The best way to approach Pranayama is to be practical with your breath. There are different types of Pranayama that one can follow. But first, one needs to be sure if one has the capacity to follow these different types, as one needs to have strong lungs to progress in Pranayama. This can be achieved through consistency in Asanas and Pranayama practice.
So, the right way is to go back to the basics and think practically on how to increase your lung capacity. In Iyengar Yoga, we focus on releases before starting with Pranayama. The bottom chest, top chest, centre chest, back ribs, and front ribs need to expand so that the lungs can expand fully. If there is any stiffness in the muscles around the chest area, our breathing is affected. A few releases for these areas is recommended, as it helps to stabilize the spine and the body. Now, we can invite the mind to focus on the breath and proceed with Pranayama.