SomaSync: HRV Fractal Entrainment
A tool to cultivate natural dynamics in the body and mind
SomaSync is a method that helps entrain natural dynamics in the mind and in the body. It focuses on developing fractal breathing, heartbeat, and movement, which have been shown to positively impact resilience, recovery, and physical agility. Along with offering health benefits, it encourages practitioners to explore the aesthetics of the natural and organic through their bodies.
SomaSync, as a practice, is available in many different formats. It can manifest through live sessions, music, visuals, and language. I also developed an app that can be used to experiment with fractal movement and breathing using haptic, visual, and sonic feedback — www.somasync.app. You can also try what it feels like by following this breathing pattern from the video below: inhale as the circle expands, exhale as it contracts.
To try this on your iPhone or Apple Watch, you can download the app below:
Where Does SomaSync Come From?
SomaSync was inspired by my earlier work with the EightOS bodymind operating system — a physical practice that I’ve been co-developing since 2014 that explores the confluence, fluidity, and adaptability in the mind and body. It also builds my research in nonlinear dynamics at Nodus Labs and my experience with Noguchi Taiso with Imre Thormann and various breathing and movement practices.
After exploring various approaches, I discovered an aesthetic and almost blissful sensation linked to what we call "natural" or "organic" movement and breathing. I sensed it intuitively, but I was curious about a mathematical way to describe it. This connection between subjective and objective experiences could help develop a language and tools for sharing it.
It turned out that medical science and advanced fitness studies have been investigating the so-called fractal dynamics of breathing and heartbeat, which was exactly what I was looking for. In short, many natural systems are fractal in nature: they are self-similar across different scales. Multiple studies have demonstrated that when heartbeat is fractal (variability of distances between the heartbeats as measured by Heart Rate Variability DFA alpha component), the body is in its most adaptive, resilient, and healthy state. It is possible to modulate this fractality using breathing.
Similarly, studies have shown that fractal variability in movement is linked to calm, restful, and adaptive states. A loss of this variability can signal the onset of neurological and physiological issues. For example, maintaining a fractal gait has been demonstrated to be beneficial.
In order to make this approach more accessible, I started developing the SomaSync app in 2023 and after rigorous testing and experimentation I have made available to the public in June 2025. This app can be used to put your body in a more natural, adaptive, and resilient state by increasing fractal variability in your movement and breathing. It also has an advanced HRV tracker that works with Apple Watch (including its ECG function) and one of the most precise HR trackers on the market Polar H10.
How Does SomaSync Work?
When I was practicing EightOS, I realized there was a distinct aesthetic to the perfect EightOS movement: a blend of tension and release, being fluid yet interspersed with bursts of rigidity. It reminded me of patterns often seen in nature and, to my surprise, it had a precise mathematical signature that could be described as fractal dynamics.
This dynamic is referred to as fractal in a temporal sense. It is self-similar across different scales: on smaller time scales, minor changes mirror the pattern of larger changes on longer time scales. Many living systems, when they are at their most perfect adaptable and resilient states, will exhibit these fractal properties.
The cardiovascular system is likely the most extensively studied in terms of fractal variability related to the human body. A healthy heartbeat exhibits variability, with the intervals between beats showing slight deviations. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a metric that indicates the extent of these fluctuations. It turns out that a healthier, more adaptive body, does not only have higher HRV but its HRV is also fractal.
HRV fractality can be influenced by breathing and movement. While standard 5-5 breathing patterns may temporarily boost HRV, its fractality can also be affected by movement and breathing that have fractal characteristics. This is why SomaSync emphasizes cultivating this fractality through a specific kind of fractal movement and fractal breathing patterns. I find it not only feels and looks beautiful, but it also connects us to natural movement patterns, as most living systems in their most adaptive state display similar characteristics.