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We breath in. We breath out. We don’t think much about it. There are actually two important aspects to each breath. One is breath time. The second is the breath ratio of each breath.
Time. This is how long it takes to have a complete inhalation and exhalation. The average person takes between 15 to 18 breaths a minute. So, one single breath (with it’s four stages – in, hold, out, hold) can take a different amount of time.
Ratio. When we practice pranayama we can change the amount of time, or the ratio, for each of the four stages of one breath.
Inhale
Retain
Exhale
Retain (breath out)
The Breath Chart shows variations that you can try either during your yoga practice or at any time. The numbers are “counts.” Of course, if you have a medical condition you should consult your physician before doing anything new!
BREATH CHART
Inhale |
Retain |
Exhale |
Retain |
Result |
4 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
Relax |
6 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
Relax |
6 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
Relax |
8 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
Balance |
6 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
Balance |
6 |
4 |
6 |
1 |
Energy |
6 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
Energy |
