50% off Breathwork instructor training · Enrollment open
Breathwork instructor training, taught by a world record holder and a team of doctors
A complete online breathwork instructor training built on respiratory physiology, not belief. Learn 18 breathing techniques, understand exactly what each one does to the body, and gain the skills to guide other people safely. No spiritual framework required.
- Taught by Budimir Šobat — Guinness World Record holder, 24 minutes 37 seconds of breath-hold
- Physiology first — gas exchange, CO₂ tolerance, the Bohr effect, lung volumes, contraindications
- Medical faculty — two doctors and an emergency medicine specialist on the teaching team
- 100% online, at your pace — no travel, no fixed dates, lifetime title, no renewal fees
Trusted by instructors around the world.
Featured in
- 18Breathing techniques
- 24:37World record breath-hold
- 7Online modules
- ~10 hOf expert knowledge
Your breathwork teacher
The man who held his breath for 24 minutes and 37 seconds
Budimir “Buda” Šobat is a professional apnoea diver and Guinness World Record holder. In March 2021 he held his breath for 24 minutes and 37 seconds — a record he had already broken once before. Nobody in the breathwork field has a credential like it.
He teaches the breathwork module of this program himself: how the respiratory system actually works, how to build CO₂ tolerance, where the hard physiological limits are, and how to take students to the edge of their capacity without ever crossing into danger.
- Guinness World Record — longest voluntary breath-hold, 24:37
- Professional apnoea diver with decades of competitive practice
- Teaches the full breathwork module, not a guest appearance
Physiology, not belief
Most breathwork trainings teach you what to do. This one teaches you why it works.
If you are going to put another person into an altered breathing state, you should be able to explain what is happening in their bloodstream. That is the standard this program is built to.
Carbon dioxide drives the urge to breathe — not a lack of oxygen
The reflex that makes you gasp is triggered by rising CO₂, not falling O₂. Understanding that single fact changes how you coach breath-holds, how you explain air hunger, and how you keep students safe.
Your blood is already nearly saturated with oxygen
Haemoglobin is 97–99% saturated during normal breathing. Hyperventilating does not add meaningful oxygen — it removes CO₂. You will learn what that does to blood pH and why it matters.
Tidal volume, reserve volume, residual volume
A normal breath moves about 500 ml. You can inhale 1,900–3,300 ml more, and exhale another 700–1,200 ml. Knowing these numbers is how you turn vague "breathe deeper" cues into real instruction.
The nervous system you are actually training
Long exhales, nasal breathing and humming all stimulate the vagus nerve and shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. You will learn which technique does this fastest, and when.
The curriculum
18 breathing techniques — what each one does, and when to use it
These are the techniques that hold up under scrutiny — from clinical pulmonology to yogic pranayama to Tibetan practice — plus I.C.E. Breathing, which we developed ourselves and teach first to every student. And this is the short list: the full program covers more, along with the variations you will need for different people.
Calming the nervous system
I.C.E. Breathing
Inhale · Contain · Exhale — 4-4-8- How
- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4, then exhale slowly for 8. Repeat for several rounds.
- Effect
- The long exhale lowers pulse and blood pressure and signals safety to the body. The technique we teach first, because it works for complete beginners and in genuinely stressful moments.
The Physiological Sigh
Double inhale, long exhale- How
- Two quick inhales through the nose — one deep, one short on top — then one long, audible exhale through the mouth. Two to five rounds.
- Effect
- The double inhale reopens collapsed alveoli and engages stretch receptors; the long exhale hits the vagus nerve. The fastest known way to bring acute stress down within seconds.
Box Breathing
4-4-4-4, also called square breathing- How
- Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Keep the rhythm even and unhurried.
- Effect
- Steadies the nervous system without sedating it. Used as standard practice by US Navy SEALs for focus and stress control, which is also why it lands well with athletes and first responders.
4-7-8 Breathing
The relaxing breath- How
- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale audibly through the mouth for 8.
