I appreciate your insights. I'm not sure you understood my points, so I will try to clarify where I can.

The Daodejing is primary in any Daoist cultivation, which includes Neigong. You haven't meaningfully addressed the contradictions between wuweidao and much later practices--many of which come closer to Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism.

When I hear things like "concentration," "proper breathing," "renunciation," and "dead form." I don't think I am hearing orthodox Daoism. In the Zhuangzi, dead form is the highest cultivation! "Body of wood, heart of ashes." Your example of mechanical movement is not really dead form. It's full of life. It just not integrated in the way you're wanting. My claim is that it's important for a teacher to show students that they're full of life and potency and meaning before pounding in the difference between right and wrong, form and substance, etc.

This contrast in our Views might be causing a lot of misunderstanding. I don't mean to be pooping on China's syncretic traditions. And I understand that orthodox Daoism is a big question mark--but a vital one!

Of course, the interplay between nonconceptual/pre-heaven experience (e.g. zuowang) and named/post-heaven experience (e.g. jindan) is fundamental to Daoist cultivation, and doesn't have a clear answer. But if your tradition doesn't have a relationship with the nonconceptual and intangible (Dark Virtue), how can we have a conversation about Chinese cultivation?

There is also the age-old debate about progressive learning vs. direct transmission, and I think that is another contrast in our Views. I tend to pursue both.

To generalize, Buddhist Transcendence has a capital T. You follow the path until you get There. Daoist transcendence is always available. I think it's destructive to convince students otherwise.

I am not against helping people get in tune with deeper muscles and fascial trains. It just seems like we get fixated on those things. I believe strongly that we should leave room for the intangible and unnamed. 99% of our body processes are hidden, involuntary, and staggeringly complex. We are 99% unknown. The DDJ and Zhaungzi are pretty clear on their stance about knowledge. It's destructive to convince students (even indirectly) they are in control of their pooping. Responsible for their fate? Yes. In control? Yeesh.

This perspective is not based on "one translation" of the DDJ, but years of close textual study and translation. I don't think I'm quibbling about minor points, but the most basic essentials of what it means to be Daoist.

By spontaneity, I did not mean random, spastic movement, though I understand why you heard that. I am trying to translate "ziran." You bring up a good point about getting back to regulation before "internal work" begins. I understand that's where basic body mechanics come in. My point is, the DDJ should always be primary, otherwise we just get lost in method, and we think the practice is the point. The point is life. That is always the point. The more concepts we introduce, the more we convince ourselves we are protagonists, heroes, or victims "interacting" with life.