Breathwork
Teacher Training
With Neelou Malekpour
From $640 · Six-Month Immersion
"Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body."
— Thich Nhat HanhSecure Your Place
There are many breathwork trainings out there. This one is different.
It's a six-month immersion with eleven students. It's built around you — your nervous system, your history, your edge — and the kind of depth that only comes from time and a small, committed container.
This is a sacred space for people who want to go all the way in — a place to go deeper into your own practice, reconnect with your breath as a healing tool, and step more fully into who you already are.
Whether you're here to transform your personal relationship with breathwork, or to eventually share this work with others, you belong here.
Most people who join aren't sure they're "ready."
They just know they're being called.
That's enough.
Built on Three Core Pillars
Lead by Example
This training starts with you. Before anything else, you'll deepen your own relationship with your body, your subtle body, and your breath — building your intuition, regulating your nervous system, and expanding your capacity to hold space for others to do the same. The most powerful thing you can offer is a practice you actually live.
Empower Others
The tools you'll gain here go beyond technique. You'll be trained in ethical frameworks, basic trauma-informed practices, and real-life facilitation skills that prepare you to show up fully for the people in your care. You'll learn to hold space ethically, grounded in both skill and compassion, so you can support people in a safe and deeply meaningful way.
Build Your Offering
When you're ready to share this work, you won't be doing it alone. You'll receive guidance on creating and launching your own offering — from how to structure a session to how to talk about what you do, pitch collaborations, and approach studios — so you can step forward with clarity and confidence. This is about building your unique gifts.
Deep Support, Every Step
- 50 hours live instruction with Neelou (recordings available)
- 40+ practice hours with your cohort, community, and mentor support (community access provided)
- Personalized coaching with Neelou in every session
- Access to online breathwork circles during the training
- Deep dives into energetics, boundaries, and facilitation
- A curated reading list spanning breathwork, somatics, facilitation, and how trauma affects the body and nervous system
- Guidance on developing your teaching and offering
- A library of resources to support your practice — scripts, waivers, intake forms, and homework assignments
- How to curate playlists for your sessions + access to Neelou's Spotify playlists
- Access to all lecture recordings (practice sessions not recorded)
- Group Telegram chat for questions and shares between sessions
- 200-hour breathwork training certification
The Curriculum
Neelou Malekpour
Certified Breathwork, Hatha
& Kundalini Yoga Teacher
Founder, SMUDGED
Author, The Art of Sacred Smoke
I have been a student my whole life. Of ancient wisdom, sacred practice, and the rituals of my grandmother.
She was my best friend and greatest teacher. She taught me the art of sacred smoke — of taking responsibility for my own energy and the vibration I bring into the world. That lineage lives at the heart of everything I do.
Now I carry that lineage forward — as a teacher, as a guide, and as someone who knows what it means to be truly held.
I'm a certified breathwork, Hatha, and Kundalini yoga teacher with almost a decade of experience leading breathwork, sacred smoke, and mindfulness workshops for individuals, groups, and corporations — across the US, Canada, Western Europe, and online communities around the globe.
I'm also the founder of SMUDGED, author of The Art of Sacred Smoke, and have collaborated with brands including UNICEF, Alo Yoga, Soho House, 1 Hotels, and more. My work has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, US Weekly, and beyond.
But more than any of that — I've sat with thousands of people in the breath. I know what it means to hold sacred space. And I take that responsibility seriously.
In this training, I'm sharing everything I've learned along the way. It's the kind of support I wish I'd had when I was starting out.
Transformation That Lasts
The Schedule
All sessions: Fridays · 10am PST · 12pm CST · 1pm EST · 7pm Paris
Regular Sessions: 5 hours (2.5h coaching + 30m break + 2h practice) · Q&A Sessions: 30–45 minutes
Due to Neelou's travel schedule, slight date adjustments may occur. All students will be given at least 2 weeks' notice of any changes.