- Effect
- The extended exhale acts as a natural sedative for the nervous system. The technique most students come back to for falling asleep and for acute anxiety.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Belly breathing- How
- Hands on the belly. Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds so the belly rises while the chest stays quiet; exhale through the mouth for 6.
- Effect
- The basis of nearly every other technique. Activates the diaphragm and the vagus nerve, and lowers both blood pressure and heart rate. If a student cannot do this, nothing else will work properly.
Resonance Breathing
Heart coherence, 5-5, about 6 breaths per minute- How
- Inhale for exactly 5 seconds, exhale for exactly 5. Around six breaths per minute, sustained.
- Effect
- Brings heart rhythm and nervous system into their most balanced state. The technique to reach for when someone wants a daily practice rather than an emergency tool.
Bhramari
Humming bee breath- How
- Close the ears with the fingers and hum on every exhale, low and steady.
- Effect
- The vibration calms the brain and releases mental tension and anger quickly. One of the few techniques that works even when someone is too agitated to count.
Buteyko Breathing
Reduced breathing- How
- Deliberately gentle, slow, light nasal breathing — less air, not more — with controlled pauses.
- Effect
- Raises tolerance to carbon dioxide over time, which is what actually improves breath-hold capacity and reduces over-breathing in daily life. The clinical counterweight to hyperventilation methods.
Pursed-Lip Breathing
The lip brake- How
- Inhale normally through the nose, then exhale extremely slowly against almost-closed lips, as if whistling.
- Effect
- Keeps the airways open under pressure. A standard exercise in pulmonology for people with asthma and COPD, and the technique to know if you will ever work alongside clinicians.
Nasal Breathing
Not a technique — a rule- How
- In and out through the nose, particularly in the first 30 to 60 seconds of any stressor.
- Effect
- Warms and humidifies the air, filters it, and engages the diaphragm. The blunt way we teach it: mouth is panic, nose is control.
Activation, strength and body heat
Tummo Breathing
Tibetan inner fire- How
- 30 to 40 deep, powerful breaths in succession, then a breath retention, combined with visualisation of warmth spreading from the core.
- Effect
- Measurably raises core body temperature and sharpens concentration. Also the technique with the clearest safety rules — we teach exactly when it must not be used.
Gorilla Breathing
Three rounds, standing- How
- Deep nasal inhale, hold while tapping the chest — fingertips, then palms, then fists — then a forceful "HUH" exhale while folding forward.
- Effect
- A cleansing pranayama that stretches the intercostal muscles, generates real warmth and builds confidence before a hard effort. May cause dizziness, which is exactly why it is taught with its limits.
Primitive Man Breathing
Rhythmic breathing with voice- How
- Deep rhythmic breathing combined with a vocalised, humming exhale.
- Effect
- The vibration produces internal warmth and soothes the nervous system through sound. It also does something no protocol can: it gets self-conscious people out of their heads.
Kapalabhati
Skull-shining breath, fire breathing- How
- Rapid, forceful exhales through the nose driven by the abdominal muscles, with passive automatic inhales in between.
- Effect
- Works like a double espresso. Clears the airways and energises the mind. Contraindicated in several conditions — you will learn which.
Bhastrika
Bellows breath- How
- Forceful inhale and forceful exhale in equal measure, fast and rhythmic.
- Effect
- Intense activation of the metabolism. Grouped with Tummo as a technique that demands caution: dizziness on land is unpleasant, in water it is dangerous.
Balance and regulation
Nadi Shodhana
Alternate nostril breathing- How
- Close the nostrils alternately with the fingers — in through the left, out through the right, in through the right, out through the left.
- Effect
- Balances the analytical and creative hemispheres and evens out energy. The technique that works best in the middle of a working day, because it demands attention without demanding exertion.
Cyclic Rhythmic Breathing
Slow, medium, fast in sequence- How
- A structured sequence moving through slow, medium and fast rhythms in a fixed order.
