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In the past few years, I have increasingly experienced a kind of internal signal for which I lack a good descriptor. During daily qigong, in both prescribed sequences and "no-form" practice, I sometimes make a familiar gesture in a new way, or spontaneously make a new-to-me movement. (Some of these get incorporated into the daily forms.) Especially if the movement is more extreme in force or extension than usual, I may question its utility or safety. And if it feels particularly good, I might be wary of hedonism. Often, though, the inner voice says something like this is good or this is right and fitting, or even this is necessary - whether or not comfortable or familiar. My current framing is that such signals arise when action and intention align with some aspect of Tao - physical conditioning, healing, mind/body integration, some more subtle opening or connection. Assuming that this is a liminal indication that I'm belatedly learning to attend, I wonder if there is a term of art for such perceptions. I also have the perhaps-simplistic understanding that there is no "entering" or "surrendering to" or "embracing" Tao, since everything (including apparent separation or turbulence) is also Tao. So maybe the experience is not one of a signal per se, but the diminution of perceptual and conceptual noise. As someone said of one Zen koan: Mu! is not a negation It is not a command, nor even an instruction: It is an invitation To relax Reference points: Greek kairos for "the critical/correct moment" (as distinct from chronos, time generally) apparently derives from the precise instant when a loosed arrow will find its mark. In the Eightfold Path, "right mindfulness" and "right samadhi" seem especially relevant. And from Shakespeare: "There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune..." So - can anyone here please help with existing words or phrases (in any language) that describe or define these experiences, in any field of activity (or stillness)? Thanks in advance for your attention and guidance.

I've putted together Yogic and Daoist cultivation terms together for the same/similar practices. Maybe it will be of help for someone. Chinese terms are in pinyin. Yoga. Xiu/Xiuyang/Yangsheng. Pratyahara. Neiguan + Neishi + Neiting. Asana. Daoyin/Waigong. Pranayama. Qigong. Prana Vidya. Waiqi Liaofa. Dharana. Yigong. Dhyana. Zuowang. Yama + Niyama. Sanbao. Samadhi. Shenming.

In the spiritual world, there are many "buzz words" and most people use them quite profusely. I propose that we try to do an exercise where we compile a list of common terms and see if our understanding of these words match. Let me start with three words we use very freely and what they mean to me. Doing exercises like this may help us avoid unnecessary arguments over misunderstandings vis-a-vis jargon and syntax and work on creating better understanding/more meaningful discourses. Awareness Consciousness Mind On the surface these three words seem to be synonyms (or at least seem to be referring to the same thing). However, if we dig a bit deeper, our personal understanding of might be more nuanced. For instance, my understanding of the words have evolved over the years from roughly meaning the same thing to meaning more specific and different "things". Awareness - This to me means the primary quality that allows one to know. This can be used synonymously, imho, with Pure Awareness or Pure Objectless Consciousness. Consciousness - This to me means awareness in conjunction with any object. Or "objective consciousness". If there are no objects (ie empty), then I call it "Pure Objectless Consciousness" and can use it synonymously with "awareness". Mind - This is a field of objects or a stream of objective consciousness. To me, Mind doesn't mean "awareness" or even consciousness, per se. It is the stream of consciousness, basically the incessant knowing of objects.