A timeless question I get asked regularly:
Buteyko breathing or Wim Hof breathing?
What is the difference—are they opposites of each other? Which one is suitable for whom, and when?
In early July 2025, I attended a workshop on this topic. The Buteyko breathing perspective was presented by master Buteyko instructor Péter Lakatos, while the Wim Hof method was introduced by András Paksi.
Side note: I personally completed both my Buteyko and Oxygen Advantage instructor training with Péter Lakatos. Another side note: András Paksi is also a Buteyko and Oxygen Advantage instructor, meaning he has a deep and high-level understanding of both—or rather all three—methods, perhaps uniquely in our country.
Buteyko breathing fundamentally aims to reduce chronic overbreathing (editor’s note: overbreathing = breathing too frequently per minute and taking in more air than the body actually needs) through breathing exercises. Some approaches suggest constantly monitoring your breathing, taking smaller breaths, and using only nasal breathing—even during speech. (Recently, I had the “opportunity” to experience the consequences of this extreme interpretation when a young man approached me who had trained with another instructor. He followed the advice to always breathe minimally in every situation, which led to excessive stress, constant effort to suppress his breathing, and a persistent state of tension and worry—eventually escalating into panic. Even observing his breathing started to trigger anxiety, which is how he ended up coming to me. So, extreme and unrealistic advice can indeed lead to such outcomes.)
In my interpretation, Buteyko breathing is about restoring functional nasal breathing, driven by the diaphragm. I take into account and apply the three pillars of functional nasal breathing (the 3D breathing model), and aim to restore each of them.
What are these 3 pillars?
Biomechanics
This refers to which muscles are involved in the breathing process—essentially, whether we see the abdomen or the chest moving more dominantly during breathing.
Biochemistry
Here we are referring to the gases involved in breathing. This is not visible to the naked eye, but if someone breathes rapidly (i.e., has a low control pause), it is certain that this pillar of breathing is out of balance.
Psychophysiology
This relates to how closely the functioning of our nervous system is connected to our breathing. If we breathe quickly, the nervous system shifts into a survival (fight-or-flight) mode. If we breathe slowly, using the diaphragm, the nervous system moves into a rest-and-recovery state. In other words, our breathing directly affects how we feel.
Restoring functional breathing is also about correcting so-called dysfunctional (i.e., impaired or altered) breathing patterns. These may include mouth breathing, overbreathing, frequent sighing, snoring, and more.
We could stop here—but I go further. Just because someone’s mouth is closed doesn’t mean their tongue is in the correct position. If the tongue is not properly positioned, the mouth can easily open, and this may lead to snoring, sleep apnea, and in children, it can significantly affect facial and jaw development as well as dental alignment.
In order to keep the mouth closed, proper tongue posture is essential. Ideally, the tongue rests on the palate. (There’s more nuance to this, but it’s an important foundation.) Another key aspect is strengthening the facial and perioral (around the lips) muscles and restoring their proper function. I could also mention posture, chewing, swallowing, the microbiome, and oral flora—all of which are important factors that I also address in my work, in a rather unique and comprehensive way.
In summary, Buteyko breathing teaches you how to breathe properly during the day, at night, and during exercise. By doing so, it supports essential bodily functions and helps balance your nervous system. Nowadays, most people live in a state of sympathetic dominance (fight-or-flight, survival mode), and there is a strong need to activate the parasympathetic system as well—since this is what supports recovery, rest, and regeneration, especially during sleep.
I’ll honestly describe what my assumptions were about the Wim Hof method based on what I had seen in mainstream media. I saw it as a somewhat crazy, extreme approach that pushes boundaries and leans toward the edges. From a breathing perspective, using hyperventilation techniques for today’s already overbreathing population seemed—at the very least—quite questionable.
Officially, however, the Wim Hof Method is not just about hyperventilation-based breathing techniques. It also includes a cold exposure component (cold/ice water therapy), as well as a mental focus element (commitment).
András Paksi put it this way: Buteyko breathing is the cake, and Wim Hof breathing is the icing on top. This illustrates that Buteyko provides a solid foundation (functional nasal breathing in everyday life), while Wim Hof breathing is more like an addition—something that should be used in smaller “doses.” What I took away from the workshop is that hyperventilation techniques are not meant to be practiced 24/7, but rather make up only a small portion of the day. This brings to mind the saying: “The dose makes the poison.” It makes a big difference whether someone is overbreathing all day long, or practicing controlled hyperventilation for short periods.
Another important aspect is that chronic overbreathers are often not even aware of their condition, because their breathing is governed by automatic patterns that maintain dysfunctional habits. In contrast, consciously practiced and self-controlled hyperventilation is something entirely different. It can act as a kind of reset for the body, creating focus and offering certain positive benefits.
What I particularly appreciated during the workshop was that András let us set our own pace based on the given guidelines. This makes perfect sense, since each of us has a different breathing pattern—essentially unique—which has also been highlighted by recent research.
So the control is in our hands: we pay attention to ourselves and detect our bodily signals. This is important because there may be signs that indicate we need to slow down or intervene. Contrary to my initial assumptions, the breathing pace was not strictly controlled, which I was especially glad about. András also highlighted several key points on how to make the Wim Hof breathing practice reasonable and as safe as possible—while we remain active participants in the process, not passive followers.
Following these principles, I felt safe throughout the process while also allowing myself to fully engage with this breathing technique. Deep relaxation and presence are very familiar to me, as I spent three years studying and practicing them extensively during my yoga teacher training.
During the Wim Hof-style hyperventilation breathing, I experienced something very similar to deep relaxation: my body felt “weightless” and relaxed, my attention was focused solely on my breath, and there were no distracting thoughts.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that Buteyko and Wim Hof breathing are not opposites—they simply serve different purposes and should be used in different amounts. It is also worth noting that the range of users for Buteyko breathing may be broader, as its repertoire includes very gentle exercises that place minimal stress on the body.
As a breathing coach, what I would recommend is to first learn the Buteyko method, build a solid control pause, and establish a stable, healthy breathing pattern—then you can start experimenting with the Wim Hof breathing technique. It’s not surprising that in yoga as well, hyperventilation techniques (such as Bhastrika pranayama, also known as bellows breathing) are considered advanced practices. And to take András’s analogy one step further: if you don’t have the cake, where would you even put the icing? 😁