So you want to be an acupuncturist? Did you know that you had to learn how to run a business as well? In this episode Clare & Jack talk with Dr Michelle Smith about successfully doing both. Michelle is in the fascinating position of having been a professional marketer before she became a TCM practitioner. Michelle shares so many sparkling gems of knowledge that you may find you need to listen to it twice. What is your money metaphor? Dust storm, popcorn, button, river, or..?
May 21, 2025
Yesterday it was all about being vegan.. but today we find a resurgence of the carnivores. Food does have its fashions. Join Clare as she talks with Dr. Becki Milani about navigating the fads to deliver outcomes for their patients. It doesn’t get any better than two passionate TCM practitioners banging their heads together over food.
May 10, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 79
Karina Smith is a Melbourne based Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga Teacher, Teacher Trainer & Educator. Karina is passionate about professional and personal development, and is eternally grateful for the extraordinary learning she has had from great mentors such as Kirsten Wolfe, Clare Pyers, Ann Cecil Sterman, Johannah Ashley, and Sean Tuten among many others.
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 78
It will take you just over an hour and a half to be revitalised and re-enthused about life, the universe and everything.
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 77
Clare and Lee’s lively discussion covers her research and her clinic but also details the difficulties we all face in choosing our path and making transitions.
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 76
In this episode of The Heavenly Qi Podcast Clare is joined by another speaker from the upcoming International Integrative Chinese Medicine Conference Dr Olivia Pojer. Olivia is a Western medical doctor and a Chinese medicine practitioner based in Austria who specialises in male infertility. This is an exciting conversation covering Olivia’s approach in the clinic, recommendations for male fertility testing and her book “Integrative Treatment of Male Infertility with Chinese Medicine”.
Jun 30, 2023•56 min•Ep. 75
As a regular guest of The Heavenly Qi Podcast over the years Randine Lewis has always managed to surprise us with her wisdom, touch us with her compassion and titillate us with her humour and this episode is no exception. From discussions of dispensing herbs in the clinic, to reality creation, to Shennong, the “Divine Farmer” in this episode Clare and Randine find nuggets of wisdom to inspire us all.
Jun 29, 2023•54 min•Ep. 74
In this episode of Heavenly Qi Clare guides Mandy Gratzer’s infectitious enthusiasm into a wonderful hour of useful ideas for your clinic. Clare and Mandy have a shared passion for keeping TCM practitioners ‘in business’ making this indispensable for anyone looking to survive, and maybe even thrive, at this challenging profession. All practitioners will benefit from getting to know Amanda Gratzer.
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 73
It doesn’t get much better than this. These two great friends have come together, once again, to immerse the listener in their experience, compassion and joy. An extremely open and enlightening conversation about growth and scaling, with their own clinics under the microscope. Welcome to the ‘love fest’ with Naava Carman and Clare Pyers. There is something for everyone in this wonderful episode.
May 05, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 72
In this episode Clare talks with Johannah Ashley who has become exclusively a Complement Channel Practitioner. Johannah’s passion is unmistakable and infectious as she explains her technique and her success’. You won’t want to miss this enlightening discussion about this very ancient way of practising and as Johannah says “If you are giving too many liver divergent treatments this week then perhaps you need one yourself”.
Feb 20, 2023•58 min•Ep. 71
The symptom under the symptom, the story under the story, what is your body really trying to tell you? This is a fascinating journey into the alchemical approach of Lorie Eve Dechar. Lorie explains the art to transformation by going underneath the symptoms to find a divine intelligence and an expanded consciousness.
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 70
Is it perimenapause? is it menopause?.. or are you just plain exhausted? Menopause is a hot topic (pardon the pun) and in this episode Kath Berry joins Clare Pyers for this joyful, enlightening and thought provoking discussion.
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 69
“What is the Immune system.. but the sum total of my body working well” - Sharon Weizenbaum Let’s take a walk with Sharon Weizenbaum and see through her eyes, the beautifully interconnected wonder of life, the forest and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Sharon’s wisdom lay manifest in this wonderful conversation about forests, community, restoring function and trusting in Chinese Medicine to always guide you in the right direction. Do not miss this podcast.. it’s pretty cool stuff.
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 68
This episode sees Clare joined by the renowned Australian acupuncture expert, Dr John McDonald who has been practising and teaching since the early 1970’s. They discuss all things acupuncture including addiction, allergies and autoimmune issues and John’s fascinating career spanning 5 decades. More information about Dr John McDonald can be found via: Webinars: https://southportacupuncture.com.au/john-mcdonald-webinars Mentoring: Information at : https://southportacupuncture.com.au/john-mcdonald-...
Sep 01, 2022
As practitioners our scope goes beyond just the face to face appointments with patients, and this conversation delves into the importance of undistracted time, being a good fit with your patients and growth as practitioners and hidden bias.
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 66
In todays episode of Heavenly Qi, Clare talks with Sean Tuten a renowned TCM practitioner who has taught Acupuncture and Chinese Herbalism throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia since 2004. They talk about the joy of healing others, helping people open up to their potential, the importance of connection and deep dive into Jeffrey Yuen and Ann Cecil-Sterman's work on the luos and their role in the healing process. To learn more about Sean and find out about his upcoming Australian class visit...
Jul 06, 2022•59 min•Ep. 65
This week on Heavenly Qi Clare is joined by Dr. Randine Lewis, author of The Infertility Cure, and a leading expert in treating infertility conditions combining Eastern and Western based medicine. They’re talking all things practitioner wellness including why practitioners find it so hard to ask for help when they’re sick and the role of western medicine when treating yourself and others.
