Daoyin

Daoyin is a series of cognitive body and mind unity exercises practiced as a form of Daoist neigong, meditation and mindfulness to cultivate jing (essence) and direct and refine qi, the internal energy of the body according to traditional Chinese medicine. These exercises are often divided into yin positions (lying and sitting) and yang positions (standing and moving).^[1] The practice of daoyin was a precursor of qigong,^[2] and was practised in Chinese Taoist monasteries for health and spiritual cultivation.^[2] Daoyin is also said to be^[3] a primary formative ingredient in the well-known "soft styles" of the Chinese martial arts, of tai chi,^[4] and middle road styles like Wuxingheqidao.

The main goal of daoyin is to create flexibility of the mind, thereby creating harmony between internal and external environments, which relaxes, replenishes and rejuvenates the body, developing in its practitioners a vital and healthy spirit.^{[citation needed]}

In the West, daoyin is sometimes mistakenly equated with "daoist yoga" or "yin yoga" as "dao" (導) and "yin" (引) are mistakenly read as 'Dao' (道), as in "Daoism", and 'Yin' (阴), as in "Yin-Yang".^{[citation needed]}