I have always been interested in how language and cuing affects movement. I have noticed that in Western movement practices there is often an emphasis on tightening or controlling and in Eastern movement practices there is often an emphasis on presence and calm. Below are a few examples...
Tighten your abs vs. Soften your belly
Take a big breath in vs. Breath calmly
Be careful vs. Sense what you're doing
Lengthen your spine vs. Energize your entire spine
Personally, I respond much better to cues rooted in presence and calm applied to any and all movement be it QiGong, Pilates, Weight Lifting, Walking or anything else. Our bodies are very good at adapting and organizing when a safe environment is provided and this includes helpful language. I try to provide this as a teacher of movement. Hopefully you feel the benefit. https://youtu.be/ZzlYJz-3D1g