Therapeutic and Medical Qi Gong

Level Five of the Soma Dao Qi Gong Teacher Training

Healing is a need for everyone – at some point, in some way.

Sometimes, we need support from others, and most of the time we need to find it within ourselves to commit to our own healing.

If you need support, seeing a Medical Qi Gong Therapist is a highly effective option. You can relax and go inward as your Qi field and internal energy systems are realigned, while you are guided into conscious breathwork, using awareness to resolve energetic or emotional wounds, as well as internal organ and meridian system realignment.

If you would like to learn some gentle exercises, meditation techniques, personalized breathwork practices, and Self-Healing Qi Gong skills, then you will need to learn Therapeutic Qi Gong. Or, if you feel called to help others, become a certified Qi Gong Therapist.

This course is meant for those with some Qi Gong experience, especially clinicians, therapists, and other health care professionals.

A Ten-Month Journey of Healing with Qi Gong

There are thousands of forms of Qi Gong, all focusing on Vitality, Healing, Fertility, and Longevity.

After decades of experience and exploration of many different styles and lineages, Dr. Michael Smith is offering this ten-month program of discovery and refinement to the general public and online for the first time. Most of the practises taught in this course have been reserved for monasteries, Daoist lineages, martial arts lineages, and those taught in the oral traditions of Qi Gong and Traditional Chinese medicine for the last 2,000 years.

This program will take you on a ‘deep dive’ into the most potent and practical aspects of one of the oldest intact Healing Traditions on Earth.

In order to experience, learn, and heal as much as possible (in less than a year) this program has been designed to build on itself in layers or dimensions. It is much more enjoyable when your training and new practices are as easy to learn and remember as possible.

Most classes will be live and focus on learning, reviewing, and expanding your personal (and professional) Qi Gong practice. Some classes are pre-recorded, depending on the season and the subject of the class.

This highly experiential (practice-orientated) ten-month process is divided into the Seven Dimensions of Therapeutic Qi Gong.

The Seven Dimensions of Therapeutic Qi Gong

One – Self Regulation and Down-Regulation

Two – The Healing Power of Qi

Three – State Shift and State Break

Four – Shapeshifting and Five Animal Qi Gong

Five – Healing your Internal Organs with Qi Gong

Six – Breathwork and the Six Healing Sounds

Seven – Clearing Ancestral Wounds from your Six Dan Tian

Dates:

Live Introductory Lecture

Saturday, May 25th (9 AM – PST)

Qi Gong Classes Begin

Tuesday, June 4th (6 PM – PST) 

Live Talks and demonstrations on Saturday mornings – 9 AM – PST
Live and Prerecorded Qi Gong classes on Wednesday evenings – 6 PM – PST 

Course Ends March 18, 2025

Recordings of the Live classes are usually available for streaming or download within 24 hours. 

One

Self Regulation and Down Regulation

An Shen Se Jing
‘Calm your Spirit and Consolidate your Essence’

The First Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is learning to influence your Jing, Qi, and Shen and bring them into balance.

This balance requires that you learn to guide your entire Central Nervous System and Polyvagal Stress Regulation System to down-regulate.

Or, said another way, learning to calm down, rest, reset, relax, release tension, hold space, and focus entirely on your embodied (somatic) state of being, your breath, and your coherence.

Chronic illness, trauma, injuries, loss, and loneliness, can also have a profound influence on your stress and survival physiology. For thousands of years, Qi Gong practitioners have benefited from these ancient Shamanic practices that have evolved to support you through times of imbalance and healing.

Qi Wounds will always need Qi Healing.

Life has challenges and sometimes there are emergencies.

The way you respond (or react) to your unique combination of challenges and emergencies profoundly influences the subtler energetic systems of your body. We have all evolved to fight, flight, freeze, feign, fawn, and a thousand other ways to adapt to life. Humanity has all also evolved sitting and waiting and reflecting a lot more than we do today, as well as going to regular tribal ceremonies or family gatherings, dancing, laughing and occasionally, when needed, crying.

Or, perhaps your ancestors had a way of moving and breathing that allowed you to calm your Spirit (down-regulate), so that you can self regulate, heal, and grow – eventually becoming a source of wisdom for your people.

