Buteyko Breathing Educators

Teach a safe, effective and drug free technique to improve your breathing,
improve your health and improve your life!!!

Buteyko Breathing Educators Association (BBEA)

  • Is an important resource for the public to find trusted educators who have been well trained in the Buteyko Breathing Technique and get valuable information about how the Buteyko Breathing Technique relieves the symptoms of breathing related health concerns.
  • Is an international professional association committed to ensuring its educators have completed rigorous Buteyko Breathing Technique training requirements and competency examinations, continue their ongoing professional development and adhere to the BBEA code of conduct.
  • Ensures anyone who seeks the help of a BBEA registered educator receives the safest, highest quality service and results possible. The BBEA proactively reviews each educator's performance and provides mediation for client grievances.Provides it's member educators with continual support through annual conferences, webinars, course work, newsletters, mentors, case reviews and research articles.
  • Is intent on increasing the awareness of the Buteyko Breathing Technique to the public and within the health industry through educational projects in schools, libraries, recreation centers,  the internet, cross-discipline conferences and collaboration with complementary modalities.
Our BBEA registered educators are required to undergo rigorous training in the Buteyko Breathing Technique from a registered BBEA Buteyko Trainer.  They can be found throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, Asia and South America.  Our members come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and many have had their own health and lives transformed by the Buteyko Breathing Technique.
The Buteyko Breathing Educators Association presents a "High Standard" of Buteyko Educators in North America and Worldwide. The Buteyko Breathing Educators Association vision is to make Buteyko a pillar of good health, accessible to all and integrated into an overall system of wellness. BBEA aims to increase awareness of Buteyko and its benefits by education, stringent standards of training and medical trials to confirm its effectiveness.

What Is BBEA?

The BBEA is an international association of Buteyko Educators committed to training people in the Buteyko Breathing Method. The members of BBEA are required to comply with rigorous teaching and standards as well as commit to on-going professional development. This will ensure that anyone who seeks help from a BBEA registered Educator receives the safest, highest quality service and results possible. 

Who Can Be A BBEA Educator?

To become a BBEA educator you will be required to undergo training in the Buteyko Breathing Method from a certified BBEA Buteyko Trainer. Health professionals and natural therapists are particularly suited to this technique as well as those with a medical background. Those without these qualifications will need to do some prerequisite learning before the training.

The  BBEA is currently taking expressions of interests from certified Buteyko educators who have previously been trained by a recognized body such as Buteyko Institute of Breathing and Health or Moscow Clinic. Please contact us for further information.

WHO WE ARE AND OUR HISTORY

The Buteyko Breathing Educators Association consists of about fifty dedicated and fully trained Buteyko Educators in the United States, Canada and Mexico who provide courses, support and education for people learning the Buteyko Breathing Method. We come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Many of us have had our own health and lives transformed by this powerful tool for healing. Here is our story.

Buteyko Origins In United States & Canada

Buteyko was first brought from Russia to the western world by Russian practitioner Alexander Stalmatski. Stalmatski arrived to Sydney, Australia in 1990 and began teaching friends the Buteyko Breathing Method from his small apartment.

Dr Buteyko and Alexander kept closely in touch with each other during the early dissemination of the Buteyko method. In addition to working in Sydney, Stalmatski made a number of trips to the UK and USA in the early 1990’s to train groups of patients and educators. Stalmatski also wrote the first books on the Buteyko Method in the western world including “Freedom from Asthma” and “Freedom from Insomnia".

Buteyko Pioneers in North America

The initial Buteyko Pioneers in North America were Susan Neves, Bud Weiss, Liv Browning and Chris Bauman.

Susan Neves first began teaching the Buteyko Breathing Method in 1998 after she trained as a educator with Russell and Jennifer Stark through the Buteyko Institute of Breathing and Health (BIBH) an organization based in Australia and recognized by Dr Konstantin Buteyko, himself. In 2000, Susan underwent further training with Dr Buteyko. She now teaches classes in the United States and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Liv Browning had had severe asthma most of her life. In 1998 while she was in France she heard about Buteyko and that Alexander Stalmatski was teaching in London. She signed up for the course and in 1999 traveled to New Zealand to become an Educator. In 2003, she organized the first BIBH training in North America.  With Jennifer Stark teaching and Liv and Susan Neves assisting, 6 new trainees entered the world of Buteyko Educators.  Liv also made the first US produced DIY home education kit in 2005. Liv is currently living the life she loves, asthma free, in Seattle.