- Effect
- Studied for its effect on stress, anxiety and sleep quality. The format to use when someone wants a longer, structured session rather than a two-minute tool.
Cyclic Hyperventilation
Deep breathing with retention- How
- 30 to 40 deep powerful breaths, then a breath-hold on empty lungs, then a full inhale held for around 15 seconds.
- Effect
- Releases adrenaline and raises cold tolerance. It is also the technique most likely to hurt someone. We teach the pros, the cons — alkalosis, tingling, blackout risk — and the absolute rule: never in or near water.
Who this is built for
Professional breathwork training, without the spiritual framework
Nothing in this program asks you to adopt a belief system. If a spiritual approach is what you are looking for, there are excellent schools for that — this is not one of them.
Coaches and athletes
Breathing is the most under-used lever in performance. Learn CO₂ tolerance work, recovery protocols and pre-competition regulation you can put into a training plan.
Corporate and workplace health
A 45-minute breathing session is one of the easiest wellbeing formats to sell into a company. You get the protocols, the safety briefing and the structure for a group of twenty.
Therapists and bodyworkers
Physiotherapy, massage, psychotherapy adjacent work: breathing techniques that integrate into an existing practice, with clear contraindications and referral boundaries.
Career changers
No prior qualification required. Around ten hours of material, done at your own pace, and you finish with a lifetime title and a business module that covers pricing and finding clients.
The faculty
Doctors, record holders and elite athletes — not one guru
Most breathwork schools are built around a single founder. We brought together the people best qualified for each part of the subject.
Budimir “Buda” Šobat
Professional apnoea diver, Guinness World Record holder
Teaches the breathwork module: respiratory mechanics, CO₂ tolerance, safe breath retention and the techniques that build stamina under pressure.
Dr. med. Martje Sältz
Doctor, general and sports medicine
Covers the medical foundations: what breathing and cold do to the cardiovascular system, and the absolute and relative contraindications you must screen for.
Lukas Leineweber
Doctor, first aid training director
Teaches what to do when a session goes wrong: recognising an emergency, checking vital functions, CPR, and when to stop and call for help.
Elina Mäkinen
Ice swimmer, Level 2 swim coach
Teaches the psychology of pushing limits: hormetic stress, the comfort zone, and the mental tools that make a breathing practice stick beyond the first week.
What is inside
7 modules. Around 10 hours. Breathwork at the centre.
Work through them in any order, at any pace. Every module is taught by the person best qualified to teach it.
01 BreathworkBudimir Šobat · Guinness World Record holder
The core module. Breathing mechanics, the nervous system, CO₂ and the techniques themselves — taught by the man who holds the world record.
- Breathing pattern, muscle activity, lung capacities — external and internal respiration, the diaphragm, tidal and reserve volumes.
- Regulating the nervous system — sympathetic and parasympathetic, the vagus nerve, and how breathing switches between them.
- Hyperventilation and oxygenation — the O₂/CO₂ balance, alkalosis, blood pH, and the zones you must never push a student into.
- All 18 techniques, step by step — with the exact instructions, the effect, and the situations each one is wrong for.
- Leading a breathwork session — what, why, how; demonstration and correction; and how to handle a student who starts to panic.
02 Medical InsightsDoctor, sports and naturopathic medicine
The science behind what you are teaching — so you can explain it, apply it, and know exactly where the limits are.
- Absolute and relative contraindications — cardiovascular disease, asthma, epilepsy, pregnancy, and how to screen before a session.
- Health benefits and the evidence behind them — immune, cardiovascular, metabolic and mental effects.
- Men and women — cycle and menopause considerations that most trainings skip entirely.
03 Safety and Emergency ResponseDoctor and former paramedic
Breathwork can cause fainting, tetany and panic. This module is what separates a responsible instructor from an enthusiast with a playlist.
- Recognising and responding to an emergency — breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, acute panic.