Today, we have so much more information proving what happens to your brain, your nervous system, your adaptability, and your social sense of connection when there are emergencies and when you are in a flow state and completely calm, present, curious and playful.

Qi Gong practice is profoundly effective at shifting people from a state of distress to a state of mild euphoria.

We will begin our practise by learning some Qi Gong to release Panic Attacks and heal the Four Wounds of Trauma. Then we will tangibly explore Qi gong practices that help you down-regulate, learn from your wounds while consciously changing how your brain is wired, learn breathwork and relaxation practices for releasing embodied memories, and begin studying the ancient Shamanic Qi Gong form called the Tai Li Fa – The Great Regulation.

Sat May 28 – Live Talk and demonstration – Coming Down from Shock

June 1 – Self Regulation and Down-Regulation Qi Gong skills

June 8 – Qi Wounds, Neuroplasticity, and Your Spine – Seated Qi Gong

June 22 – Progressive Relaxation and Trauma Release Qi Gong

June 29 – Regulating the Body, Mind, and Breath – The Traditional Tai Li Fa Form

Two

The Healing Power of Qi

Zheng Qi, Zhen Qi, Zong Qi, and Ling Qi. 

The Second Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is learning to feel into and directly interact with your Qi systems, circulation, communication, and qualities of Aliveness – a practice called De Qi .

There are many simultaneous expressions and experiences of Qi. Some have to do with basic physiology, some with the process of Healing, and others with your existential and Spiritual experience of Being Life.

Zheng Qi A state of resolve in the face of illness, injury, and distress. Zheng Qi is also expressed when your body is fighting an infection or healing on any level.

Zhen Qi A state of authenticity and being with hard truths. Zhen Qi is also expressed as we let go of old patterns and allow ourselves to continue learning about who we really are.

Zong Qi – A connection with the gifts and challenges that you receive from all of your Ancestors. Zong Qi exists in your chest and is a combination of your daily vitality and your innate potential.

Ling Qi – A connection with the ‘Wind of the Sky’, the Mystery expressing itself, and the healing potential of all life. Ling Qi exists in the space between all phenomena and whatever brings all phenomena into Being.

You will learn more about these and many other aspects of Qi and how to guide those functions with specific forms of Therapeutic Qi Gong.

Healing with Qi Gong can happen in many ways.

Working with subtle energies and qualities of aliveness needs to be tangible and needs to connect to the influences around you and moving through you. This can be learned by imitating certain aspects of the Seasons (Yin and Yang) and the natural world (Five elements), by playing with all of the energies moving through all life (De Qi), and by learning some essential healing skills.

Anytime you are cultivating a lot of Qi it is important to open your meridians, breathe completely and efficiently, and keep your muscles and fascia toned and elastic. In this unit, you will learn the foundations of the Yi Jin Jing  – Connective Tissue Transformation Qi Gong.

Sat – July 9 – Live Talk and Demonstration – The Healing Power of  Qi

July 13 – Four Seasons and Five Elements Qi Gong – Qi interaction and awareness

July 27 – De Qi – Making a Qi Connection

Aug 10 – Dao Yin Self Massage and Acupressure

Aug 24  – Meridian Brushing and Dan Tian Clearing

Sept 7 – Deep Healing Flow – Floorwork – Five Spines, Breathwork, Pandiculation

Three

State Shift and State Break

The Roots of Qi Gong and Shamanic Healing

The Third Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong invites you to let go, shake it off, or get out of your head.

Qi Gong originated, long ago, as part of the Indigenous healing practices in Asia. This ancient version of Qi Gong (called Dao Yin) focuses on breathwork, dancing like (as) an animal, ceremonial intention, conscious embodied trauma release, induced trance states, and spiritual recapitulation with Spirits and Ancestors.

When life feels stagnant and stubborn, or collapsed and exhausted,  or if you are really ‘on the edge’, you naturally need to shift state.

We are all descendants of cultures that had practices to help us break out of intense states, down-regulate our nervous system, and shift our state of being – whenever we needed to. If you cannot change your state of being with conscious practice, you will naturally seek out states of unconsciousness. It is thought that much of today’s mental health, trauma, and addiction crisis would be profoundly relieved by reintroducing these kinds of ‘Sate Shift’ practices.

