Have you heard of the Gokhale Method® for relearning our natural posture? I love using this method so much that I took the teacher training and became a qualified teacher in June 2016.
For a long time I’ve been aware that many of my patients’ (and my own) chronic and recurring pain issues may be caused by poor posture. We try to sit up straight or pull our shoulders back, but it doesn’t last long because we’re just using muscle tension to hold an unnatural position. Meanwhile, poor posture may be causing wear and tear on our discs, joints, nerves and muscles.
What if we could relearn our healthy posture – the posture we had as little kids, when we didn’t hurt? Or copy people living in traditional, non-industrial societies who stay active and pain-free as they age? Esther Gokhale (pronounced “Go-clay”) has put this all together beautifully into clear steps that are easy to teach and learn.
It’s meant to be immediately plugged into your everyday activities – sitting, standing, walking, bending, carrying, even sleeping – so there’s no need to carve out extra time in your day for practicing. After all, we are always in a posture, so we can always be putting this training to good use. As many students have said to me, it’s really an investment in yourself, as you can reap the benefits every day for the rest of your life.
Here are some of the benefits students have reported to me so far:
- Chronic pain gone or reduced – for many, relief is immediate
- Improved breathing
- Better balance
- More restful sleep
- Better mood and mental focus
- Able to be more active, and sit longer, without flaring up pain
- Feeling empowered instead of discouraged about aging
- More energetic and confident, better appearance
- Stronger core muscles
I’m so pleased to be teaching this wonderfully effective, practical method of self-care. So many people get remarkable results from these simple techniques! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Gokhale Method in-person and online classes
For in-person classes, in order to reduce the risk of Covid exposure during the pandemic, I limit the class size to just one student (or two if they are from the same household). If you are interested in the six-lesson Foundations Course, an initial evaluation, or a refresher class for alumni, just contact me to schedule. I’m looking forward to the eventual end of the pandemic, when I will start scheduling small group courses and free introductory workshops again.
The online Elements Course is a great way to learn the method as well! This one-on-one coaching course consists of 18 mini-lessons of about 15 minutes each on Zoom. We can schedule these short lessons conveniently, usually at 2-4 times per week. Each lesson focuses on one posture element.
Esther developed the Elements Course early in the pandemic in response to restrictions on in-person teaching. This way of teaching has proven to be surprisingly effective and convenient for both students and teachers. It opens up possibilities for many students who don’t have a local teacher nearby. I have Zoomed with Elements students in Australia, Belgium and Canada, as well as many parts of the US. As long as we can work around the time zone differences, we can do it!