Sally Davis, the owner of Living a Balanced Life since July 2015, is a qualified adult Educator, Kinesiologist, Wellbeing Coach, and Reiki practitioner and Master. The main therapy Sally associates with is kinesiology, a specialised natural health care therapy that draws on the ancient wisdom of Eastern cultures and the latest research and understandings from the West. Kinesiology explores how the body and brain work together to heal, create balance and function efficiently and effectively.

How did you get into natural medicine and why?

Both my parents were involved in natural medicine and thought it was important to use it to maintain optimal health. We used to live in the Northern Territory, which meant access to Western medicine was severely limited, it used to take several hours for the Flying Doctors to get to us.

Additionally, I grew up working within an aboriginal community and a lot of the times we referred to their medicine and used it to assist them on their healing pathway.

Other than that, it runs in the family – my aunts and uncles are also into natural therapies. My grandma is 103 and my grandad on the other side of my family was 101 before he passed away, so I think I’m onto something.

Tell us about your chosen therapy:

The main therapy I focus on is Kinesiology. This allows me to lean on Eastern cultures and the latest research from Western medicine.

I like to consult with my clients’ doctors, to understand what is being administered from a Western medicine approach. I like the use of the brain, body and the stomach and being able to understand how the three of those impede on the way that our body works. Then I use muscle monitoring to be able to understand what the key stressor is, so I can tailor it to my individual clients.

Why are you passionate about Kinesiology?

I’m passionate about Kinesiology because I’ve seen how it works. Being the General Manager for Australian Dance Vision, I saw how natural therapies were helpful in relation to some of the issues that are prevalent in dance.

I’ve also spent the last five years working for the College of Complementary Medicine, so I’ve had access to a lot of information in relation to how natural therapies assist individuals, and I’ve also been practising since 2016. I’ve seen the change in my clients and the beautiful progression that kinesiology has made. I love that they are in control of their body.

It’s a beautiful modality that covers a lot of Indian Medicine, as well as Chinese Medicine, which have been around for a long time.

Do you have any tips for what to ask or expect when visiting a Kinesiologist?

Listen to your body. If your body is giving you feedback such as teeth grinding, insomnia, restlessness, headaches, muscle tension and cramping – listen to it. Those are the things that I deal with consistently in the clinic.

We use muscle monitoring to understand the body and understand what is really going on at a subconscious level. Kinesiology treats the whole person, so we’re looking at anatomy, physiology, nutrition, emotion, mental wellness, environmental exposure, energy, and spirituality. We put all of those together, and then we restore your balance.

If you come in and say, “I am overthinking and I’ve got stomach upsets,” then we would deal specifically with that, through energy systems such as acupuncture and acupressure. We use all the meridians and channels to be able to balance out the body. When clients leave, most people feel amazingly balanced.

What types of health issues, ailments or illnesses do people come to you for help with?

A lot of emotional issues such as anxiety, fear, self-doubt and feeling imbalanced. As well as people knowing that there’s something wrong, but they can’t put their finger on it. In terms of pain that hasn’t been resolved by a chiropractor, a physiologist, or even Western medicine, we start looking at the emotional content of that issue. We examine what that issue means in Western medicine, then what the pain means for that specific part of the body in Chinese medicine, as well as how these relate and if that makes any sense in relation to how the client is feeling about themselves at the moment.

Could you talk through a couple of these and then tell me what types of therapy you recommend or administer to improve the clients’ health, reduce discomfort or prevent further issues?

When they come in with pain, first we work out whether they have gone to the appropriate places to get x-rays. Then, I typically talk about the emotions connected to their pain.

I want my clients to understand what the problem is, and the fact that they have the solution to the issue. If it’s an emotional issue that hasn’t been able to be shifted by Western medicine, chiropractors or physiologists, it’s about the client understanding that they can change their emotions or understand their emotions to be able to shift some of that pain.

I start from there, and then I start looking at the acupressure points which are the alarm points in Chinese medicine, to be able to assist that person.

In the cases you are talking about, what were the benefits or outcomes to the client?

I had a client suffering from depression and anxiety. She had been living at her parent’s home for a year, was unable to work and was completely incapacitated. She came to me as the last option before they were going to intervene on other levels and saw me for about six weeks. She had three sessions over six weeks and now she’s feeling amazing. She got a job, moved out of her parent’s house, is studying, and is very happy.

All I do is help facilitate them to understand where they’re at, understand where they want to go, understand what’s holding them back. I use Kinesiology to assist them, but they do all the hard work. They do all the homework and are in charge of what happens next and how they move forward. We are just facilitators in this process.

How long did it take for these results to take place?

People come to me about three to five times. I have a measuring system with my clients where they rate their pain, emotional capacity and mental ability to get out of bed. When I check in with them, they rate themselves again on a scale of 10 to see the progress they have made.

This means the client is in control, but also allows them to see they are progressing in the way they want to.