The fundamental purpose of Taoist health preservation is to get rid of the interference of all external factors on life activities and get rid of physical and mental liberation. Therefore, advocating nature has become the basic principle of Taoist health preservation. According to the Taoist view, taking the change of natural order as the law, abandoning human rational factors in health care and taking actions that conform to nature can preserve health and prolong life.

Laozi said: "People should follow the laws of nature, the earth should follow the laws of heaven and earth, and the sky should follow the laws of nature, otherwise everything will violate the principles of heaven and earth." . The initial state of human beings is closest to nature, so the ideal standard of "simplicity" and "truth" is put forward, and the highest standard of health preservation is to return to the state of infants.

Zhuangzi believes that the harmony between man and nature is the highest state of health preservation, and advocates breaking all artificial and deliberate pursuits. He believes that "inaction", "no self" and "absolute freedom" are the fundamental ways to realize the unity of man and nature.