- Checking vital functions — rapid assessment of airway and breathing.
- CPR and defibrillator use — correct compressions and rescue breathing.
04 Workshops, Business and MarketingFounder of Eisbaden.de · 20+ years
Knowing the technique is half the job. This module is about filling your sessions and getting paid for them.
- Planning and running a session — venue, group size, sequencing, timing and recovery.
- Safety briefings, disclaimers and consent — what to say, what to document, what to have in place.
- Building the business — pricing, corporate and private formats, and target groups from athletes to complete beginners.
+3 Cold Exposure, Mindset, Biohacking and HydrotherapyIncluded at no extra cost
Breathwork and cold exposure are the same skill viewed from two sides — controlled breathing is what makes cold tolerable, and cold is the fastest way to prove a breathing technique actually works. Your enrolment includes three further modules: cold exposure with a four-time Guinness World Record holder, mindset with a record-breaking ice swimmer, and biohacking and hydrotherapy from the Sebastian Kneipp Academy. You are not required to use them — but most graduates end up offering both.
Certificate of ParticipationSelf-assessment quiz · Lifetime title
After the modules an optional online self-assessment lets you check how well you have mastered the material — there is no exam to submit and no pressure. Your Chief Ice Officer® certificate of participation does not expire, and you keep the title for as long as you want.
Reviews
What our instructors say
Every published review is a 5-star review — from Canada, the UK, Germany, Austria and Norway.
“As a scientist and researcher, I chose the Chief Ice Officer program because it offers a wide range of valuable, science-based modules and practical guidance on safety, breathing exercises, business considerations, and essentially everything needed to develop one’s skills and safely guide others. I highly recommend this training.”
Natalya AmirovaNorway
“I am thrilled. I was particularly impressed by the holistic approach. The combination of breathing techniques, mental training and body awareness makes the course truly unique. Practical, inspiring, and it strengthened me physically, mentally and emotionally.”
Cindy Limpl-GötzingerAustria
“The modules are taught by true experts and exceptional athletes. The medical information on exactly what’s happening biochemically in the body is incredibly informative. Thanks to the excellent knowledge transfer, I can accompany my participants professionally.”
Oliver BeeGermany
“Highly knowledgeable instructors and manageable to complete while working full-time. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would highly recommend it.”
Jonathan LeverseidgeUnited Kingdom
“I chose the Chief Ice Officer program after researching and comparing the available options. This was the best choice. I had the opportunity to learn from instructors and trainers that are not only experts in the field, but have decades of experience in the practice.”
Dawn AreshenkoCanada
“The holistic approach is what motivated me to do this training. Interesting personalities as experts, with a résumé that matched the topic, combined with scientifically based scripts — that rounded off the learning content perfectly for me.”
Fabian HauswirthGermany
IPHM accredited
Accredited by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine, an internationally recognized accreditation body for training providers — so your qualification travels with you.
14-day money-back guarantee
For the Instructor Masterclass LIVE we offer a 14-day satisfaction guarantee — a full refund even if you have already attended live modules.
A title you keep
The Chief Ice Officer® certificate of participation does not expire and carries no renewal fees. Earn it once, use it for good.
All-in-one pricing
Choose your training format
Every package includes the full curriculum — breathwork, medical foundations, safety, mindset, cold exposure and business — plus the lifetime title and access to our international instructor community.
3-Day Power Winter Retreat
Live in Poland
Four transformative winter days with 4× Guinness World Record holder Łukasz Szpunar. Breathwork, cold exposure, movement, survival skills, nutrition and regeneration.
- 3 nights’ accommodation included
- Immersive on-site program
- Training with a world record holder
- Limited spots
Instructor Masterclass PLAY
On demand · Start today
The complete training program, 100% online and self-paced. Seven modules, around 10 hours of expert knowledge, in English or German.
