Yoga Yajanavalkya

Prana-apana samayogah pranayama itiritah. (Yoga Yajnavalkya VI.2) Balancing prana and apana is said to be pranayama. (translated by A.G.Mohan)

按照 Yoga Yajanavalkya 這本書的定義，所謂的 pranayama 指的就是 prana 和 apana 的平衡。

Krishnamacharya 對這句話的解釋是：

The inhaled breath must be brought to meet with the exhaled breath. (from “Teachings” by Claude Marechal)
吸氣要能夠和吐氣相會合。

吸氣和吐氣相會合？恐怕大多數人會摸不太清頭緒。時間上更接近我們的 Richard Freeman 有非常漂亮的說法：

With each inhale, we explore the residue of the exhale; with each exhale, the residue of the inhale. The inhale retains the best of the exhale. The exhale, the best of the inhale.
我們在每一次的吸氣中，探索吐氣的餘韻；在每一次的吐氣中，探索吸氣的餘韻。吸氣中保存住吐氣最精華的部分；吐氣中保存住吸氣最精華的部分。