Ep. 53: From RA to Remission: A Journey Back to the Heart with Teresa Smith

What if the fiercest, most healing thing you could do is to stop fighting? When Teresa Smith was told her rheumatoid arthritis was incurable, degenerative, and would require aggressive medication, a deep inner voice said no. This refusal launched her not into a harder battle, but into a profound surrender—from a life of high-achieving “yang” striving into the soft, receptive, and heart-led practice she calls Qi Flow. In this episode, we explore how releasing anger, fear, and the need for perfect control didn’t just manage her symptoms but led to a full remission, revealing that true healing begins not with a protocol, but with a homecoming to the self.Episode OverviewIn this conversation, I sit down with Teresa Smith, a former yoga instructor from the UK who experienced a spontaneous remission from rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis after consciously rejecting a conventional pharmaceutical path. Teresa recounts her journey from being “yoga girl”—living a fast, achievement-oriented life—to being forced into stillness by debilitating pain. We trace her shift from fear-based searching and restrictive dieting into the creation of her own somatic practice. Together, we examine how healing required moving from a mindset of doing to a state of being, and how connecting to the “smile in the heart” can change the body’s chemical environment from one of stress to one of safety, enabling profound cellular repair.🌿 What You’ll Discover✨ The pivotal diagnosis moment and the inner voice that guided Teresa to reject a frightening prognosis.✨ Why fear-based protocols and strict diets ultimately failed to address the root of her illness.✨ The essential transition from masculine “yang” energy (striving, perfection) to feminine “yin” energy (softness, flow, receiving).✨ How Teresa developed “Qi Flow,” a practice blending gentle movement with heart awareness for somatic release.✨ The science behind emotions and healing: how chronic stress (cortisol) damages cells, while safety and love promote repair.✨ Forgiveness as a somatic release, not just an intellectual concept.✨ The core healing realization: shifting identity from “I am sick” to “I am love.”✨ How illness serves as an ultimate invitation to unlearn, soften, and come home to yourself.⏳ Timestamps01:30 - Welcoming Teresa Smith05:00 - The Diagnosis: Facing a “Degenerative” Prognosis10:00 - The Inner ‘No’: Rejecting the Conventional Path15:00 - The Pitfall of Fear-Based Protocols & Dieting20:00 - The Shift from ‘Yang’ Striving to ‘Yin’ Receiving25:00 - Creating ‘Qi Flow’: Movement from the Heart30:00 - The Science of Safety: Cortisol vs. Coherence35:00 - Forgiveness as Somatic Release40:00 - The Identity Shift: “I Am Love”45:00 - Illness as an Invitation to Come Home50:00 - Teresa’s Offerings and Final Reflections💫 Guest Information & LinksConnect with Teresa Smith:- Website: http://www.soulwavestudio.com - Instagram: @qi.flow.girl- Offerings: Online Qi Flow training and resources for people to slow down and reconnect.💫 Ready to Go Deeper?→ Begin your Sacred Illness® Journey:https://www.aurorasomatic.com/communityUse coupon code PODCAST at checkout for 20% off your first month!→ Apply to be a podcast guest:https://www.aurorasomatic.com/podcast-guest→ Apply to be an Affiliate and help share this work:https://www.aurorasomatic.com/affiliate→ Follow Dr. Erin on Substack:🎶 Music by: “Instructions for Living a Life” by Savfkhttps://www.youtube.com/@SavfkMusic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredillness.substack.com/subscribe