YACHT: You used to get very seasick yourself. Is that no longer the case?
Kristina Rechenbach: Yes, indeed. I won’t get seasick again today. When I first heard about the method, it almost sounded too good to be true, even to me. After the training session, I put it into practice straight away at a regatta – and by the end of the week I was down below deck, cooking, and I was over the moon because that had never been possible before.
What exactly is behind this method?
Essentially, there are three factors at play: sensory discrepancy, nervous system regulation, and conditioning plus stress. The most important point to start with is sensory discrepancy: our eyes send the brain a different message to that provided by our vestibular system and sense of depth. It is precisely this contradiction that causes many people to feel seasick.
What happens in the body during this process?
Seasickness mainly occurs when what we see does not match what we feel. As long as our sensory perceptions are in sync, rough seas may be tiring, but they are not necessarily a major problem. Things become critical when the brain receives conflicting signals – at which point the nervous system reacts to a perceived danger.
Does stress really play such a big part in this?
Yes, absolutely. How we experience stress is individual. We all have our own personal stress threshold, beyond which we eventually lose it. For everyone, this depends on how they’re feeling on any given day. Anyone who boards the boat already feeling tense is much more susceptible. This could be stress from everyday life, friction amongst the crew, uncertainty about the weather or the route – or simply exhaustion. The higher the stress level is before we set sail, the less it takes for the body to overreact.
Why do some people get seasick more quickly than others?
One point is the extent to which our sense of balance relies on visual cues. Anyone who relies heavily on their sight for stability is likely to have problems on a boat. What’s more, many people underestimate their own stress levels. When people say they get seasick even though they aren’t stressed, I would initially suggest that this isn’t the whole truth.
You mention a ‘toolbox’. What does it include?
Different tools are required for each cause. In the case of sensory misalignment, we primarily use balance exercises that help to decouple the eyes from the other senses. We also use techniques to regulate the nervous system and strategies for coping with stress and negative experiences.
What does an exercise like this actually involve?
For example, below deck: bend your knees slightly, keep your feet firmly on the floor, don’t hold on to anything, and close your eyes. The aim is not to fight the boat’s movement, but to go with it. The aim is to find your balance within the movement – not against it. Another exercise we do primarily is called the gyrocentric exercise. For this, we use our Tillit boards, which are similar to balance boards. This can also be adapted and practised on board.
And what about ginger, acupressure bands or tablets?
They can relieve the symptoms, but they don’t solve the actual problem. Ginger, for example, can soothe an upset stomach, and some people also find that medication or wristbands help. But in my view, these are just treatments for the symptoms. The underlying cause of seasickness remains.
Which senses actually come into conflict?
Above all, the eyes on the one hand, and depth perception plus the vestibular system on the other. Depth perception and the vestibular system do not usually conflict with one another. The eyes are the dominant system: fast, precise and forward-looking. That is why the aim is not to train all the senses separately, but rather to ‘take the eyes out of the equation’ somewhat when it comes to balance.
Does that mean: close your eyes, bend your knees – and the seasickness will go away?
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. If the problem is simply a sensory mismatch, this can be very helpful. But when stress, the nervous system and negative past experiences come into play, the balance exercise alone is often not enough. People who have suffered from seasickness on several occasions often have a strong conditioned response as well.
So if I disconnect from sensory stimuli, calm my nervous system and reduce stress – will that help me get seasickness under control?
Yes, that’s exactly what it’s all about. These three areas are interlinked. If you consider them together and work on them in a targeted way, you can manage seasickness much more effectively – and, in the best-case scenario, overcome it completely.
The interview was conducted by Timm Kruse.
You can listen to YACHT’s sailing podcast with Kristina Rechenbach here
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