If you are feeling really ‘stuck’, you may have to break state first. In the first two units, you learned the best ways to state-break – to come down from shock or other trauma states.

This unit of the course goes deeper into self-regulation and co-regulation with the Universe (Yin and Yang), the natural world (Five Elements), as well as resetting how you move every joint in your body. Sometimes the best choice is to connect with bigger energetic systems and opportunities, and sometimes the best choice is to come home to your body and inner somatic experience.

Therapeutic movement, increasing mobility,  relieving chronic pain, improving blood and qi circulation, putting in the time and effort, and focusing on embodied healing can often make the biggest difference in your life.

If you need Healing, what intuitively calls you the most on that list of specific skills and experiences?

Sat Sept 17 – Live Talk and Demonstration – State Shift is your innate Human birthright

Sept 21 – Fall Equinox – Shamanic Qi Gong – Balancing Heaven and Earth

Oct 12 – Physical Rehabilitation and Qi Gong 

Oct 26 – Proprioception, Neuroception, Mirror Neurons and Qi Gong

Nov 9 – Five Element Qi Gong

Four

Shapeshifting and Five Animal Frolics Qi Gong

Relearning to Play and use your Imagination

The Fourth Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is the power, humility, and freedom of embodied expression.

The Five Animal Frolics –  Wu Qin Xi 五禽戲 is one of the oldest and most celebrated forms of Qi Gong. Proponents of this practice often live to be over 100 years old. The incredible benefits of this form are due to a combination of improved strength and muscle tone, flexibility, and most importantly ‘shapeshifting.’

Shapeshifting can be understood literally, as a human turning into a werewolf, or it can be understood as a natural aspect of playfully expanding and expressing one’s consciousness or Spirit (Shen).

How one sees themselves, is often how a person’s healing or illness progresses. There are many stories of people using their imagination, visualization, and self-expression to heal broken bones, release traumatic memories, and even resolve complex conditions like cancer. Any wholehearted and whole-body expression of Life, human, bear, or tortoise implies a coherent and complete Mind/Body manifestation of Qi.

Playing and frolicking like an animal, or any number of animals, is your birthright, it is profoundly healing, and also a lot of fun!

Sat Nov 12 – Shapeshifting and The Five Animal Frolics forms

Nov 16 – Blue (Iridescent) Panther

Now 23 – Black Bear

Dec 7 – Red Phoenix and White Ape

Dec 14 – Golden Tortoise

Dec 21 – Winter Solstice – Standing Meditation and Healing

Five

Healing Your Internal Organs with Qi Gong

Nei Yang Gong
Inner Vitality Nourishing Practices

The Fifth Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is learning to heal your whole body, especially your internal organs.

In Traditional Chinese medicine, your Five Yin Organs (Kidneys, Liver, Spleen/Pancreas, Lungs, and Heart) are intimately connected to the Five Elements (Water, Wood, Earth, Metal, and Fire). These inherent qualities of aliveness and all Life can be learned, assessed, and brought into balance with another specific and ancient form of Dao Yin.

This practice, called Nei Yang Gong, focuses on assessing (De Qi) each organ system, connecting with your Three Dan Tian, creating coherent intention (Yi Nian), connecting with the appropriate aspects of Nature (Earth/Sky/Seasons), all while making room for Ling Qi to move through Life in the way that is most needed.

This unit begins with learning an ancient Shamanic Hands-on Healing process. Then this process can be applied to any part of your (or another’s) body, or any of your internal organs. This practice is also often used to improve fertility or longevity.

Sat Jan 7, 2023 – Healing your Internal Organs with Qi Gong (Nei Zang C’an Fa)

Jan 18 –  Nourishing Your Kidneys

Jan 25 – Nourishing Your Liver

Feb 8 – Nourishing Your Lungs and Spleen/Pancreas

Feb 15 – Nourishing Your Heart

Six

Breathwork and the Six Healing Sounds

Your Breath is the Heartbeat of your Qi Gong Practice

The Sixth Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is developing an awareness of Breathwork and Emotional Sincerity. 

