15 Years of Refinement: 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back is Back, Revised, and Expanded!

Whether you have just discovered the Gokhale Method®, or know my book 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back from front to back, I'm thrilled to share with you what’s new in the upcoming second edition, and why it’s an exciting step forward in our mission to end back pain.

The backstory 

8 Steps was first published in 2008. I wrote it for the many hopeful people who had heard of and wanted to learn the Gokhale Method but couldn’t travel to me to learn in person. 

Although there is a huge need for back pain solutions, I was pleasantly surprised to discover I had written a bestseller. It reached #3 on amazon.com following an article in The New York Times naming me “The Posture Guru of Silicon Valley (paywall)” in 2012, and #2 on Amazon following my NPR program in 2015. It has now been published in 12 languages, and sold over 250,000 copies.

As founder of the Gokhale Method, I am thrilled to introduce the new edition of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, to be published September 1. 

In 2008 our core in-person course, Gokhale® Foundations, was already well established. The book boosted learning by enabling Foundations students to read ahead, and, after class, consolidate what they had learned and experienced in their bodies. In recent years, the digital version has fulfilled this role in our online offering, Gokhale® Elements. 

Reflecting The Method’s Evolution

Since the book’s conception there have been almost two decades of insight, innovation, and growth within the Gokhale Method community. The foundational principles of healthy posture still hold, as do the core techniques, which are all in the book. But a fresh edition was needed to reflect the refinements that we have tried, tested, and improved over time. As experienced students of the method will know, these nuances can have a huge impact on how the techniques land in your body.

First published in 2008, the second edition of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back includes all the refinements we’ve made since then. 

What’s new: 

• An entirely recrafted chapter on glidewalking. In the first edition the pattern of healthy gait is forensically and accurately laid out—but over the years we have evolved drills and more memorable cues for making learning easier, more effective—and more fun!
  
   
• New techniques for recruiting your inner corset. When students have a variety of techniques to try, they can find the way that works best for them.
  
   
• QR codes linking to “how-to” videos for several techniques. Video material is so helpful when it comes to learning movement.

This QR code from the new edition of  8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back will take you straight to our Inchworm video. This technique will strengthen the muscles of your feet and lift your arches.

• Guidance on using your devices with healthy posture. Since 2008, mobile devices have increasingly featured in our lives. Contrary to what you read in the media, using mobile devices doesn't have to equate with poor posture and back pain, neck pain, shoulder troubles, and so on! As the saying goes, it’s not what you do, it's the way that you do it.
   
   
• Around 600 new photos and illustrations. Readers familiar with the first edition will immediately spot that there are many new images. The Gokhale Method works by being integrated into people's daily lives, and we wanted to  reflect that with images of a real and recognizable world with contemporary technology, design, fashions, and diversity. We often recommend that students pick out a few of their favorite images to inspire them when they practice.
  
   
• Walking the Talk. As a posture teacher and woman in her mid-sixties, I feel it is important to walk the talk. I want to offer honest, authentic inspiration to our students. Whether you are young or old, healthy posture can future-proof your body, and raise the bar on what to expect as you age. For this reason I chose to reshoot and personally model all the step-by-step images in the book, which are published without digital manipulation.

In this exercise from the new Glidewalking chapter, I encourage you to video yourself walking to assess the stance you habitually take.

My ultimate wish for this new edition is that it will inspire you and empower you to regain your natural posture and movement patterns so you can live pain free.

Pre-order your copy

You can pre-order 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back on amazon.com. It will be available from shop.gokhalemethod.com from September 1.
Please note: we earn a small commission from the Amazon link above, which supports our work.

Best next action steps 

If you would like personal guidance on getting the most from reading my book, get started by booking a consultation, online or in person, with one of our teachers. 

You can sign up below to join any one of our upcoming FREE Online Workshops…