Radical Agency: How Breathwork Supports Real Inner Change - Giovanni Bartolomeo

Dec 29, 2025

Giovanni Bartolomeo, founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork and co-founder of the Personal Development School, discusses how breathwork fosters real inner change. He shares his transition from a high-pressure entrepreneur to a heart-led leader and the emerging practices blending breath, music, and movement. Giovanni explains how breathwork empowers individuals to self-heal, avoiding dependency, and highlights the importance of integration after psychedelic experiences. He also offers practical advice for daily breath practices to enhance resilience.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Raised In A Conformity Bubble

Giovanni described growing up in a tight Italian-Canadian bubble that taught him success meant money and conformity.
That upbringing drove his early hustling and serial entrepreneurship until a spiritual crisis shifted his priorities.

ANECDOTE

The Wake-Up Moment

Giovanni recounted a life-crisis moment seeing his grandfather's hands and realizing his life lacked meaning.
That recognition launched his search into philosophy, psychedelics, and deeper practices.

ANECDOTE

Rebirth Through Breathwork

Giovanni recounted meeting Wim Hof, training in breathwork and having an out-of-body rebirth-like experience.
That breathwork session sparked tears, relief, and a conviction to learn and teach the practices.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Giovanni Bartolomeo, founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork, about how breathwork can support meaningful personal change and deepen integration after psychedelic experiences.

Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-336/?ref=278

Gio shares his journey from high-pressure entrepreneurship into a more grounded, heart-led approach to life and business. He reflects on how Elemental Rhythm emerged through years of breathwork practice, somatic exploration, and deep work with plant medicine, eventually evolving into a system that blends breath, music, movement, meditation, and guided inquiry.

Together, Paul and Gio explore why accessible practices like breathwork can cultivate real agency rather than dependency, how preparation and integration shape long-term change, and what it means to take responsibility for one's own growth in both spiritual and entrepreneurial contexts.

Giovanni Bartolomeo is the founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork, where he shares breathwork resources and trains others to facilitate breathwork-based transformational coaching. A lifelong entrepreneur, Gio's own journey through self-discovery led him to create a grounded, embodied approach to personal and professional transformation. Today, he teaches workshops, trainings, and retreats internationally.

Highlights:

From serial entrepreneur to inner-led leadership
Growing beyond inherited belief systems
How Elemental Rhythm emerged through plant medicine work
Breathwork as a tool for agency and clarity
Preparation and integration in psychedelic work
Empowerment versus dependency in facilitation
Responsibility as a cornerstone of transformation
Ethical questions in entrepreneurship and healing spaces
Insights from the Microdosing Practitioner Certification beta
Daily breathwork and nervous system resilience

Episode Links:

Episode Sponsors:

The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Disclaimer: Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.