Breathe Initiative Members

Sandy Abrams
UNITED STATES

Initiative Chair

Sandy Abrams, Founder, TheCEOm.com, United States

Sandy Abrams is a longtime entrepreneur and author (Your Idea, Inc. and Breathe to Succeed) now focused on sharing the power of BREATH through her unique and empowering BREATHE experiences. She shares her 30 years of experience and training utilizing the power of breath and mindfulness in business and life. Her business sensibility about “breath as meditation at the speed of life” resonates with the fast pace of our on-demand lifestyle. Sandy has led “Breathe to Succeed” workshop experiences with several Google offices, WW (formerly Weight Watchers) HQ, Universal Music, Facebook HQ, McKinsey & Co., Women Presidents Org., YPO, Canyon Ranch resorts, and many entrepreneurial groups, conferences and events. Sandy is on a mission to empower people to create their optimal energy for success and wellness…one deep, mindful breath at a time.

Peter M. Litchfield, PhD
UNITED STATES

Vice Chair

Peter M. Litchfield, PhD, President, Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences, United States

Peter M. Litchfield, PhD, is president of the Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences, which provides professional diploma and certificate programs that integrate physiological and behavioral sciences for new and innovative applications in healthcare, human service and performance enhancement. He is the CEO for Better Physiology, Ltd., the manufacturer of CapnoTrainer instrumentation, used for identifying and ameliorating dysfunctional breathing habits. Dr. Litchfield is a behavioral physiologist specializing in respiratory psychophysiology and has lectured for more than 40 years in person and by webinar throughout North America and in Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America to diverse audiences, ranging from medical schools to corporate groups.

Dr. Rekha Chaudhari

Village Housewife to Global Business Leader, India

Born and brought up in a remote tribal village of Maharashtra, Dr. Rekha Chaudhari has an inspiring story of transforming from a housewife of rural India to a global figure in the beauty, spa and wellness industry. Rekha is the Global Wellness Ambassador for India, a title by the government of India as an honor by MSME Ministry and a social entrepreneur of nonprofit organizations like OLWE (JSWE), Mothers Touch Foundation, Zep Foundation, and GWD. She is also the founder and managing director of Oneline Wellness and Caressaa Wellness.

Tanya Bentley, PhD

Tanya Bentley, PhD, is Co-founder and CEO of the Health and Human Performance Foundation (HHPF), a non-profit research organization that brings together experts and organizations from around the world who are passionate about health, well-being, and human performance. Together, they are studying how breathwork and other mind-body approaches relate to health, well-being, and physical and mental performance among broad populations and ages. Dr. Bentley has recently conducted economic analyses for clinical trials conducted out of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. In this role, she designs, implements, and disseminates findings from cost and cost-effectiveness studies to demonstrate the value-added and potential cost considerations of mindfulness-based interventions.

Prior to HHPF, Dr. Bentley was Senior Director of Health Economics at the Partnership for Health Analytic Research. She previously served as Research Scientist at UCLA, Adjunct Instructor at USC, and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the RAND Corporation. She is skilled in business development, study design and implementation, health economic analyses, decision sciences, scientific writing and presentation, and team leadership. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science from Cornell University, and a Master’s and PhD in Health Policy/Decision Sciences from Harvard University.

Sepideh Eivazi

Founder, Dawn of the Earth (purpose-driven & eco-conscious co.); Director of Global Accounts, Elevated Meeting Solutions

Born and raised in Iran, Sepideh developed a passion for herbs at a very young age, exploring the wisdom and magic of herbs and teas. Realizing that Western society overlooked the power of these special herbs, she embarked on a journey to educate herself on how best to incorporate plant medicine into a wellness-focused lifestyle. Sepideh has helped many people through the practice of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). Hearing the stories shared by those who experienced profound emotional realizations, based on their transformation with EFT and crafted tea blends, touched her deeply. She continued her journey into the impactful world of Breathwork by becoming a Somatic Breathwork Practitioner. Sepideh is certified with Delos StayWell and is featured in Smart Meetings, Voyage LA, Bizbash, ALHI, and the Purist.

Dr. Jonathan Fisher

Cardiologist, Novant Health-Founder Mind Heart Now LLC, Organizational Resilience and Well-being Leader/Speaker, United States

Dr. Jonathan Fisher is a Harvard-trained physician with over 20 years of clinical experience who has helped thousands of individuals live longer and better lives. He is a practicing cardiologist, certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and a Resilience & Well-Being Program leader for 30,000 healthcare team members. In that role, he leads mindfulness and compassion retreats for healthcare providers and leaders and designs clinical trials studying the impact of mindfulness and compassion practice on healthcare delivery. He also serves as a medical director for the Novant Health Cardio-Pulmonary-Oncology Rehabilitation and Wellness Program and helped introduce the first formal mindfulness training programs for patients, providers and leaders. In 2020, he founded the Ending Physician Burnout Global Community and organized the world’s first global summit dedicated to ending physician burnout.

