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Breathing: The breathing should become very subtle during the practice of pranayama. The gross breath can be felt at a distance of 2-36 finger-widths from the nose. The subtler breath extends for a shorter distance. The practitioner should breathe in such a way that the breath does not extend beyond two finger-widths during exhalation, and retention does not make one exhale forcefully. The internal retention should be adjusted, so that one does not gasp while breathing out.
The speed of inhalation and exhalation should also be consistent and uniform. When one is tired, for example, the tendency is to inhale deeply and slowly and exhale quickly. When one is not tired, one may inhale more quickly and exhale slowly. This inconsistency in the breath creates uneven waves, which disturb the mind. There must also be uniformity in the breath. If a speedometer were placed inside the nose, one would see that the breath is never uniform. This is particularly noticeable after internal retention. During one exhalation, there may be up to ten different speeds. The breath should be smooth and uniform, without stops, jerks or tremors.
Ratio of inhalation, retention and exhalation: The practitioner must adjust the inhalation, retention and exhalation so that the feeling of suffocation or discomfort is not experienced at any stage of pranayama. One should never feel the necessity of catching a few normal breaths between any two successive rounds. The period of exhalation should not be unnecessarily prolonged; otherwise the following inhalation will be done in hurried manner and the rhythm will be disturbed. The Yoga Chudamani Upanishad states (v. 119):
युक्तं युक्तं त्यजेद्वायु युक्तं युक्तं प्रपूरयेत् ।
युक्तं युक्तं प्रबध्नीयादेवं सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् ॥ The breath should be inhaled slowly with awareness. The breath should be retained properly with awareness. The breath should be exhaled slowly and carefully. Thus perfection is attained.
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