- The Buteyko method was developed by the Ukrainian physician Konstantin Buteyko in the Soviet Union from the 1950s, based on the idea that chronic overbreathing lowers blood carbon dioxide.
- The control pause (CP) is a self-measurement: exhale gently, hold, and time how long it takes until the first clear urge to breathe.
- In the Buteyko tradition, a longer control pause is read as calmer, more efficient breathing; this is the tradition's own interpretation, not an independently validated diagnosis.
- Three randomised controlled trials in asthma patients (Cooper 2003, Bowler 1998, McHugh 2003) found reduced reliever and steroid medication use and reduced hyperventilation sensitivity, with no significant change in objective lung function.
- This evidence is specific to asthma and should not be extended into a general claim about the method's effects on other conditions or on healthy people.
- The control pause hold follows a gentle exhale, not a deep one, and stops at the first urge to breathe, unlike a maximum breath-hold.
What is the Buteyko method?
The Buteyko method was developed by the Ukrainian physician Konstantin Buteyko in the Soviet Union from the 1950s. It is built on the idea that chronic overbreathing, habitually breathing more air than the body needs, lowers blood carbon dioxide, and that consciously reducing breathing volume toward a calmer, gentler, mostly nasal pattern can help.
The method centres on two practices: measuring a baseline called the control pause, and then practising reduced breathing, deliberately breathing less than usual for a set period.
What is the control pause, and what does it mean?
The control pause (CP) is the method's own self-measurement: breathe normally for a few breaths, then exhale gently, hold the breath, and time how long it takes until the first clear urge to breathe. That number of seconds is your control pause.
In the Buteyko tradition, a longer control pause is read as a sign of calmer, more efficient breathing. This is the tradition's own interpretation of the number, not an independently validated diagnostic threshold, and it should be read that way rather than as a medical test result.
How to measure your control pause, step by step
Do this sitting comfortably, not right after exercise or a large meal:
- Breathe normally for a few breaths.
- Exhale gently, not a deep breath out, and hold.
- Time how long it takes until you feel the first clear urge to breathe, not the point where you are struggling.
- Release and breathe normally again. That number of seconds is your control pause.
The tool above times this for you: press the button when you exhale, and press it again the moment you feel that first urge.
What is reduced breathing, and how do you practise it?
After measuring a baseline control pause, a reduced-breathing session means deliberately breathing less and more gently than usual, through the nose, and tolerating a light, comfortable air hunger for a set number of minutes.
The tool above offers 2, 3 or 5-minute sessions. Afterward, measure your control pause again and compare it with your starting number.
Does the Buteyko method actually work? What the research found
Three randomised controlled trials in asthma patients have tested the Buteyko technique directly. Cooper et al. (Thorax, 2003, UK) compared Buteyko breathing, a pranayama breathing technique and a placebo device over 6 months: the Buteyko group significantly reduced their use of reliever inhalers and their response to a hyperventilation provocation test, with no significant change in objective lung function. Bowler et al. (Medical Journal of Australia, 1998, Australia) found a similar pattern over 6 months, with bronchodilator use cut by roughly 90%, again without a significant lung-function change. McHugh et al. (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2003) found reduced inhaled corticosteroid use and improved quality-of-life scores.
Taken together, the honest summary is: Buteyko-style reduced breathing has repeatedly reduced how much rescue and steroid medication asthma patients used, without a matching improvement on objective lung-function measurements. This evidence is specific to asthma and should not be extended into a general claim about the method's effects on other conditions or on healthy people.
The Buteyko control pause vs other breath-holds
The control pause hold is done after a normal, gentle exhale, not a deep one, and it is meant to stop at the first urge to breathe, not to be pushed for the longest possible time. This is a different goal from the Wim Hof method's recovery hold, on its own page, which follows a deep inhale and is timed for a fixed duration.
Is the Buteyko method safe?
The control pause and reduced-breathing practice are generally gentle: no forced deep breathing and no breath-hold pushed to a maximum. Stop and breathe normally if you feel strong discomfort during either.
Anyone with severe asthma or another diagnosed respiratory condition should treat this as a complement to, not a replacement for, their prescribed treatment, and check with a doctor before adopting it as a regular practice.
Questions people ask
What is the Buteyko method?
A method built on breathing less than usual: measuring a self-test called the control pause, then practising reduced, gentle nasal breathing.
What is a good control pause score?
The Buteyko tradition reads a longer pause as calmer, more efficient breathing, but this is the tradition's own interpretation, not a medical diagnosis.
Does the Buteyko method work for asthma?
Three randomised trials found it reduced reliever and steroid medication use and hyperventilation sensitivity, but without a matching change in objective lung function.
Who invented the Buteyko method?
The Ukrainian physician Konstantin Buteyko, in the Soviet Union from the 1950s.
How long should a reduced-breathing session be?
2 to 5 minutes is a reasonable starting point; the tool above offers 2, 3 and 5-minute sessions.
Is the Buteyko control pause the same as the Wim Hof hold?
No. It follows a gentle exhale and stops at the first urge to breathe, rather than following a deep inhale and being timed for a fixed duration.
Is the Buteyko method safe?
It is generally gentle, with no forced breathing. Anyone with severe asthma or another respiratory condition should treat it as a complement to their treatment, not a replacement.
Can the Buteyko method replace asthma medication?
No. The research found it reduced how much medication people used, not that it replaced it; any medication change should be discussed with a doctor.
- Cooper S., Oborne J., Newton S., Harrison V., Thompson Coon J., Lewis S., Tattersfield A. Effect of two breathing exercises (Buteyko and pranayama) on asthma: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax, 2003, 58 (8), 674–679.
- Bowler S. D., Green A., Mitchell C. A. Buteyko breathing technique in asthma: a blinded randomised controlled trial. Medical Journal of Australia, 1998, 169 (11–12), 575–578.
- McHugh P., Aitcheson F., Duncan B., Houghton F. Buteyko Breathing Technique for asthma: an effective intervention. New Zealand Medical Journal, 2003, 116 (1187), U710.
The tool above times your control pause as a stopwatch you start and stop yourself, then offers a 2, 3 or 5-minute reduced-breathing session, so you can measure your control pause again afterward and compare.