Concrete movement concepts and concepts from the Laozi important for Daoist philosophy inspired holistic movement practices:
抱一 bao yi (Laozi, 22)
embracing oneness
不武 bu wu 不怒 bu nu (Laozi, 68)
emotional balance
不自見 bu zixian 不自是 bu zishi 不自伐 bu zifa 不自矜 bu zijin (Laozi, 22, 24)
no arrogance
不言之教 bu yan zhi jiao (Laozi, 2, 23, 43, 73)
teachings without words / everything nature is teaching us
草木 caomu (Laozi, 76)
the world of plants
沖氣以為和 chong qi yiwei he (Laozi, 42)
„harmonizing with the empty Qi“
雌雄 ci xiong (Laozi, 10, 28)
the world of birds
慈 ci
(我有三寶 … 一曰慈 wo you san bao … yi yue ci) (Laozi, 67)
Closely linked with 母 mu, 牝 pin, 雌 ci, 生 sheng, 畜 xu, 長 zhang, 育 yu, 養 yang (Laozi, 1, 2, 6, 10, 28, 34, 39, 40, 42, 51, 61)
a caring attitude („I have three treasures …: The first one, is a caring attitude.“)
動中有靜 靜中有動 dongzhong you jing jingzhong you dong
(for the origin of this concept see Laozi, 15)
tranquility in movement, movement in tranquility
反 fan
(反者道之動 弱者道之用 fanzhe daozhidong ruozhe daozhiyong) (Laozi, 40)
reversing / cycles / the world of the stars, the four seasons / the cycles of life („Reversing is the movement of the Dao. Being ‚weak‘ is the application of the Dao.“)
輔萬物之自然 fu wanwu zhi ziran (Laozi, 64)
supporting nature in all existence
根 gen
roots
貴食母 gui shimu (Laozi, 20)
appreciating the nourishing „mother“
好靜 haojing (Laozi, 15, 16, 26, 37, 45, 57, 61)
„appreciating tranquility“
和其光 he qi guang (Laozi, 4, 56, 58)
„harmonizing one’s inner light“
儉 jian
(我有三寶 … 二曰儉 wo you san bao … er yue jian) (Laozi, 67)
carefully handling everything („I have three treasures …: The second one is carefully dealing with all things and beings.“)
腳趾著地 jiaozhi zhuodi
the toes taking hold in the ground
In relation to 通 tong:
extending your sensitivity into the periphery, and beyond the periphery – fostering the interplay of hands, feet, head, shoulders, chest, lower abdomen, pelvis, …
聚散 ju san
condensing and dispersing
明 ming (Laozi, 16, 22, 24, 27, 33, 36, 52, 55)
being a light for oneself and for the world
牝牡 pin mu (Laozi, 6, 55, 61)
the world of four-legged animals
柔弱 rouruo (Laozi, 10, 36, 43, 52, 55, 76, 78)
being soft and weak (as „students“ of life and liveliness)
聖人 shengren (Laozi, 2, 7, 12, 22, 27, 29, 47, 49, 57, 58, 63, 64, 66, 70, 72, 77, 81)
people of harmony
水 shui 川谷 chuangu 江海 jianghai (Laozi, 8, 32, 66, 78, )
the world of water
順 shun (Laozi, 65)
moving with the flow
損之又損以至於無為 sunzhi you sun (Laozi, 48)
„You reduce and reduce again till you arrive at non-action.“
天地人 tian di ren (Laozi, 25)
the universe, the earth, human beings (see 通 tong)
提肛斂腹 tigang lianfu
the lifting of the anus and taking in of the abdomen
通 tong
connecting / being permeative: see 抱一 bao yi (Laozi, 22)
為者敗之 weizhe baizhi (Laozi, 64)
„Manipulation destroys.“
無為 wuwei (Laozi, 2, 3, 10, 37, 43, 48, 57, 63, 64)
non-action
無欲 wuyu 知止 zhi zhi 知足 zhi zu (Laozi, 3, 19, 32, 33, 37, 44, 46, 57, 64, )
no greed / without desires
無執 wuzhi (Laozi, 64)
執者失之 zhizhe shizhi
no clinging
陰陽 yin yang (Laozi, 2, 40, 42)
Yin and Yang
用其光復歸其明 yong qi guang fugui qi ming (Laozi, 52)
„using your own light to regain your own ability to shine“
有生於無 you sheng yu wu (Laozi, 40)
„The existent is born out of the non-existent.“
欲不欲 yu bu yu (Laozi, 64)
to desire not to desire
自化 zihua (Laozi, 37, 64)
transforming by itself / by oneself (self-organization)
自然 ziran (Laozi, 64)
being like this by itself (being authentic / natural / pristine)
You can do all of the physical practices in physically more or less challenging ways, depending on your age, abilities and needs. Most important, however, is to do the practices in ways that have overall unifying effects in ever evolving and deeper ways.
Ansgar Gerstner - Daoist philosophy in movement 