9D Breathwork has become one of the most recognized names in the space, and one of the most asked-about. Is it worth the money? What does it actually cost? Is it legit, or is it slick marketing on top of ordinary breathing? This 9D Breathwork review answers all of that honestly, from people who have facilitated headphone-based sessions ourselves and worked with facilitators who started in 9D.
We have facilitated over 1,000 Breathwork sessions and trained across SOMA Breath, Somatiq, and Rebirthing. We have no stake in talking 9D down, the production quality is real. We just want to give you the straight picture on cost, pros, cons, and who it is genuinely worth it for.
Quick verdict: 9D Breathwork is a legitimate, beautifully produced headphone-based experience founded by Brian Kelly. As a participant, single tracks run $10 to $40. As a facilitator certification, it is roughly $5,000 upfront plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription (about $7,400 in year one). It is worth it if you want the 9D format and brand specifically, and not the best value if you want a broad, in-person, clinically supervised facilitator education.
- What it is: a pre-recorded, multi-layered audio journey paired with circular connected breathing, delivered through headphones
- Cost: ~$10 to $40 per track for participants, ~$5,000 + $200/month for the facilitator certification
- Best for: people who love immersive audio and want a turnkey, brand-backed format
- Look elsewhere if: you want multi-technique range, in-person mentorship, clinical safety, or no monthly subscription
Key Takeaways
- The production is the product. 9D's layered audio (binaural beats, isochronic tones, spatial 8D sound) is genuinely among the best in the field. That is what you are paying for.
- The real cost is the subscription. The headline is ~$5,000, but the mandatory ~$200/month to keep your library and credential active is what pushes year-one cost to ~$7,400.
- It is one format, not a full education. You learn to deliver the 9D protocol, not a broad toolkit of techniques for different people and situations.
- Worth-it depends on your goal. Want the 9D experience or brand specifically? It delivers. Want to become a versatile live facilitator? A broader in-person path goes further.
What Is 9D Breathwork?
9D Breathwork is a format built around a single proprietary innovation: a multi-layered audio track designed for headphone delivery. The "9D" refers to nine dimensions of audio engineering (binaural beats, isochronic tones, solfeggio frequencies, 8D spatial audio, brainwave entrainment, subliminal affirmations, nature soundscapes, music composition, and guided voice coaching) layered into a single soundtrack. The breathing itself is circular connected breathing, the same continuous inhale-exhale pattern used in Holotropic and Rebirthing Breathwork. The audio is what makes 9D distinct. For a full breakdown of the session experience, see our 9D Breathwork explained guide.
Brian Kelly is the founder and creator of the 9D format. The brand emerged from the UK around 2020 to 2022 and grew quickly online through podcasts, social media, and an active practitioner network. Today, "9D Breathwork" is one of the two largest brand searches in the entire Breathwork space at roughly 5,400 monthly searches, tied with Wim Hof.
9D Breathwork Cost: What You Actually Pay
There are two very different price points depending on whether you want to take 9D sessions or teach them.
- As a participant: individual 9D tracks or short subscriptions typically run $10 to $40, and some free samples exist. This is the cheap, low-commitment way to try it.
- As a facilitator (certification): the 9D facilitator certification runs around $5,000 USD upfront, plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription to retain access to the journey library and use the 9D brand. That brings year-one investment to roughly $7,400.
The subscription is the part most people miss. Unlike a one-time tuition, the monthly fee continues for as long as you want to keep delivering 9D-branded sessions. The program does not always publish pricing openly, so exact numbers can shift by cohort and intake window. For context, a one-time in-person facilitator training like Liquid Breathwork is $1,997 with no recurring fee.
What 9D Breathwork Does Well
We want to be honest about the strengths, because they are real.
- Production quality is excellent. The 9D audio tracks are among the most technically sophisticated in the Breathwork space. The layered sound design produces an immersive sensory experience that holds attention.
- Brand recognition is strong. 9D is the largest brand-search competitor in the space alongside Wim Hof. If you say you are 9D-certified to a wellness studio in 2026, they know what it means.
- Online delivery scales globally. You can experience or train from anywhere. For people in areas with limited in-person access, that matters.
- Single-protocol structure is approachable. A new facilitator can lead a 9D session by hitting play on a track and holding space. The structure does some of the heavy lifting, which builds early confidence.
- The community is real. 9D facilitators support each other and there is a recognizable global cohort identity.
Where 9D Breathwork Falls Short
These are the honest gaps, drawn from our own headphone-based facilitation work and conversations with facilitators who came to Liquid Breathwork after starting in 9D.
- It is a single proprietary protocol, not a broad education. 9D teaches the 9D method. If you want to lead a slow somatic session for a trauma-sensitive client, a calming pranayama, or a Rebirthing-style journey, those tools are not in the toolkit.
- Every session depends on a pre-recorded audio file. You cannot slow the music when the room needs another two minutes, or drop into silence when the group finds something on its own. The timeline does not bend.
