Embracing Emotions and Healing Through Qi Gong: Insights from Dr. Michael Smith
- Vince Wishart
- Feb 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 24
What if reclaiming your childlike joy and inner freedom could begin with a single breath? In a soul-stirring conversation that bridges timeless wisdom and modern healing, I had the profound privilege of sitting with Dr. Michael Smith—a visionary clinician, Qi Gong master, and guide to those navigating addiction, trauma, and the quest for wholeness. With over four decades immersed in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and the raw, beautiful mess of human transformation, Dr. Smith unveils how practices like Qi Gong can reawaken the wonder we thought we’d lost and help us step boldly into our most authentic selves.
At Love Alive, we believe healing is a journey of coming home—to our bodies, our hearts, and the sacred truth that everyone we meet holds a lesson for our growth. Dr. Smith’s teachings echo this truth, offering not just strategies for emotional resilience but a roadmap to living with radical presence and grace. Whether you’re seeking to mend old wounds, reignite your spark, or simply breathe deeper into life’s uncertainties, his insights remind us that healing is never a solo voyage—it’s a dance of connection, courage, and the quiet power of showing up, exactly as we are.
Let’s dive into the heart of this conversation, where ancient wisdom meets modern hope, and discover how you can reclaim your birthright to aliveness.
Who Is Dr. Michael Smith?
Dr. Smith’s journey began in martial arts, where he spent decades mastering combat techniques. Yet, a pivotal moment shifted his focus: a mentor’s advice to “learn to care for people” redirected him toward Chinese medicine and trauma therapy. Today, he integrates Chi Gong, functional medicine, and somatic practices to address autoimmune diseases, addiction, and complex trauma. His work bridges traditional animistic practices—like shape-shifting and ceremony—with contemporary neuroscience and psychology.
Recovery as Returning to Innocence
For Dr. Smith, true recovery isn’t just sobriety—it’s reconnecting with the “state of being” we’re born into: the awe, curiosity, and joy of a child. Modern life, however, often traps us in cycles of control and avoidance. Addiction, he argues, arises from an unmet need to shift our state of being. Qi Gong offers a remedy by teaching self-regulation without external crutches.
Key Insight:
“Addiction promises to ‘take care of how you feel,’ but Qi Gong empowers you to co-create your state of being—whether playfulness, stillness, or resilience.”
From Violence to Vulnerability: A Martial Artist’s Evolution
Dr. Smith’s martial arts background initially stemmed from a desire to “never be hurt again.” Yet, training others in combat revealed a deeper truth: 80-85% of trainees carried visceral pain masked by vigilance. His shift to trauma therapy began when he realized true strength lies in vulnerability.
The Turning Point: By embracing compassion over aggression, Dr. Smith found that efficiency in conflict resolution soared. “Violence is easy; an open heart is the real martial art,” he reflects. This mirrors the Qi Gong principle of “never blocking”—instead, redirecting energy fluidly.
Chinese Medicine and Emotional Healing
Chinese medicine views emotional wounds as disruptions in Qi (pronounced-chi meaning life force). Dr. Smith outlines a framework for healing:
Cocooning: Creating safety for self-regulation.
Acceptance: Not passive resignation, but actively witnessing pain without judgment.
Reorientation: Addressing instinctual needs buried beneath shame or rage.
Example: Trauma often stems from “existential loss” of autonomy. By mapping the “inner landscape” of where distress manifests (e.g., tension in shoulders), individuals can reorient their “compass” toward healing.
Embodied Trauma Release: The Role of Haptic Intelligence
Haptic intelligence—the felt sense of movement and aliveness—is central to Qi Gong. Dr. Smith likens the brain to a “restaurant”: the unconscious “kitchen” (instincts, memories) feeds the conscious “dining room” (thoughts/feelings). Trauma disrupts this flow, trapping us in survival mode.
Practices to Reconnect:
Shape-Shifting: Mimicking natural forms (e.g., kelp in water) to release fascial tension.
Dark Meditation: Sitting in stillness for hours to rebuild hippocampal resilience, allowing memories to integrate without triggering overwhelm.
Key Quote:
“Healing isn’t about fixing the brain—it’s inhabiting your body so fully that the brain reorients to safety.”
Starting Your Healing Journey
Dr. Smith emphasizes two tools:
A Map: Visualizing your emotional/physical terrain (e.g., drawing where pain resides).
A Compass: Aligning actions with values (e.g., turning toward joy, not away from fear).
For Clinicians & Individuals: His courses (e.g., Embodied Psychotherapy with Chinese Medicine) teach Shan Xing—a practice to dissolve conditioning and reconnect with innate “spiritual luminosity.” Who doesn't want to be luminous?
Conclusion: The Power of Waiting and Learning from Every Teacher
In a fast-paced world, Dr. Smith revives an ancestral truth: waiting is a superpower. Whether sitting in stillness or navigating emotional storms, patience allows the nervous system to rewire. As he puts it:
“Your ancestors spent 80% of their lives in conscious waiting. Reclaim that birthright—it’s where healing begins.”
But healing is not a solitary journey. In closing, Dr. Smith and his host reflect on a universal truth: Everyone we meet can be our teacher. Whether it’s a mentor, a student, or someone simply sharing their story, respecting where others are in their journey fosters mutual growth.
As the conversation concludes, the host shares:
“Michael, it’s been a great honour to walk alongside you these past four and half years.”
Dr. Smith responds with humility:
“Thank you—it’s an honour to be seen through the eyes of someone I respect as much as I respect you.”
This exchange underscores a vital lesson: Recognition and respect are reciprocal. When we approach others with openness, we honour their path and invite a deeper understanding of our own.
Here is the video of our interview:
Connect with Dr. Smith:
Courses: somaqigong.com (includes therapeutic Qi Gong and clinician training).
Contact: drmike888@gmail.com (virtual/onsite sessions for autoimmune and trauma support).
By merging ancient practices with modern science, Dr. Smith invites us to rediscover our capacity for wonder—one breath, one movement, one moment at a time. As we walk this path, let us remember: Every person we meet holds a lesson, and every journey deserves respect.
Rebecca and I have been teaching Qi Gong at a local community centre and with enough interest, which there seems to be an increasing amount, we will be offering an Introductory Qi Gong class to help a person with the basics, form, structure, and some introductory forms, in order to achieve this most epic of forms called the Big Regulation. Here is an artistic demo of the form:
If you want to learn the basics to get yourself to this most epic form of Qi Gong, Consider hopping on a course designed to give you the basics and discover the power of the breath (so far we have learned 65 types of breathwork, by the time we are finished medical Qi Gong, we will have over 100 breathwork types under our belt). All of this is learned in a 7000-year-old psychotherapy tradition called the Yi Dao Huan Yuan Pai, which is a Daoist village tradition. Rebecca and I are honing our content to Self-regulation, emotions, recovery and relationships in one's home, work, community, and the natural world. If this feels like it may be a fit for you, check out our Offerings Page.
In the meantime, to dip your toes into our content and style of teaching, Check out these 2 videos, try it on as a daily practice, and do a trial run with this entry-level practice.
San Dao Jing Li opening Salutation
Many blessings on your journey in connection with the Qi of the day, and learning to nurture your inner garden.
Vince Wishart
As an experienced group facilitator, NLP Life Coach, author of books on emotional fluency, registered therapeutic counsellor, Qi gong instructor, and community builder, Vince has been running men's groups for 6+ years. Read Vince’s Full Bio
LoveAlive
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