Buteyko Clinic International
Practitioner Graduate Certificate Examination
Please download this document and save to your computer. After you are satisfied with your
answers, please Email directly to Patrick@ButeykoClinic.com. The purpose of the test is to
determine how well you know the background to the Buteyko Method. Where possible, keep
your answers to one or two lines.
Practical 1
1. What are the typical traits of overbreathing/dysfunctional breathing?
2. List the four categories of clients. For example, the first includes people with low CP,
relatively serious health complaints and elderly.
3. List and describe each breathing exercise.
4. List and explain different approaches to reduced breathing (Exercise 2 in Close Your Mouth).
5. How much of an air shortage is ideal during reduced breathing exercise.
6. What do you tell your client if his/her diaphragm/tummy gets hard, start to jump, starts to
jerk, getting tense during reduced breathing exercise?
7. What instruction might you give to your client while practising reduced breathing. For
example, you might ask the client to slow down and quieten his/her breathing. What else
might you say?
8. What do you do if client gets panicky while doing reduced breathing?
9. What do you suggest if your client is unable to follow their breathing?
10. What do you suggest if client is unable to create an air shortage?
11. Where are the four places where the breath can be felt coming into the body?
12. How can you be sure that you client has an air shortage? Remember clients will often tell
you what you want to hear.
13. Contra indications: What/Whom do you need to pay special attention to? For example, high
blood pressure.
14. Which are the typical symptoms during a cleansing reaction?
15. What do you encourage your client to do during a cleansing reaction?
16. How do you explain to the client about the cleansing reaction during the first session?
17. The client asks you whether the air shortage is due to a decrease of oxygen. How do you
respond?
18. What is the best approach with a severe asthmatic?
19. What is the right hand rule of the Buteyko Method?
20. What is the left hand rule of the Buteyko Method?
Practical 2
21. What exercises do you give to a person with anxiety during their first week?
22. Why do you need to be very careful with clients who have diabetes type 1?
23. If a client presents with persistent chest pain, and has not been to their doctor what do you
do?
24. If a client has persistent chest pain, and tests show normal cardiovascular health, can you
help the client?
25. A client asks you the following question. If I change the number of breaths per minute
surely that will correct my breathing? How do you respond?
26. Describe a true deep breath.
27. How do you motivate a client who finds it very difficult to set time aside to do exercises?
28. A client tells you that their yoga teacher encourages them to take big breaths.
How do you respond?
29. A client explains to you that they feel a constant need for air. How do you respond?
30. My friend does not have asthma, yet his CP is only 15 seconds. Why?
31. A client asks you the following. Can I deprive my body of oxygen by breathing too little?
How do you respond?
32. A client asks you the following. Do I need to reduce my breathing all day? How do you
respond?
33. What are the most common mistakes made during reduced breathing exercise?
34. If it feels relaxing to take a deep breath then how is it considered bad?
35. If I fill the room with carbon dioxide would this help?
36. Which exercises do you give to a busy adult with no health issues?
37. Which exercises and advice do you give to a person with high blood pressure?
38. Name some conditions where breath holds are not suitable for?
39. What happens to the heart rate if breath holds are not suitable?
40. If a person with anxiety or panic attack totally dislikes doing reduced breathing, what do you
advise?
41. What advice do you give to someone taking medication for diabetes, high blood pressure,
cardiovascular complaints and overactive thyroid?
42. What considerations are there during pregnancy?
43. What is a CPAP machine?
44. What does a CPAP machine do?
45. What advice do you give for someone wishing to come off a CPAP?
46. If after one week of practising the breathing exercises, your client is making no progress,
what questions should you ask? What do you suggest?
47. Which factors would hold a clients progress back? (Example: if they are constantly exposed
to triggers)
48. What is the minimum amount of practise of breathing exercises each day for an adult?
49. What exercises, how many times per day and for how long would you encourage your client
to do if they have sleep apnea or insomnia?
Teaching Children
50. Regarding dentofacial and craniofacial abnormalities in children, how do you explain this to
a child who already has a long face and crooked teeth?
51. List the main exercises to be taught to a seven year old with asthma.
52. What exercises to teach a child or teenager with severe asthma?
53. Describe how you would teach steps exercise to a child of 4 years?
54. How many times should a child or teenager practise their exercises each day?
55. Is it necessary for the child to practise the exercises for the rest of their life?
56. What age child would you encourage their parents to tape the child’s mouth?
57. How do you explain good breathing to a young child?
58. What do you do if the child is very shy?
59. How do you motivate a teenager?
60. How would you ensure that the child is not cheating during steps?
61. What is the expected progress of children steps each week?
62. How many steps should the child have before the nose is quite decongested?
63. Is it beneficial to spend a lot of time teaching children the reduced breathing exercise with
air shortage?
