Sacred Breath Academy Facilitator Training Review (2026)
Sacred Breath Academy review. Kaya Leigh's 400-hour conscious connected breathwork training, the $4,444 price, the no-refund policy, and our verdict.
Sacred Breath Academy (SBA) trains facilitators in the Sacred Breath Method, its own style of conscious connected breathwork. Its founder and lead trainer is Kaya Leigh, who has run breathwork trainings and retreats in the US, Bali, Greece, Costa Rica, and elsewhere since at least 2018. The school says it has more than 500 graduates in over 40 countries.
The method breathes in through the nose rather than the mouth, favors the body’s calming response over intensity, and holds sessions as ceremonies with music, essential oils, smudging herbs, and group sharing. Leigh presents it as a gentler, “feminine” alternative to forceful, mouth-breathing styles.
In our view, SBA offers a careful version of conscious connected breathwork with a curriculum that takes safety seriously, at a fair price for 400 hours. Against that, Leigh does not name her own breathwork training, the sales pages make claims the research does not support, and once you pay, you cannot get your money back.
Who Runs It
Kaya Leigh is the founder and director. Her bio lists trauma and nervous system training rather than a breathwork lineage: trauma-informed and nervous system-informed certifications from SOSHA, a polyvagal-informed certification with Deb Dana, a 100-hour restorative yoga and somatic trauma training, Womb Awakening and Biomancy certifications, and “multiple courses, studies and workshops” with Peter Levine and Gabor Maté. It does not say where she learned conscious connected breathwork herself.
Versions of the site from 2018 and 2019 described SBA as co-founded by Leigh and a partner, Aeleo, and the method as co-created by both. The current site presents Leigh as its sole founder and creator.
We found no independent reviews of the training, such as Reddit threads or a Trustpilot page. The first-hand accounts we could find are testimonials on SBA’s own site and a few affiliate-style review articles, which is thin for a school that says it has trained more than 500 people.
How the Training Works
The 400-hour Level 1 Facilitator Certification has two parts:
- A 350-hour self-paced online course, which SBA says takes at least four to six months, with live online breathwork journeys held weekly in rotating time zones
- A 50-hour in-person intensive, where you lead journeys for the group and complete a final practicum and presentation. Past intensives have run in the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Europe, and Asia, and the next one is in Bali from November 9 to 17, 2026.
You have one year to finish the course and the intensive, then a second year for required one-to-one practice sessions. The training page does not say how many. Students who cannot travel can take a virtual intensive instead, at a higher price that is not published, so the whole certification can be done from home.
The curriculum list is long. It covers the anatomy and physiology of breathing, how trauma is held in the body, Reichian body armoring, emotional intelligence, nose breathing and the calming response, safe touch, integration after a session, contraindications, contracts, waivers and insurance, music and playlists, venues, and pricing. It also teaches “cellular memory,” the idea that cells store emotional experiences, which has no solid scientific support.
Graduates are certified to teach under the Sacred Breath name and lineage. You can work under your own brand, but SBA asks that you still credit the Sacred Breath Method. A second track, the 500-hour Sacred Feminine Alchemy facilitator certification, follows the same structure.
Sacred Breath Academy Cost
| Option | What it includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Complete certification | Breath Alchemy immersion, online course, and 50-hour intensive | $4,444 |
| Pathway 1 | Breath Alchemy immersion only, no certification | $1,111 |
| Pathway 2 | Immersion plus online course | $3,333 |
| Pathway 3 | 50-hour intensive, bookable within a year | $1,111 |
| Sacred Feminine Alchemy certification | 500 hours, same structure | $4,999 |
The complete certification costs about £3,300 or €3,850. Food, lodging, and flights for the intensive are extra; SBA estimates $50 to $75 a day for a room and meals at its retreat venues. Installment plans of two to eight months are available, with an added fee for plans longer than two months, and SBA offers partial scholarships for financial hardship and for people of color.
Every payment is non-refundable, “with no exceptions.” In a documented emergency, SBA gives a credit toward its own courses, minus a $150 fee, valid for two years. If the training turns out not to suit you, the money is gone. SBA offers single online journeys to people new to its style, and we would book one before paying for the course.
Accreditation
SBA is an organizational member of the International Breathwork Foundation (IBF), a network of breathworkers rather than a body that checks training standards. It is not recognized by the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA), and it says so openly: the GPBA expects 400 hours over at least two years, and SBA does not think certification should take that long. Our accreditation guide explains what each label means.
Things to Know
The marketing promises more than breathwork can deliver. The training page quotes the claim that “one breathwork session is equivalent to about two years of psychotherapy,” and the site’s breathwork page says deep breathing slows aging by raising “anti-aging hormones.” Neither claim has research behind it. Our research by method guide covers what the evidence shows for conscious connected breathwork.