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 64
A metabolically healthy person can exist in a body of any shape or size. With that in mind this episode of the Heavenly Qi Podcast has co-hosts Clare Pyers and Naava Carman dissecting the many issues surrounding body size and fertility. Including a deep dive into the problems that arise from the use of Body Mass Index (BMI). We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this episode, Join us on Facebook to chat with the show hosts and other listeners....
Jun 29, 2021•55 min•Ep. 63
“Rest and self care are so important… you cannot serve from an empty vessel.” ― Eleanor Brownn Do you have a self care list? In these extraordinarily difficult times the balance between service and self care and has never been more difficult to maintain. Most of us in the last year have, at least at some point, been in a "fight-or-flight" state which has many negative consequences for our health. Clare Pyers and Naava Carman talk openly about their personal journeys and discuss ways to keep you ...
Jun 15, 2021•55 min•Ep. 62
The tendency is to consider a pregnancy so delicate that we should take a ‘hands off’ approach to treatment especially in the first trimester. Sharon Weizenbaum joins Clare Pyers to dispel fears and give practitioners a solid grounding on giving herbs during this important time. There is a fundamental lack of text books on this subject and so Sharon has begun the arduous task of translating some of the ancient Chinese texts into English. If you can read Chinese then this may be your calling. Sha...
Feb 25, 2021•53 min•Ep. 61
It is essential that everyone who comes to our clinic feels respected, included and heard. The emergence of the LGBT community represents some significant challenges to not only practitioners but to society as a whole. In this podcast Co-hosts Naava Carman and Clare Pyers explore the issues involved in creating a ‘safe place’ - for all of our patients. Gender and Sexuality in Chinese Medicine by Catherine J. Lumenello...
Feb 17, 2021•42 min•Ep. 60
Men’s fertility is sorely unrepresented in the literature and it can be a joy to a couple to find out there are many things that a man can do to help improve their chances of having a baby. Some men, on the other hand, can be reluctant and may need some coaxing to get them on board for their fertility journey. Co-host Naava Carman joins Clare Pyers as they discuss the training of dogs, children and men. "The truth about mobile phone and wireless radiation: what we know, what we need to find out,...
Feb 11, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 59
Albert Einstein wrote that “Pure logical thinking cannot yield us any knowledge of the empirical world; all knowledge of reality starts from experience and ends in it.” If you specialise in Women’s Health and Fertility then this episode of Heavenly Qi is essential listening. With nearly 40 years of combined experience co-hosts Naava Carman and Clare Pyers delve into past cases, examining what they have learned and what they would do different. Naava has been in practice over 20 years and spends ...
Feb 04, 2021•55 min•Ep. 58
What is your internal dialogue when it comes to prescribing raw herbs in the clinic? Are you wrongly assuming your patients are time poor? Raw herbs are the most potent, quickest working and the most customisable solution to offer your patients. A commitment of a couple of hours a week to the boiling of the herbs is something that most patients will do when the benefits are properly explained to them. Mary-Jo Bevin joins Clare Pyers in an episode full of encouragement to inspire your patients to...
Feb 04, 2021•45 min•Ep. 57
The Daoists believe that life begins from stillness. Take a moment for a pregnant pause, to appreciate the way the soul manifests, grows and develops throughout pregnancy. To consider what is the curriculum that your soul has signed up for in this lifetime? What is the curriculum of the other souls you connect with, and how do you influence each other’s learning and pathway in this lifetime? It all starts at the very beginning of life, and unfolds throughout pregnancy, before we officially begin...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 56
There’s always going to be tricky dynamics that we come up against in clinic from time to time. What about that patient who is always late? Or are you a practitioner who doesn’t run on time in a perfect schedule? How about when your patients are self-prescribing and getting needled by another practitioner for “a separate issue”… It doesn’t stop there. Dr Google is always ready to diagnose! Some people send too many emails, some argue, others lie! Communicating certain things early on can prevent...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 55
What is it that makes the difference between a clinic that is struggling financially and one that is thriving? What are some of the key things that any practitioner can implement in their clinics in order to get better outcomes for their patients AND also help their own bottom line? Hamish and Sohial are well known and respected in Australia for their excellent clinical skills, as well as their fabulous business skills. They generously share their expertise in seminars on a range of clinical and...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 54
Can you give me acupuncture over the internet? In this episode, Phiona and Clare discuss the ins and outs of running an online clinic. Why would you offer online consults? Maybe patients are contagious but would benefit from herbs and nutrition. Sometimes patients need more discussion than acupuncture. Separating consults and herbal prescriptions from treatments can also allow you to change up your own schedule during different times of your life. We go into some of the how-to on setting up your...
Mar 08, 2020•42 min•Ep. 53
It’s been a while since we posted a new episode – but wow is this episode worth the wait! Clare has returned from the world of maternity to do a live interview with Randine Lewis which was recorded in May 2018 on her trip to Australia for leading a practitioner retreat. Kirsten Wolfe joined Clare for this interview that goes deep into the types of challenges that practitioners can face when they are faced with the need to transform themselves and their practice. (Listen out for the gurgles of ba...
Aug 23, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 52
In this episode with Dan Bensky we discuss the intricacies of palpation, his insights around palpating the San Jiao, and how refining your palpation skills can assist with your diagnosis, your acupuncture choices, and better inform your herbal prescriptions. Inspired by his background in osteopathy and craniosacral methods, Dan brings the classics of ancient acupuncture descriptions to life using the osteopathic approach to help bridge the gap in the practical hands on palpatory learning of acup...
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 51