A Practice Rooted in Wholeness
Breathwork is an experience rooted in wholeness. It is a powerful healing modality that uses the breath to release old patterns, clear stagnant energy, and restore balance in the body. Practicing in a group setting — whether in person or on Zoom — creates a collective healing energy that facilitates deep transformation.
The style Neelou facilitates is a three-part breath: two inhales, followed by an exhale. Simple yet profoundly effective, it helps restore the natural flow of Qi, oxygenating areas of the body that need attention — supporting the release of energetic blockages, past trauma, stress, and stagnation.
In Their Own Words
"For anyone searching for a breathwork training program anchored in integrity and empowerment, this is the one. Neelou beautifully delivers both the human experience and the metaphysical with such thoughtfulness. The foundation she created, the support she provided each individual practitioner, combined with the deliberate wisdom of best practices — it is invaluable."
— Laura Aguila, LPC"After attending Neelou's Breathwork retreat something opened inside me. I was new to Breathwork and did not know what to expect. I knew that I wanted to learn more about this life changing modality and I signed up for Neelou's Breathwork Teacher Training. I am so glad I did. Not only is Neelou a passionate teacher and advocate for Breathwork, but she wants you to succeed. Not many teachers have a heart like Neelou's and that is why I one hundred and ten percent encourage anyone who wants to continue to heal themselves and help others heal to enroll. Neelou has a gift for seeing your gift and for navigating alongside you without feeling judged, criticized, or shamed — a true teacher. She lifts you up so you may lift others up."
— Ali"I highly recommend Neelou's breathwork teacher training. She not only teaches you how to become a breathwork practitioner, but also how to properly hold space for people, what to look for in a group setting, and how to trust your intuition when working with breath and energetics. She is also very knowledgeable in the marketing and business side of the wellness industry. After going through this training, I felt very supported and equipped with all the information I needed to move forward. Not only is the training supportive, but so is the entire SMUDGED community."
— Sylvia Birnbaum"This training showed me how to hold space for others with integrity and intention. The combination of esoteric wisdom, business ethics, encouragement, and real-world practice has transformed me into a confident breathwork facilitator, despite feeling anything but when I first began the training! I recommend Neelou's program for anyone who wants to elevate their own breathwork practice and start sharing this powerful healing modality with others."
— Becky Brooks"Neelou's Breathwork Teacher Training is more than a learning container. Beyond transmitting her vast knowledge and experience, she creates a space that feels safe, supportive, and inspiring — both for personal healing and professional growth as we are required to practice breathwork on each other. What makes her training unique is the way she encourages each participant to develop their own sensitivity, intuition, and authentic style as a breathwork facilitator. By the end of the training, I felt genuinely confident and inspired to begin leading my own breathwork sessions. I left with skills, knowledge, and a deeper trust in myself as a practitioner and space holder."
— Dani Marino"I am so grateful for Neelou's breathwork teacher training. I first felt called in the middle of one of her cohorts. I reached out to ask and learn more, and Neelou was very encouraging that it would work out well even with the timing. The training is set up to be supportive — it allowed me to work through past lessons at my own pace while integrating into the live lessons as well. Neelou has a beautiful ability to support you while pushing your edges and helping you find what you need. The program allowed me to be supported while finding my own rhythm as a Breathwork Facilitator."
— Stacie JaynesTo speak with a past student, reach out to: assistant@smudged.co
Join the Circle
✦ Spots are limited to 11 students ✦
Due to the nature of this work, no refunds will be issued. Please register with clear intention.
Financial assistance is available. Contact assistant@smudged.co to inquire.
If this feels like your next iteration of self, we welcome you, exactly as you are.
This training is a rite of passage — an invitation to step fully into yourself.
Secure Your Place TodayQuestions? Reach out to assistant@smudged.co
This is a fully digital training — students are welcome from anywhere in the world. If you run into a tech issue because the system requires a local address, please reach out and we'll handle it.