Bud Weiss was first exposured to the method and training in 1995 in New York City with Alexander Stalmatski and his protege, Christopher Drake. In 1998-1999, Bud assisted them in the organization of Buteyko workshops for the public and the training of Buteyko Educators at the Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington Massachusetts. During this time, he assisted with the first workshop sponsored by Teresa Hale (director of the Hale Clinic in London, England). Bud did more training with Jennifer and Russell Stark in 2007 and in 2008, sponsored and organized the first very successful BIBH educator training in New York City. After working on the school board for over 25 years, Bud continues to work with children and parents, teachers and clinicians, now educating them on Buteyko and healthy breathing. He is regularly featured on local New York City radio shows.

Christine Bauman learned Buteyko for severe asthma and allergies with Alexander Stalmatski in 1999 in London England. In 2000, she traveled to New Zealand to study with Jennifer and Russell Stark and became the first Canadian Buteyko Educator. There are now 14 educators throughout Canada. Until recently she was the only  Educator Trainer in North America. She was also a clinician for the only North American clinical study to date, at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary Alberta in 2004.

First Clinical Trials Of Buteyko In North America

In 2000, the son of a wealthy Alberta family traveled to New York to learn the Buteyko Method for severe asthma. The results were so spectacular that his parents approached the University of Calgary about funding a major research project on Buteyko. Their donation of one million dollars led to the first clinical trial in North America at the Foothills Hospital, Calgary.

Results showed:

- Good Asthma control had increased from 41% to 75%.
- Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS) reduction was 28%.
- Percentage of subjects who were able to eliminate ICS.
- 18% Percentage of subjects who eliminated the use of long-lasting relievers 19%.

“ I’ve been astonished and also very pleased with the excellent result. There is no disruption of their life at all by their disease (due to Buteyko): normal activities; not waking at night; not needing to use any reliever medications. It’s just great...75% control is about as good as anyone has got in any study of asthma. The neat thing about it is that it has no side effects. It’s very safe. The Buteyko technique certainly has been shown to be an important adjunct to treatment.”

Dr Robert Cowie, Chief Respirologist, Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta.
Calgary CityTV, May 2006.

Typical clinical trial results is 70 - 95% reduction in asthma symptoms, 85 - 100% reduction in short term reliever medication, and 50% reduction steroid preventer medication.

NOTE: The British Medical Thoracic Society has approved the Buteyko Breathing Method as a standard treatment option for Doctors to use on people with Asthma. It has been proven to be highly effective treatment for Asthma.

Publications By Members Of BBEA

Members of the BBEA have produced some of the most detailed and popular publications on the Buteyko Breathing Method.

Patrick McKeown has written a number of books including the best seller "Asthma Free Naturally", (Conari Press 2008) "Close Your Mouth", "Anxiety Free" and "ABC To Be Asthma Free". Other works include his extensive instructional materials that includes "ButeykoDVD".

Dr Artour Rakhimov has written two books including “Normal Breathing; the key to vital health”. This book is without doubt the most detailed and best researched publication of the Buteyko Method. His other works include a translation of Dr Buteyko’s lectures to Moscow state university, and “Oxygenate yourself: Breathe less” as well as DVD lectures titled “Breathing Patterns and Tissue Oxygenation”.

Jennifer and Russell Stark (now retired) wrote the first training manual for new Buteyko educators and “The Carbon Dioxide Syndrome” (2002), a very comprehensive book on Buteyko for the lay person. As one of the most experienced Buteyko Educators in the western world, she has many valuable insights into the power of this breathing technique.

Buteyko Educator Training

Each year, there are a number of Buteyko Educator training courses held around the world. Educator trainers can be found in Find A Trainer.
The Buteyko Breathing Method is a medically researched and scientifically proven breath re-training method that reverses chronic hyperventilation or over-breathing.