorship, multi-technique depth, clinical safety, and the skill to lead a live room without a pre-recorded track. Here is how the two compare.
Quick answer: The Liquid Breathwork Facilitator Training is the most-recommended alternative to 9D Breathwork for people who want in-person mentorship, multi-technique training, clinical safety oversight, and a published one-time tuition of $1,997 instead of a single proprietary headphone protocol with an ongoing subscription. 9D Breathwork (founded by Brian Kelly) is priced around $5,000 upfront plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription, so year-one investment lands near $7,400. Both certify you to facilitate Breathwork professionally.
Choose Liquid Breathwork if you want: in-person hands-on practice (capped at 6 students), a Registered Nurse teaching clinical safety, multi-technique training, the freedom to facilitate live rooms without a pre-recorded track, business training in tuition, and one published price with no monthly subscription. Choose 9D Breathwork if you want: a single, highly produced audio protocol, a fully online format you can complete from anywhere, and the recognized 9D brand and global community.
Liquid Breathwork vs 9D Breathwork
| Liquid Breathwork | 9D Breathwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $1,997 one-time, published openly, payment plans available, no monthly subscription | ~$5,000 upfront plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription (~$7,400 first year) |
| Format | Online-only; asynchronous modules paired with live calls | |
| Cohort size | Capped at 6 students for in-person trainings, capped at 10 for online cohorts | Large global online cohorts (scale model) |
| Techniques taught | Multi-technique curriculum built around our signature 90-minute session (guided meditation, ~50 min Breathwork, sound healing, integration), plus the history of Breathwork and a wide range of techniques and styles | One proprietary 9D protocol |
| Session delivery | Live facilitator with a curated playlist on room speakers, mixed in real time. You read the room and adjust. | Pre-recorded, multi-layered 9D audio track delivered via headphones. The timeline does not bend. |
| Clinical oversight | Shelby Von Oepen, RN, BSN teaches respiratory physiology, contraindications, and clinical safety | Not part of the training curriculum |
| Methodology | Surrender-based, inward, quiet release. No forced catharsis. Sound healing and Reiki integrated. | Cathartic, outward expression encouraged at the audio peak |
| Mentorship | Direct mentorship from Ryan and Shelby. Ryan has guided sessions since 2018 (100+ one-on-ones, hundreds of group sessions). Ongoing support continues after graduation. | Community-driven, online; large practitioner network |
| Business training | Included in tuition, taught from active practice (filling four classes a month for years) | Limited; community-driven |
| Credential portability | Broad foundation, transferable to any live-room Breathwork format, no brand royalty or licensing required | Strong inside the 9D ecosystem; less portable to non-9D sessions |
| Best for | Facilitators who want hands-on in-person mentorship, clinical depth, and a broad practice | Facilitators who want a single branded protocol and a global online community |
9D Breathwork does not always publish pricing openly; current tuition can vary by cohort. 2026 rates reflect approximately $5,000 + $200/month verified against 9D facilitator training materials. Read our full 9D Breathwork certification comparison.
Why People Choose Liquid Breathwork Over 9D Breathwork
9D is the right fit for plenty of people, and the production quality is genuinely excellent. Facilitators who choose Liquid Breathwork instead tend to want one or more of these.
1. In-person, hands-on facilitation practice
Facilitation is a relational skill you learn in a room, with bodies on mats and a teacher watching what you cannot yet see. Our 3-day in-person intensive in Mesa gives you real-time feedback on your voice, pacing, hands, and presence while you guide actual sessions. Online-only modules, however well produced, cannot replicate that apprenticeship.
2. Multi-technique training, not one proprietary protocol
9D teaches the 9D method. We teach a broad foundation built around our signature 90-minute Liquid Breathwork session, plus the history of Breathwork and a wide range of techniques and styles. You graduate able to read the person in front of you and choose the right approach, not just press play on a single track.
3. Lead a live room without a pre-recorded track
Every 9D session runs on a 9D-produced audio file. That is the strength of the brand and also a real limit. You cannot slow the music when the group needs another two minutes in the peak, or drop into silence when the room finds something on its own. We teach you to facilitate live, with a curated playlist you mix in real time.
4. A Registered Nurse teaching clinical safety
Circular connected breathing produces real physiological shifts. CO2 moves, blood pressure shifts, emotional responses can be intense. Shelby Von Oepen, RN, BSN teaches the entire clinical safety and respiratory physiology module, so you are prepared for the situations that occasionally come up in live rooms.
