This is where pipe smoking distinguishes itself from all other forms of tobacco enjoyment. It's different because it transcends the hobby, the past-time, the addiction. It's an art-form, and as such, it usually requires some technique to get somewhere good. Yet, as with any form of art, it also allows for individual style. Technique is an important, but not the most important, factor. The techniques are extremely useful. They're the fundamentals. Learning to breathe and pace yourself, learning cadence, is no different from learning brush strokes or the musical scales. Learning which tobaccos will work well in a blend, and complement one another, is a mirror image of learning the color spectrum.
In the end, it's all about whatever makes you enjoy your smoke.
I find that I like to move between techniques and styles. I just make sure not to lose control and end up with an over-heated pipe. After I char-light, I usually start off with a few good puffs to get 'er going, if i need to even the burn I'll just zone out with the breathing method and day-dream for a while. If I feel like seeing some smoke I'll puff happily away for a bit. I also like to sip very, very slowly (and let the smoke gather for a while, before letting it out), especially if I feel like really contemplating on the flavor, and to get a good dose of Nicotine. Most times I'll go back and forth with every bowl I smoke, until I find the niche. I'm searching for that perfect harmony, the pattern, unique to that blend, that pipe, the moment of time and place that I'm in; and when you find it, then everything just sings.