64. What may be the consequences to the child’s health if they continue to breathe through an
open mouth?
Rhinitis/Hay Fever
65. How would you know if a referral to an ear nose and throat surgeon was necessary?
66. If an individual has severe nasal obstruction, what might you advise to help them during
sleep to prevent their nose becoming congested?
67. What do you advise if a client is taking tape off their mouth at night due to a feeling of panic
or suffocation?
68. Nasal obstruction takes place as long as the steps are less than x and CP less than x. What is
x?
69. On average what was the improvement in the clinical trial investigating the Buteyko method
for rhinosinusitis in asthma?
70. The client tells you that they have a deviated septum, and that this is why they cannot
breathe through their nose. What do you advise?
71. List some of the symptoms of hay fever.
72. Explain how the nose unblocking exercise works. In other words, what gases are involved to
help decongest the nose?
73. It is said that rhinitis is a cormobidity disorder. What other symptoms and conditions arise
from nasal obstruction?
Asthma, COPD
74. How do you respond to the following questions from your clients?
a. My son did your course 6 months ago and when he visited his Granny’s farm, he had
a severe attack. He was doing very well until then.
b. Surely everybody is overdosed on preventer medication and therefore they would be
able to reduce it without adverse affects, hence trial results?
c. I have changed my diet considerably, I eat when I’m hungry, I don’t eat dairy, I eat
little meat and no sugars, yet my asthma is still prevalent.
d. Why should I stay on my steroids? Surely they have significant side effects.
75. Dr Buteyko said that asthma is a defence mechanism. Briefly explain what he meant by this?
76. Will reduced breathing help with bronchiectasis, sarcoidosis, emphysema and bronchitis?
77. Name a number of common asthma triggers.
78. What is preventer medication for asthma? List some common brand names.
79. As a Buteyko practitioner, what do you explain to your client about medication?
80. In the Buteyko study at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane, what was the minute volume at the
beginning of the trial?
81. In the Buteyko study at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane, what was the minute volume at three
months follow up for both the Buteyko group and the control group?
82. What were the results of the study?
83. What conclusion did Dr Charles Mitchell reach about the effectiveness of the Buteyko
Method?
84. Does mouth breathing contribute to asthma? If so, why?
85. What results would you expect from your asthma client?
86. You are making a presentation to healthcare professionals working with asthma. What
theories do you put forward to explain the link between chronic hyperventilation and asthma?
87. Are there any practical examples to support Buteyko’s claim for the cause of asthma?
(Example laughter induced asthma)
88. What is a long acting reliever medication (LABA)?
89. Name two types of Long acting reliever medications (LABA)
90. Briefly describe how the airways constrict. For example, mucus plugging.
91. List common symptoms of asthma.
92. If a client is taking many puffs of reliever medication for his asthma, but is not getting much
relief- what do you advise?
93. What is the difference between asthma and COPD?
94. How is asthma diagnosed?
95. How is COPD diagnosed?
96. What should the CP be in order for main asthma symptoms to have disappeared?
97. Does stress contribute to asthma? If so, why?
98. How many seconds per week would you expect a client with asthma CP to increase?
99. Is it common for people with asthma to also experience sleep disorders or nasal symptoms?
100.
Is swimming beneficial for asthma? If so, why?
101.
When would you encourage your client to visit his or her doctor to have their steroid
medication increased?
Craniofacial and Dentofacial
102.
List some of the negative affects to the face from oral breathing.
103.
Where is the ideal tongue position?
104.
How would you determine a correct swallow?
105.
How does mouth breathing contribute to crooked teeth?
106.
What is the technical term for crooked teeth?
107.
Can you have your tongue in the correct position while breathing through your
mouth?
108.
Until what age do the jaws and face continue growing?
109.
What is the difference between a functional orthodontist and traditional orthodontist?
110.
Are crooked teeth primarily due to genetics? Explain.
111.
Which way does the face grow- backward, forward or downward?
112.
What is the ideal age in terms of dento-facial growth to teach children the importance
of breathing through their nose?
113.
What may happen to the airways as a result of extraction, and how might this affect
health and sports?
114.
Athletes require good size airways, forward growth of the jaws. Does this contradict
the importance of efficient breathing volume?