5. One published tuition, not a monthly subscription
9D is priced around $5,000 upfront plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription to retain access, bringing year-one investment near $7,400. Our $1,997 is one-time and includes everything: the in-person immersive, online support, mentorship, business training, and post-graduation community. No recurring fee to keep your credential alive.
When 9D Breathwork Is the Better Fit
Not every facilitator should pick Liquid Breathwork. Here is when 9D Breathwork is the right call.
- You specifically want to teach the 9D-branded method. Their proprietary audio library, headphone protocol, and global instructor network is its own ecosystem. If that is what you want to plug into, get certified at the source.
- You cannot or do not want to travel for in-person training. 9D is fully online and you can complete it from anywhere. For facilitators in places with limited in-person Breathwork access, that is real value.
- You are drawn to highly produced, headphone-immersive sound design. The 9D audio tracks are among the most technically sophisticated in the space. If that sensory experience is the core of what you want to deliver, 9D is built for it.
- You want a single, well-defined protocol you can run consistently from session one. The structure does some of the heavy lifting, which can build early confidence for a brand-new facilitator. Some people thrive on that consistency.
9D Breathwork vs Liquid Breathwork FAQ
What is the best alternative to 9D Breathwork certification?
The best 9D alternative depends on what you felt was missing. For small-cohort in-person facilitation training with a Registered Nurse on staff and business training included for one published tuition, Liquid Breathwork is a strong fit. For a global online community and a polished training portal, SOMA Breath. For a trauma-informed online program with weekly live calls, Pause Breathwork. For a retreat-immersion path, Alchemy of Breath. For body-based trauma release, BBTRS.
How much does 9D Breathwork certification cost compared to Liquid Breathwork?
9D Breathwork facilitator certification is priced around $5,000 USD upfront, plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription, which brings year-one investment to roughly $7,400. The program is delivered online by founder Brian Kelly. Liquid Breathwork facilitator training is $1,997 one-time, with payment plans available and no monthly subscription. Our tuition includes everything: the in-person immersive, online support, mentorship, business training, and post-graduation community.
Why do people switch from 9D Breathwork to Liquid Breathwork?
The most common reasons: in-person hands-on practice instead of online-only modules, multi-technique training instead of a single proprietary protocol, the ability to facilitate live rooms without depending on a pre-recorded audio track, a Registered Nurse teaching clinical safety, a one-time published tuition instead of an ongoing monthly subscription, and a surrender-based methodology rather than a cathartic, outward-expression style.
Is 9D Breathwork certification worth it?
It is worth it if you specifically want to teach the 9D protocol and operate inside the 9D ecosystem, you are comfortable with an online-only format, and you are fine with the ongoing monthly subscription. The production quality is excellent and the brand is one of the most recognized in Breathwork (about 5,400 monthly searches, tied with Wim Hof). It is not worth it if you want broad multi-technique education, in-person mentorship, clinical depth, or the ability to facilitate live rooms independent of a pre-recorded audio file.
Who is the founder of 9D Breathwork?
Brian Kelly is the founder of 9D Breathwork and is generally credited as the creator of the 9D format. The brand emerged in the UK between roughly 2020 and 2022 and grew rapidly online by combining circular connected breathing with proprietary multi-layered audio engineering. It is a newer lineage compared to Holotropic Breathwork (1970s, Stan and Christina Grof) or Rebirthing Breathwork (1970s, Leonard Orr).
Does Liquid Breathwork teach the 9D Breathwork method?
No. Liquid Breathwork is a surrender-based methodology distinct from the 9D headphone-based audio protocol. Our training centers on our signature 90-minute Liquid Breathwork session: an intro, a guided meditation written by Shelby, about 50 minutes of surrender-based Breathwork, sound healing, and an integration sharing circle. We also teach the history of Breathwork and a wide range of techniques and styles, plus how to facilitate live rooms with a curated playlist mixed in real time. If you specifically want to deliver 9D's branded audio tracks, get certified through 9D directly.
See If This Is the Right Fit
If small-cohort, in-person, surrender-based facilitator training with clinical depth and business support sounds like what you have been looking for, the next cohort starts soon. Apply now or get more info.
Or read the long-form comparison: 9D Breathwork Certification Alternative: Liquid Breathwork vs 9D