HRV BreatheDownload

14 days

Gentle Start

Fourteen deliberately unhurried days. No breath holds, sessions that open at three minutes, and permission to repeat any day you like.

What this program does

Gentle Start is the slowest on-ramp we ship. There are no breath holds anywhere in it, and the daily ramp never adds more than a couple of minutes — because the usual way a breathing habit dies is doing too much on a good day and skipping the next three. Days open at three minutes and reach eight by day fourteen. Repeating a day is not falling behind; it is the design. If Bootcamp reads like a lot, start here and go to Bootcamp afterwards.

Built for

Anyone new to breathwork. People who have started a breathing program before and found the pace too steep. Anyone who would rather build a habit than finish a challenge.

What to expect

Fourteen short sessions and a cadence you can keep once the program ends. Consistency is the whole objective here — not intensity, and not the numbers.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Extended Exhale 4/6 · 3 min

    Three minutes, nothing more. Four counts in, six out, and no effort spent on getting it perfect.

  2. Day 2

    Resonance 7 BPM · 3 min

    Seven breaths a minute — an easy, conversational pace. Don't chase depth.

  3. Day 3

    Extended Exhale 4/6 · 4 min

    Same pattern as day one, a minute longer. If today feels like a lot, stopping early still counts as done.

  4. Day 4

    Cyclic Sighing · 3 min

    Two inhales, one long sigh out. Short session, distinct rhythm.

  5. Day 5

    Resonance 6.5 BPM · 4 min

    Slowing slightly. If you notice any lightheadedness, breathe smaller — slower never means harder.

  6. Day 6

    Extended Exhale 4/8 · 3 min

    Deliberately short. Easing off on purpose is part of the skill, not a lapse in it.

  7. Day 7

    Resonance 6.5 BPM · 5 min

    A full week. Five unhurried minutes to close it out.

  8. Day 8

    Resonance 6 BPM · 5 min

    Six breaths a minute — the rate the rest of the app is built around.

  9. Day 9

    Cyclic Sighing · 5 min

    The full five-minute sighing practice from the Balban trial. Let each exhale be audible.

  10. Day 10

    Extended Exhale 4/8 · 5 min

    Exhales twice as long as inhales. The pause at the bottom arrives on its own — no holding.

  11. Day 11

    Resonance 6 BPM · 6 min

    Six minutes at six breaths. This is the session most people end up returning to.

  12. Day 12

    Resonance 5.5 BPM · 6 min

    Slower again. If it feels like too much today, drop back to 6 — the right rate is the smooth one.

  13. Day 13

    Resonance 5.5 BPM · 7 min

    Seven minutes. Two weeks ago this was twice the length of day one.

  14. Day 14

    Resonance 6 BPM · 8 min

    The last day of the program and the first day of a practice that's yours.

Start the program in the app.

Programs are included in every plan. Free for 7 days, then $4.99/month or $29.99/year; Lifetime is $249 once, with no trial.