Nick Heath, PhD

Creator, The Breathing Diabetic, United States

Nick Heath is the creator of The Breathing Diabetic. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11. At age 30, Nick began practicing simple breathing exercises that helped improve his blood sugars, improve his sleep, and increase his energy levels, all of which helped him better manage his diabetes. With a background in scientific research, Nick wanted to understand how something as simple as breathing could be so beneficial for diabetes. This put him on a mission to understand the science behind breathing and health and wellness, which he shares through The Breathing Diabetic. Nick’s formal education is in atmospheric science, but he is also a certified Oxygen Advantage instructor and lifelong learner. Nick lives on Florida’s East Coast with his wife, daughter and dog.

Avi Greenberg

Mindset Coach, United States

Avi Greenberg is a multidisciplinary Wellness Coach whose expertise has been crafted by learning from breath-work greats like Brian Mackenzie and Wim Hof. Avi’s method is rooted in science-backed breathing protocols and modalities for stress optimization. Avi has coached a variety of professionals in high-stress roles including corporate leaders at Fortune 500 companies, athletes, performers, and people with chronic illness. Avi’s approach of active listening has allowed him to help his clients establish long-term wellness goals as well as reach higher levels of success in their personal and professional lives.

Chuck McGee III

As a Type 1 Diabetic and Traumatic Brain Injury survivor, Chuck has faced many personal health challenges. For years he had been searching for practical and impactful ways to improve his health and reduce his symptoms. Six years ago he was introduced to the Wim Hof Method, and after feeling the benefits as well as the massive shift this method brought into his life, he switched professions and dedicated his life to helping others discover their own personal power to help themselves. For the past six years, Chuck has traveled worldwide studying different breathwork modalities. His first introduction to conscious breathwork was through the Wim Hof Method, which included weeks of instruction from Wim Hof himself. Chuck was the first American Instructor to help lead the Wim Hof winter expeditions in Poland, and he continues to expand his knowledge in this and other breathwork practices. For the past three years, Chuck has been working in a healthcare setting applying foundational and functional breath coupled with the Wim Hof Method to help reduce chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. His goal is to empower people through their own personal and individual breathwork. Because everyone’s physiology is different Chuck knows there is no cookie-cutter approach to optimal health, however, he believes that functional breathing can positively impact everyone. Along with being a Wim Hof Method instructor, Chuck is also a master instructor with Oxygen Advantage and a certified XPT Performance Breath Coach. Chuck works with everyone at their own pace, regardless of their age, ability, or fitness level. His clients range from those who are searching for a reduction in chronic pain and need tools to manage anxiety and stress, as well to those who want to learn how to optimize athletic performance.

Patrick McKeown

International Breathing Expert, Ireland

Patrick McKeown is an international breathing expert and author based in Galway, Ireland. Since 2002, he has worked with thousands of clients, including elite military special forces (SWAT) Olympic coaches and athletes. Atomic Focus (2021), Patrick’s latest book, addresses sleep quality, physiology and awareness to achieve flow state, to focus and to hold attention, to the exclusion of distractions, for a sustained period of time. The Breathing Cure (2021) is a deep dive into the science of breathing. It explores functional breathing for a wide range of health conditions and breathing exercises suitable for adults, children and teens. These unique exercises improve quality of life with better sleep, health and performance. Patrick’s 2015 book, The Oxygen Advantage, is available in 14 languages and retains high review ratings on Amazon. Oxygen Advantage® is a leading authority in breathwork. There are currently more than 700 trained instructors across 50 countries.

Mohammad Nami, MD, PhD

Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology Unit, Canadian University Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Mohammad Nami is the Director of the Brain, Cognition, and Behavior Unit at BrainHub Polyclinic and Academy UAE, as well as the former Head of the Department of Neuroscience and Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Affairs, at the School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. He currently functions as Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuropsychology at the Department of Social Sciences, Canadian University Dubai. Dr. Nami is an Associate Member of the Harvard Medical School Alumni and a member of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs. His main areas of research and clinical practice are medical/cognitive neuroscience, cognitive neuropsychology, neuroscience of sleep, neuro-cognitive fitness, neurological aspects of sleep disorders, and related interventions. He believes that mental health and sleep health awareness need to be copromoted as one does not come without the other. As such, his career has been dedicated to helping people awaken to their true nature and infinite brain/cognitive, and affective potentials to maintain better sleep and mental aptitude. This is his calling.

Chris Wurden

Chris Wurden is a Professional Breathing Consultant and Resilience Coach. Chris began his life in a full state of debilitating nervous system overwhelm that put him in the hospital over 25 times starting at the age of 2.5. His breath, mind, and body were his greatest enemies… His life became a quest to heal his trauma and turn his greatest weaknesses into his greatest strengths. Presently, Chris has dialed into the most essential practices human beings can use to expand the capacity of their nervous systems and thus their abilities to live fuller lives. He artfully and passionately guides people to directly expand their capacities to embrace the full intensity of Raw Energy (Sympathetic Nervous System) and of Surrendering/Relaxing (Parasympathetic Nervous System). No matter where you begin… he will show you how the breath and your nervous system can become your most powerful tools… so that you may expand your own capacity to live the fullest life you could ever imagine. Chris is the owner of Essential Breathworks LLC and offers online breath consultations, personal coaching packages, workshops, multi modality collaborations, and retreats. University of Washington Psychology & UW Foster School of Business Bachelors Degrees, Wim Hof Instructor, Oxygen Advantage Instructor, Buteyko Instructor, AYP RYS200, & CEO of Essential Breathworks LLC