IBF Membership: International Breathwork Foundation Requirements & Tiers

The International Breathwork Foundation (IBF) is a non-profit network founded in 1994 to connect breathwork practitioners and trainers worldwide. It runs the annual Global Inspiration Conference (GIC), publishes shared ethical standards, hosts country directories of facilitators, and acts as the connective tissue of international breathwork. It is, importantly, not an accreditation body.

What the IBF is and is not

The IBF is a network and a standards-setter. It is not a regulator and it does not accredit specific schools or training programmes. Instead, the IBF formally aligns with the GPBA Training and Ethical Standards and asks all professional members to agree to them. Practically, that means: if you want school accreditation, you apply to the GPBA; if you want to be part of the international community, you join the IBF.

Why the IBF aligns with GPBA standards

Rather than create competing standards, the IBF chose to adopt the GPBA’s Training and Ethical Standards in full. This is genuinely useful: it means there is one substantive standard, supported by two complementary organisations — GPBA for accreditation and IBF for community.

The three IBF Professional Member tiers

IBF Professional Membership is self-nominated. Members agree to practise within the IBF Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards. The IBF does not check certificates — it honours the integrity of its members — but expects you to hold a relevant qualification.

Certified Conscious Connected Breathwork Practitioner

For those who have completed approximately 400 hours of training over a minimum of 2 years, with supervised in-person facilitation of clients, and a commitment to ongoing personal development and breathing practice. This is the tier our 2-year graduates qualify for.

Certified Breathwork Practitioner

For those certified with a breathwork qualification (training plus apprenticeship) that meets the minimum requirements set by their national or international organisation or training school.

Breathworker

For professionals of other disciplines (e.g. yoga teachers, somatic therapists) who use breathwork as an additional tool, with approximately 50 hours and 9 months of breathwork training.

Other IBF tiers

• Trainer member — for those who run breathwork trainings; listed alongside their schools in the IBF country directories.

• Supporter / Friend of IBF — open to anyone interested in breathwork who wishes to support the network and attend events.

• Organisational / partner membership — for schools, foundations and breathwork organisations.

How to join and what to expect

Membership is paid annually and self-nominated through the IBF website. Once joined, you’re listed in your country’s directory, given access to the members area, and invited to the annual Global Inspiration Conference — a week-long international gathering that has run, in different forms, every year since 1994. Members are also eligible to apply for the Breathwork Development Fund and to vote in IBF decisions.

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 graduates fit each tier

Our 2-year programme produces graduates who qualify for the IBF’s top tier - Certified Conscious Connected Breathwork Practitioner - because the curriculum delivers more than 400 hours of training over 2 years with supervised facilitation. The in-person UK assessment week in Year 2 also satisfies the IBF’s emphasis on supervised in-person facilitation of clients.

FAQ

Does IBF check my certificates?

No. The IBF honours the integrity of its members. You self-nominate the tier appropriate to your training. This is one of the reasons formal GPBA accreditation matters in parallel — it gives external verification.

Is IBF membership the same as accreditation?

No. The IBF is a network. The GPBA is the accreditation body. They’re complementary — most serious facilitators are members of both.

What does IBF membership cost?

Annual fees vary by tier and country and are modest compared with training. The exact figures are on the IBF sign-up page; we keep this article focused on the standards, not the prices, because the IBF revises them periodically.

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.