meet Michelle Smith
Registered Acupuncturist & Chinese medicine herbalist
Tell us about you – who is your family, where do you live?
I am originally from Brisbane, but I have spent the past decade or so living first in Dubai, and then in Melbourne. I have always loved to travel, and have been to nearly 50 countries - I was destined to be a traveller but it feels so good to be back in Brisbane and surrounded by my family. A traveller at heart, I do believe that home is always where the heart is. When I lived in Dubai it felt like home, and I had a beautiful community of friends around me that felt like family. Similarly when I moved to Melbourne, it immediately felt like home. I think I have an ability to foster the feeling of home through friendships, my yoga practice and connecting to studios that have always felt like homes away from home, and my community. Now that I am living in Brisbane for the first time in a long time, I am excited to discover new parts of the city that I haven’t seen or explored before.
What got you into your current profession of Acupuncture?
My path to becoming an acupuncturist began when I was working and living in Dubai. I moved to the UAE and fell in love with the local culture and fast paced lifestyle, and was inspired by the growth and creativity of the city. My first career was in marketing, and I was burning the candle at both ends, achieving a lot and pushing myself to limits that my body just wasn’t equipped to handle. It was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down. And that’s exactly what happened - on a weekend trip to Lebanon, I fell sick with a stomach bug and that was the trigger for a latent virus to rear its head, and what followed was months of chronic fatigue and a lot of bed rest. Couple this with years of struggling to get on top of PCOS, and receiving very little education or information from my health practitioners at the time, I was in a real state. My GP at the time told me if we were in the 1800’s she would prescribe 12 months of bed rest in the countryside. With that relatively unhelpful suggestion, I got to work on finding ways to make myself feel better. I found a fantastic acupuncturist, and from the moment I met her, my life began to change. Not only was I feeling better physically and mentally, but I started to come home to myself - I felt more and more disconnected from my career, and was inspired to build a life for myself that was of service to others. I remember thinking my acupuncturist had the best job in the world because she was helping people. Each week I would borrow a book on Chinese medicine from her clinic and swap it the next week for another one. I was enthralled and could not stop reading and learning about Chinese medicine. In the middle of the night, after a particularly tough day at work, I found myself emailing Chinese medicine schools back in Australia, and within weeks was enrolled to study in Melbourne. My employer told me my role was always there for me if I wanted to come back to Dubai, so I told myself I would do one term of Chinese medicine school, if I hated it then I would move back to Dubai and pretend my quarter life crisis never happened. I still remember my first day at school, the information was all so new to me yet it felt so familiar, like I had learnt it from lifetimes before. It was the most natural homecoming and I have never looked back. Working as an acupuncturist is the thing I hold most dear to my heart - it is a privilege and honour to work with my patients in supporting them on their journey towards better health.
Why are you passionate about working with mothers and children?
I believe in supporting the mother through all stages of life from preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, perimenopause and beyond. For far too long healthcare has been unfairly biased towards men so I love being part of the movement that puts women back in the drivers seat of their health. A major part of my work is educating my patients on their body, and I believe when we educate women, we empower women - this is the driving force of what I do.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I was a yoga teacher before becoming a Chinese medicine practitioner, so you can usually find me at either a yoga studio or doing a home practice. I have a labradoodle puppy called Billie and we’re pretty much a packaged deal and go most places together - I love taking her for bush walks, a swim at the dog beach or river. I love walking and I usually start the day with a 1 hour walk with Billie listening to a podcast. I’m also the lucky auntie to 7 (nearly 8) nieces and nephews, and after over 10 years living in Dubai and then Melbourne, I love making up for lost time and hanging out with them.
What is your one piece of advice for first time mothers?
You have an inherent wisdom that knows you and what’s best for you and your baby more than anyone else. Listen to that part of you that feels like home, the wise woman that has been inside of you all along, that knows you more than anyone else, that can guide you, advocate for you, and love you.