Another breathing visual or analogy

[igorner]

I 've never had any problem breathing either in the pool or the concert hall...in both arenas I practice...a lot. You make breathing in the pool sound like real work.....I do not agree.

My interest in this thread is the control of exhalations ie do people rapidly exhale, do they hold some part of the breath, do they have some sort of rythm. I tend to exhale over a four stroke count before I take in a breath but am open to a "better way".