GPBA Accreditation: What the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance Requires
The Global Professional Breathwork Alliance is widely regarded as the only international accrediting body specifically for breathwork training. Founded to bring shared standards across modalities and continents, the GPBA publishes Training and Ethical Standards that other organisations - including the IBF - formally align with. It accredits schools and individual facilitators at two corresponding tiers: a higher Certified Professional level and an entry-level Ethically Compliant level.
Why the GPBA is treated as the international standard
When you see a school describe itself as “internationally accredited” in 2026, that almost always means GPBA-certified. Crucially, the IBF - the international networking body - has formally adopted the GPBA Training and Ethical Standards and asks all its professional members to agree to them. Practically, that means a single, well-defined GPBA standard is the spine that runs through international breathwork practice.
GPBA Certified Professional Breathwork School requirements
A school that wants the higher accreditation tier must show that it:
Delivers a curriculum of at least 400 hours over a minimum of 2 years.
Includes at least 8 hours of dedicated ethics training within the curriculum.
Embeds structured supervision and supervised client-work components.
Has been teaching the GPBA-approved curriculum for at least two years prior to application.
Has a Director who is a GPBA Certified Breathwork Practitioner in good standing.
Adheres to the GPBA Code of Ethics and Training Standards.
Recommended: integrates Diversity, Inclusivity, Accessibility and Socio-Cultural Competence into the curriculum.
GPBA Ethically Compliant Breathwork Program
The lower tier is for shorter, more focused or modality-specific programmes. It requires:
At least 50 hours of breathwork training over a minimum of 9 months.
At least 8 hours of dedicated ethics training.
Adherence to the GPBA Code of Ethics.
GPBA individual membership tiers and fees
Schools and graduates are accredited in matching pairs.
GPBA Certified Professional Breathwork Practitioner
400+ hours of breathwork training.
Training delivered over a minimum of 2 years.
8+ hours of ethics training.
Adherence to the GPBA Code of Ethics.
Annual fee approximately $75 plus a $20 application fee for graduates of GPBA-certified schools.
Ethically Compliant Breathwork Facilitator
50+ hours of training over 9 months.
8+ hours of ethics training.
Adherence to the GPBA Code of Ethics.
Annual fee approximately $50.
School annual fees scale with student numbers (small schools $150, mid-size $250, larger $400) plus a $50 application fee.
Want to see the full curriculum, weekly schedule and 2026 pricing? Get our Breathwork Facilitator Training brochure - just drop in your email and we’ll send it straight over.
How Inspire Breathwork exceeds the Certified Professional standard
Hours — our 2-year curriculum exceeds the 400-hour GPBA threshold.
Length — 24 months, comfortably above the 2-year minimum.
Ethics — multiple dedicated ethics units across both years, well beyond the 8-hour minimum.
Supervision — structured 1:1 supervision and supervised client work in Year 2.
Diversity, inclusivity and accessibility — woven through the curriculum, including a decolonial-lens module.
Format — weekly online live teaching (2.5 hours) plus weekly online live breathwork (1.5 hours), with a one-week in-person UK assessment immersion in Year 2.
Career impact: what GPBA listing means for you internationally
Once you appear on the GPBA member directory, you’re visible to clients searching internationally and to schools, retreats and venues that look at the GPBA list as their first filter. For practitioners who want to teach across countries, lead retreats abroad, or be part of an international community, GPBA listing is the most portable credential you can hold.
FAQ
How do I apply if I’m a graduate of a GPBA-certified school?
Graduates of GPBA-certified schools qualify automatically and apply directly through the GPBA application form. You pay the application and annual fees and submit basic documentation; the school confirms your hours.
Can I qualify if my school is not GPBA-certified?
Yes. The GPBA accepts non-GPBA graduates with equivalent training. You provide your own evidence of hours, supervision and ethics training. Inspire Breathwork supports its graduates through this route as standard.
What does it cost in total?
Around $95 in your first year (application + annual), then $75/year. Modest compared with the cost of training itself.
If you'd like to find out more about our training, book in an informal discovery call and see if we have the same values as you