- Online-only delivery caps facilitation craft. Facilitation is a relational skill learned in a room with feedback from a teacher who can see what you cannot yet see. Modules, however polished, cannot fully replace in-person practicum hours.
- No clinical safety oversight. Circular connected breathing produces real physiological shifts. A curriculum without a clinician teaching contraindications and safety leaves new facilitators undertrained for the hard moments that occasionally come up.
- The ongoing subscription. The ~$200/month is the cost of staying in the ecosystem. Stop paying and you lose access to the library and the right to use the brand.
Is 9D Breathwork Worth It?
Here is the honest verdict. If you are a participant curious about immersive audio Breathwork, a $10 to $40 track is an easy yes, it is one of the best-produced experiences you can buy at that price. As a facilitator certification, it is worth it in one specific case: you want to deliver the 9D format and plug into the 9D brand and community, and you are comfortable with online-only delivery and an ongoing subscription.
It is not the best value if your goal is to become a versatile facilitator. For roughly the same or less than the 9D year-one cost, an in-person training gives you multi-technique range, hands-on mentorship, clinical safety taught by a medical professional, and no monthly fee. The question is not whether 9D is good (it is), it is whether the 9D format specifically is what you want to build your practice on.
Who 9D Breathwork Is Right For (and Who Should Look Elsewhere)
9D is a strong fit if you: love immersive, highly produced audio journeys, want a turnkey brand-backed protocol, want to experience or train fully online, and like plugging into an established global community.
Look elsewhere if you: want to facilitate live rooms with your own music and pacing, want multi-technique range, value a Registered Nurse teaching clinical safety, want small-cohort in-person mentorship, or want one published price with no monthly subscription.
9D Breathwork vs Liquid Breathwork
The most common comparison people make is 9D versus an in-person facilitator training like ours. The short version: 9D is online-only, single-protocol, and subscription-based, while Liquid Breathwork is an in-person plus online, multi-technique training with a Registered Nurse on staff and one published tuition. They serve different goals.
| Factor | 9D Breathwork | Liquid Breathwork |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ~$5,000 + $200/month subscription (~$7,400 first year) | $1,997 one-time, payment plans available |
| Format | Online-only, asynchronous + live calls | 3-day in-person immersive (Mesa, AZ) + online support |
| Techniques | Single proprietary 9D audio protocol | Multi-technique (conscious connected, somatic, pranayama, sound) |
| Clinical safety | Not covered in depth | Registered Nurse (RN, BSN) teaches the safety module |
| Cohort | Large, global, online | Small, capped for individual attention |
| Business training | Add-on / community | Included in tuition |
If you are specifically weighing 9D against an in-person alternative, we wrote a dedicated 9D Breathwork alternative comparison that goes deeper on that exact decision. For the full landscape of every major program, see our best Breathwork certifications guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does 9D Breathwork cost?
Individual 9D tracks or subscriptions run roughly $10 to $40 for participants. The 9D facilitator certification is around $5,000 USD upfront plus a mandatory ~$200/month subscription, putting year-one investment near $7,400. The program does not always publish pricing openly, so the exact number can vary by cohort.
Is 9D Breathwork worth it?
It is worth it if you value highly produced, immersive audio journeys and want a turnkey, brand-backed experience or credential. It is not the best value if you want a broad multi-technique foundation, in-person mentorship, clinical safety oversight, or the ability to facilitate without a pre-recorded audio track. The answer depends on whether you want the 9D format specifically or a broader Breathwork practice.
Is 9D Breathwork legit?
Yes. 9D Breathwork is a legitimate, well-produced program founded by Brian Kelly. The certification is a brand-specific credential rather than a government license, which is normal: there is no government licensing body for Breathwork in the US, so all credentials are issued by the training organization. The production is real and the community is active. What it is not is a broad facilitator education or a clinically supervised in-person training.
What are the pros and cons of 9D Breathwork?
Pros: excellent audio production, strong brand recognition, fully online and globally accessible, an approachable single-protocol structure, and an active community. Cons: it is one proprietary protocol rather than a broad education, every session depends on a pre-recorded file, online-only delivery caps facilitation craft, there is no clinical safety oversight, and the high first-year cost includes an ongoing monthly subscription.
Who is Brian Kelly, the founder of 9D Breathwork?
Brian Kelly is the founder of 9D Breathwork, generally credited as the creator of the 9D format. He grew the brand through podcasts, social media, and an active practitioner network. 9D emerged in the UK around 2020 to 2022, a newer lineage than Holotropic (1970s, Stan and Christina Grof) or Rebirthing (1970s, Leonard Orr).
What is the best alternative to 9D Breathwork?
For small-cohort in-person facilitation training with a Registered Nurse on staff and business training included, Liquid Breathwork. For a global online community, SOMA Breath. For trauma-informed online training, Pause Breathwork. For retreat immersion, Alchemy of Breath. See our 9D alternative comparison for the in-person decision specifically.
Want a Broader, In-Person Alternative to 9D?
If the 9D review left you wanting multi-technique range, clinical depth, and no monthly subscription, see what an in-person facilitator training offers.