I have to work tonight, so I have no chance for practicing. Since I wouldn't get to do any asana, I decided to get up early today and go to pranayama practice. It starts at 6 AM and finishes at 7, so I would have just enough time to get to work at 7:45. I hadn't been to the class in four or five months. It took about five minutes for me to remember why I hadn't gone in a while. It's HARD. I was sneaking an extra breath as early as the first retained exhale when you hold after both the inhale and the exhale. The farthest I've ever gotten in the class without taking an extra breath was 2 exhales into the part where you do the alternate nostril breathing with retentions after every inhale and exhale. Man, it's so much harder than you would think. It's mainly mind over matter but it's such an easy thing to capitulate in. Once you've started to give in and take extra breaths, it becomes easier and easier to let yourself do it again. It will take a long time to get the technique and confidence down to get better. Once again, that's a problem, getting the time to go regularly. If I do, I never see the kids in the morning. I've got to start going more than I have been though.