Qi Gong is often translated as Breath (Qi) work (Gong).

It is no surprise how fast Breathwork, as a specific practice, has spread across the world in the last few years. Breathing consciously, with intention and profound sensitivity to your body and emotions can be life-changing.

Qi Gong has gathered many distinct forms of Breathwork over the last few thousand years. Some from Mountain Shamans, some from Ascetic Hermits, some from Traditional Chinese medicine, and some from Daoist and Shaolin (Buddhist) monasteries. These practices are a treasure chest of Healing opportunities.

The Six Healing Sounds, another ancient form of Healing Qi Gong, focuses on combining whole-body gestures with vocal tones and word-like sounds. This traditional form can be done in a basic stretch and yawning style, or a more intentional meridian opening and spiritual chanting style. One version of this form even explores singing with specific, coherent, and sincere emotional qualities.

And finally, this unit explores the foundations of Nei Gong – Daoist Inner Cultivation. With some advanced Breathwork and all of the skills you have learned so far, you can now explore one of the most powerful healing practices in the world. Nei Gong is especially powerful for those suffering from chronic distress, mental and emotional disharmonies, chronic illness, and complex trauma.

Nei Gong also involves a deeper exploration of your Three (and Six) Dan Tian and some subtle parts of the Mind.

Sat Feb 18, 2023 – Six Healing Sounds and Breathwork

Feb 22– Six Healing Sounds

March 1 –Review of all forms and Integration

March 8 – Hun Yuan Seated Nei Gong

Seven

Clearing Ancestral Wounds from Your Six Dan Tian

Spiritual Recapitulation and Karmic Freedom

The Seventh Dimension of Therapeutic Qi Gong is cultivating a living awareness of your Spiritual obstacles and strengths.

We all have ancestors, and we all have an ancestral combination of gifts and challenges. As you learn about the deeper aspects of Qi Gong and Nei Gong, you will have the opportunity to learn about the core instinctual, intuitive, and existential driving forces behind conscious experience.

Ancient Daoist wisdom teaches that the path to Spiritual Healing begins by bringing the unconscious into consciousness. 

Healing Ancestral wounds can be taken literally, as a way of correcting a past wrong, or it can be taken contextually, guiding you into an inner journey of self-discovery and reunion. This form of Nei Gong Healing is a combination of seated meditation, inner contemplation and a conscious form of recapitulation – or experientially reliving and learning a core truth from your most potent past experiences. Even your Ancestral past.

Regular Nei Gong meditation, accepting unconscious patterns, and recapitulating your most challenging memories, can support you in reorienting your sense of self and how to be in the world.

Sat – March 11 – Clearing Ancestral Wounds from your Six Dan Tian (Innate Minds)

March 15 – Nei Gong and Yuan Shen – Inner Cultivation and Original Consciousness

March 22 – Equinox Completion Ceremony

Dates:

Live Introductory Lecture

Saturday, May 25th (9 AM – PST)

Qi Gong Classes Begin

Tuesday, June 4th (6 PM – PST) 

Live Talks and demonstrations on Saturday mornings – 9 AM – PST
Live and Prerecorded Qi Gong classes on Wednesday evenings – 6 PM – PST 

Course Ends March 18, 2025

Recordings of the Live classes are usually available for streaming or download within 24 hours. 

$1497

Therapeutic Qi Gong can improve many aspects of your life!

Each of the Seven Dimensions (above) can support your personal health and your ability to support others. If you are a clinician, therapist, teacher, or other kinds of health care professional or coach, or an experienced Qi Gong practitioner, this 10-month journey of unfolding and restoration will give you some unique and ancient resources. For the rest of your life.

Self-regulation and Down-Regulation
The Healing Power of Qi
State Shift and State Break
Shapeshifting and Five Animal Frolics Qi Gong
Healing Your Internal Organs with Qi Gong
Breathwork and the Six Healing Sounds
Clearing Ancestral Wounds from Your Six Dan Tian

Join this unique opportunity and expand your horizons, on the inside and out.

Pay in Full

$1497

Three Monthly Payments

$515