diff --git a/adafruit_led_animation/animation/pulse.py b/adafruit_led_animation/animation/pulse.py
index fdd4a7c..ee10ca7 100644
--- a/adafruit_led_animation/animation/pulse.py
+++ b/adafruit_led_animation/animation/pulse.py
@@ -37,12 +37,28 @@ class Pulse(Animation):
     :param float speed: Animation refresh rate in seconds, e.g. ``0.1``.
     :param color: Animation color in ``(r, g, b)`` tuple, or ``0x000000`` hex format.
     :param period: Period to pulse the LEDs over.  Default 5.
+    :param breath: Duration to hold minimum and maximum intensity levels. Default 0.
+    :param min_intensity: Lowest brightness level of the pulse. Default 0.
+    :param max_intensity: Highest brightness elvel of the pulse. Default 1.
     """
 
     # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments
-    def __init__(self, pixel_object, speed, color, period=5, name=None):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        pixel_object,
+        speed,
+        color,
+        period=5,
+        breath=0,
+        min_intensity=0,
+        max_intensity=1,
+        name=None,
+    ):
         super().__init__(pixel_object, speed, color, name=name)
         self._period = period
+        self.breath = breath
+        self.min_intensity = min_intensity
+        self.max_intensity = max_intensity
         self._generator = None
         self.reset()
 
diff --git a/adafruit_led_animation/animation/sparklepulse.py b/adafruit_led_animation/animation/sparklepulse.py
index efb0d1d..0976f9e 100644
--- a/adafruit_led_animation/animation/sparklepulse.py
+++ b/adafruit_led_animation/animation/sparklepulse.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class SparklePulse(Sparkle):
     :param int speed: Animation refresh rate in seconds, e.g. ``0.1``.
     :param color: Animation color in ``(r, g, b)`` tuple, or ``0x000000`` hex format.
     :param period: Period to pulse the LEDs over.  Default 5.
+    :param breath: Duration to hold minimum and maximum intensity. Default 0.
     :param max_intensity: The maximum intensity to pulse, between 0 and 1.0.  Default 1.
     :param min_intensity: The minimum intensity to pulse, between 0 and 1.0.  Default 0.
     """
@@ -49,13 +50,15 @@ def __init__(
         speed,
         color,
         period=5,
+        breath=0,
         max_intensity=1,
         min_intensity=0,
         name=None,
     ):
-        self._max_intensity = max_intensity
-        self._min_intensity = min_intensity
         self._period = period
+        self.breath = breath
+        self.min_intensity = min_intensity
+        self.max_intensity = max_intensity
         dotstar = len(pixel_object) == 4 and isinstance(pixel_object[0][-1], float)
         super().__init__(
             pixel_object, speed=speed, color=color, num_sparkles=1, name=name
diff --git a/adafruit_led_animation/helper.py b/adafruit_led_animation/helper.py
index 126ea74..6d876e1 100644
--- a/adafruit_led_animation/helper.py
+++ b/adafruit_led_animation/helper.py
@@ -322,7 +322,8 @@ def pulse_generator(period: float, animation_object, dotstar_pwm=False):
     :param animation_object: An animation object to interact with.
     :param dotstar_pwm: Whether to use the dostar per pixel PWM value for brightness control.
     """
-    period = int(period * MS_PER_SECOND)
+    period = int((period + (animation_object.breath * 2)) * MS_PER_SECOND)
+    half_breath = int(animation_object.breath * MS_PER_SECOND // 2)
     half_period = period // 2
 
     last_update = monotonic_ms()
@@ -338,7 +339,15 @@ def pulse_generator(period: float, animation_object, dotstar_pwm=False):
         last_pos = pos
         if pos > half_period:
             pos = period - pos
-        intensity = pos / half_period
+        if pos < half_breath:
+            intensity = animation_object.min_intensity
+        elif pos > (half_period - half_breath):
+            intensity = animation_object.max_intensity
+        else:
+            intensity = animation_object.min_intensity + (
+                ((pos - half_breath) / (half_period - (half_breath * 2)))
+                * (animation_object.max_intensity - animation_object.min_intensity)
+            )
         if dotstar_pwm:
             fill_color = (
                 animation_object.color[0],