- 18 breathing techniques, step by step
- Downloadable scripts and optional case studies
- Self-assessment quiz and certificate of participation
- Lifetime Chief Ice Officer® title
Instructor Masterclass LIVE
Live online · English
The premium route: live sessions with the expert team, 1:1 sessions and an examined qualification with a practical component.
- 5 live sessions + 2 recordings
- 1:1 sessions with our experts
- Online exam with practical component
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Free download
The Breathwork Trainer Guide — free
Market insights, realistic earning potential, an ROI calculator and the marketing strategies that fill sessions. Plus: subscribers receive an exclusive discount on the program.
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FAQ
Questions about the breathwork instructor training
Do I need prior experience to become a breathwork instructor?
No. There are no prerequisites and no qualification you need to hold first. A personal breathing practice helps, but the program starts with respiratory anatomy and builds from there. What we do expect is that you practise each technique yourself before you teach it to anyone.
How long does the breathwork instructor training take?
The PLAY program consists of seven online modules with roughly 10 hours of expert knowledge. You are not tied to a fixed schedule and can complete the modules at your own pace and in any order. Most people finish within four to six weeks alongside a full-time job.
Is this a spiritual breathwork training?
No. The program is built on respiratory physiology and taught by doctors, a world record holder and elite athletes. Techniques with roots in yogic or Tibetan practice — Kapalabhati, Bhramari, Tummo — are taught for what they physically do, and we say plainly where the evidence ends. If you want a training grounded in a spiritual tradition, there are good schools for that; this is not one.
Which breathing techniques will I learn?
Eighteen are covered in detail: I.C.E. Breathing, the physiological sigh, box breathing, 4-7-8, diaphragmatic breathing, resonance breathing, Bhramari, Buteyko, pursed-lip breathing, nasal breathing, Tummo, Gorilla Breathing, Primitive Man Breathing, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, Nadi Shodhana, cyclic rhythmic breathing and cyclic hyperventilation. The program also covers variations and how to adapt each one for different students.
Is the program fully online?
Yes. No physical attendance is required. The Instructor Masterclass PLAY is on demand; the Instructor Masterclass LIVE runs in scheduled online sessions. You can complete either from anywhere in the world.
Is breathwork safe to teach?
It is safe when you know the limits, and genuinely risky when you do not. Hyperventilation-based techniques can cause dizziness, tingling, tetany and fainting; in or near water they can be fatal. That is why two full modules are dedicated to medical foundations and emergency response, and why contraindications are taught alongside every technique rather than as a footnote.
What can I do after completing the program?
Run breathwork sessions, workshops, corporate formats and retreats; integrate breathing techniques into an existing coaching, therapy or training practice; market yourself using an internationally registered brand; and join our international instructor community. All activities are subject to our terms and conditions and to the regulations of your own country.
Does it include cold exposure and biohacking?
Yes, at no extra cost. Breathing and cold are two sides of the same skill, so the program includes cold exposure with a four-time Guinness World Record holder, mindset training with a record-breaking ice swimmer, and a biohacking and hydrotherapy module from the Sebastian Kneipp Academy. You can teach breathwork alone if you prefer — most graduates end up offering both. The cold plunge instructor training page covers that side in detail.
How much does breathwork instructor training cost?
The Instructor Masterclass PLAY is currently €999 instead of €1,990. The LIVE format is €2,490, and the 3-day Power Winter Retreat in Poland is €1,390. There are no annual fees, no licensing costs and no renewal charges — the title is yours for life once you have earned it.
How long is my certificate of participation valid?
It does not expire. You receive it on completing all online modules and keep the title for as long as you want, with no renewal fees.
In which languages is the program available?
English and German — videos, scripts and the self-assessment in both. If you are interested in another language, get in touch; our trainers and participants come from many different countries.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Choose Klarna at checkout to split the payment, or select payment by invoice and transfer within 14 days. If you need a different arrangement, email us before ordering.
Enrollment open
Learn to teach the breath.
Join instructors around the world who chose a program built by doctors, record holders and elite athletes.