The income figures are optimistic. SBA says graduates can charge $50 to $100 a person for a three-hour group session, and that two day-long workshops of 15 to 20 people each will pay back the training. That assumes you can fill a room with 15 to 20 people from the start. Our facilitator salary guide has more realistic numbers.
Everything runs through one teacher. Leigh leads the course, the intensives, and the mentoring. You get a consistent voice, but the quality of your training depends on one person.
Pros and Cons
What works well
- Gentle, safety-minded method - Nose breathing, slower journeys, and attention to contraindications.
- Fair price for 400 hours - $4,444, including a 50-hour intensive.
- Practical topics included - Waivers, insurance, pricing, and venues are in the curriculum.
- Flexible start - Begin anytime, with a virtual intensive if you cannot travel.
What doesn't
- No refunds - All payments are final, with only an emergency credit.
- Founder's breathwork training not named - Her listed qualifications are in trauma and somatics.
- Unsupported claims - Psychotherapy and anti-aging claims on the sales pages.
- No GPBA recognition - IBF membership only.
Sacred Breath Academy Market Comparisons
Sacred Breath Academy vs. SOMA Breath
The SOMA Breath Instructor Certification costs $4,497 for 95 hours online with one-to-one mentoring, almost the same price as SBA’s 400 hours. SOMA’s sessions are rhythmic and music-led, and it has more than 2,000 instructors worldwide. Choose SOMA for a structured method, a large community, and a brand clients may recognize. Choose SBA for longer, slower, ceremonial journeys and more training hours for the money.
Sacred Breath Academy vs. Clarity Breathwork
Clarity Breathwork also teaches conscious connected breathwork in a spiritual frame, through a 400-hour path that is GPBA certified. Levels 1 to 4 cost $4,085, with further costs to certify, and the path includes 20 hours of supervision and mentoring. Choose Clarity for GPBA recognition and supervised client work built into the path. Choose SBA for a nose-breathing, ceremonial style and a single published price.
Sacred Breath Academy vs. Integrative Breath
Integrative Breath costs $4,000 in tuition, about $4,600 with travel, for a program of about seven and a half months with live classes, mentor groups, and a seven-day retreat in Colorado. It is GPBA certified and has a stronger physiology and trauma track. Choose Integrative Breath for live group teaching, mentoring, and GPBA recognition. Choose SBA if you want to start anytime and work through most of the material at your own pace.
Who This Is For
- Spiritually minded breathers - You want ceremonial, conscious connected sessions rather than a fitness or clinical method.
- Self-paced learners - You want to start anytime and fit study around your life.
- People put off by intense breathwork - You prefer a gentler, nose-breathing style.
Who Should Pass
- Evidence-first learners - See our best certifications guide.
- People who need GPBA recognition - Look at Clarity or Integrative Breath.
- Anyone unsure about committing - There are no refunds.
Sacred Breath Academy Verdict
Sacred Breath Academy teaches a softer style of conscious connected breathwork than many schools in this field, and its curriculum covers the safety and business basics a new facilitator needs. At $4,444 for 400 hours, including a live intensive, the price is fair.
The weak points are about trust rather than content. Kaya Leigh does not say where she trained in breathwork, the sales pages lean on claims the evidence does not support, and the no-refund policy leaves all the risk with you. Book one of SBA’s online journeys before you pay, and ask how many one-to-one practice sessions you will need to certify.
Bottom line: A good fit for spiritually minded people who want a gentle, ceremonial style and are sure of their choice before they pay. If you want recognized standards or the option to change your mind, look elsewhere.
Still deciding? Take our 2-minute quiz to find the certification that fits your goals and budget.
Other independent online schools we have reviewed
- Breathing Space: the most affordable GPBA-certified 400-hour route we have found in the UK, fully online (from £2,700)
- Embodied Breath Academy: Rebirthing-based training from Bali with 30 required client sessions (AU$5,500)
- Holistic Breath Academy: a 10-week survey of breathing traditions from Los Angeles ($2,800)
- One Breath Institute: a GPBA-accredited online training with a year of business coaching (price not published)
- Seven Directions: a GPBA-accredited, ceremony-rich 10-month training with an unusually strong guest faculty (about £4,450 all in)
- The Whole Health Project: a $429, 35-hour self-paced breath coach training with a trauma-aware module, from two yoga teachers based in Bali and London
- Transcend Breathwork Academy: a Clarity-rooted, GPBA-listed online practitioner training from Vancouver with 25 practice sessions and a business module ($5,550)
For the full picture, see our guide: Best online breathwork certifications.