May 2015

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WELLBEING
295 May15
It’s obviously relevant that I’ve had a
neck injury, plus lower back problems
over the years. But Lynelle avoids
“diagnosing, naming or labelling
anyone’s symptoms or experience”.
“Defining something as a problem
that has to be fixed,” she finds, “makes
it more of a problem. Instead, I look at
the body as an intelligent, living system
that has the innate (or inborn) ability to
correct itself and to advance. What I do
is to tap into that innate intelligence.
“I help to improve the communication
between the brain and the body, the goal
being for the nervous system to function
optimally and for the person to enjoy
optimal wellbeing.”
The normal abnormal
The spinal cord and nervous system are
a key part of how a person functions and
feels, says Lynelle, not only physically,
but intellectually and emotionally too.
For many people, being in a state
of high stress becomes the “normal
abnormal” – she works with a lot of
high achievers, from businessmen and
athletes to busy mums, so she sees this
all the time.
“Ask them if they’re stressed and
they’ll say no, they’ve got a handle on
things.” In truth, an elevated state of
stress has become their baseline.
Lynelle often picks up on stress
through goal statements in her
questionnaire, such as: “I’d like to be
more at peace”, “I’d like to feel more
confident”, “I’d like to see things more
clearly”, or “I’d like to be able to switch
my mind off work during the weekends”;
or, more directly physical: “I’d like to
have straighter posture”, or “I wish I had
more energy”.
Fight or flight
Spinal tension is a sign of the body
being in a stressed, fight-or-flight
condition, which, she explains, drains
our energy, makes it difficult to sleep and
to focus, and causes muscle tension,
poor posture and other serious stress-
related conditions. This stress response
is the body’s attempt to protect the
nervous system: the brain tightens the
spinal cord from the top to the bottom,
causing the head to jut forward and the
tail to tuck inwards – a reflex we all have
from birth.
Dr Kerr uses light touches to both
ends of the spine – at the neck and at
the tailbone – to help the brain release
tension from the spinal cord and bring
the body out of its stress reflex.
Importantly, physical spinal flexibility
translates into emotional and intellectual
flexibility, too, says Lynelle. “People
become more adaptable, more flexible
in how they deal with and respond to life
stressors, and better able to respond in
more appropriate ways.”
She describes her work as a process
through which people can experience
their body and its power. “People
who are analytical by nature want to
understand how it works and what
they can do to help it work. But it
makes no difference whether someone
understands or is sceptical. This organic
process is initiated by the higher brain
centres, not the logical mind, and it
continues between sessions, whatever
you’re doing.”
How Innate came about
When I ask Lynelle how she moved from
traditional chiropractic to her unique
approach, she explains that what initially
drew her towards chiropractic was its
philosophy that the body has an inborn
or inherent ability to heal.
However, she found that people were
coming back again and again with the
same problems, that the changes were
not lasting.
“I also wanted to help people beyond
temporarily relieving their symptoms.
I wanted to help people advance,
not just physically, but mentally and
emotionally as well, and for them to
be more empowered in the process
of changing their lives. It’s about them
developing new strategies to live a more
fulfilling life, through greater connection
to their body.
“They’re making the connection;
they’re making the shift. I’m using
light touches to help their brain have
more awareness, in order to make the
necessary changes itself and to release
the ‘fight-flight’ stress response, so they
can enjoy new levels of wellbeing.”
Tension scale
Finally, it’s time for the session, starting
with Lynelle’s physical assessment of
my state of tension. Predictably, it’s
a high four out of five on the tension
scale. What’s more, although I think I
see a fairly upright posture when I look
in the mirror, it seems that’s an illusion; in
fact, my head pokes forward, my upper-
thoracic area is rigid and unbending.
Also, my hips are ridiculously stiff, even
after umpteen yoga sessions.
All our flexibility refers back to the
spinal cord, says Lynelle; instead of
stretching against that tightness, if you
help the spinal cord to lose tension, that
new flexibility flows into the muscles
and the joints; so as they relax, the
hips should loosen up too. So yes, you
can stretch those core muscles and
ligaments, but until you release tension
from the spinal cord, the tension just
comes back.
The 20-minute session is soothing
and relaxing. I’m asked to notice areas
of tension, to notice my breath, to shift
in certain ways and to “breathe into”
certain places. There’s also a definite
sense of unspoken communication
between giver and recipient.
As this is an organic process, Lynelle
doesn’t do one-off sessions. How long
does it take to see results? “From the
first session. I recommend a minimum
of 12 sessions,” she tells me, “but many
people choose to come for 24. It’s a
process of waking the brain up to the
body – and that takes time.”
Innate is at 58 Club Street.
6835 9538 |