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Esther Gokhale's blog

Getter Taller as You Age!

March, 2024
It is not uncommon for students to show up at our courses aware they have lost several inches of height since their youth. In our culture it is a widely held expectation that you grow up, and then, at some point in later life, start getting shorter again. We all see friends, neighbors, or family members who are on the downward run of this trajectory, and it is virtually common lore that you will “shrink” or stoop in later years. Read more

Women’s Empowerment Through Posture

February, 2024
As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, I would like to share a few observations regarding gender and health made over the past three decades of teaching posture. Does gender affect back pain? Back pain and the posture distortions behind it are very democratic—people of all ages, activity levels, geographic locations, and gender are affected by cultural postural distortions. That said, some modern posture guidelines and expectations are gender-specific, and some of them affect women disproportionately. We will discuss posture guidelines for men another time. In this post, I’d like to address some of the messaging that is relentlessly addressed towards women and girls, and the consequences of this messaging. Read more

Posture Tourism for Back Pain Sufferers: A Destination Gokhale Foundations Course

February, 2024
Travel is part of our Gokhale Method® DNA—the method arose and developed through study of foreign cultures (including ancestral cultures), and remains informed by images, videos, statistics, and other data from pain-free and remarkably functional human beings. I have learned firsthand what healthy human posture looks like alongside the Sami reindeer herders in Scandinavia, tribal people in Odisha, India, villagers in Burkina Faso, and people with African roots in Brazil. When I travel-teach, I make it a point to visit the local museums and also check for local cultural events, ethnic restaurants, and areas that might bring to life the kind of insights and body wisdom the Gokhale Method is based on. Read more

How to Fix a Tight Psoas

January, 2024
When students first meet with a Gokhale Method® teacher they are sometimes surprised to learn that one of the reasons for their back pain is a tight psoas muscle. What does this little-known muscle, embedded deep within our bodies, have to do with back pain? And what do we need to do to have it recede in the background and leave our backs alone? Read more

Make 2024 Your Year to Say Goodbye to Back Pain

January, 2024
It’s early January. New Year’s resolutions are swinging into action, and many of them involve improving our health. With the impetus of a fresh start we throw ourselves into ditching poor habits and cultivating better ones. It’s no surprise that January sees the highest gym sign-ups and enrollments for dietary regimens! Other resolutions include getting more sleep, meditating, or learning a new skill—self-care for the mind as well as the body. Read more

Align Your Rib Cage and Solve Your Back Tension

December, 2023
Choose your remedies carefully There are many approaches to stretching tight back muscles that involve rounding the back. Though these exercises give temporary relief, we recommend against them because they threaten the spinal discs, nerves, and ligaments. They can also result in the back muscles contracting even more tightly to stabilize the area.  Read more

Making Music with Healthy Posture: Part 1: Pianists

November, 2023

According to research a shocking two-thirds of professional musicians live in chronic pain. Those of you who are music makers may have felt challenged at times by the lengthy periods of sitting or standing required for practice and rehearsal. Continuously holding an instrument, maintaining a playing position, or just standing holding sheet music, can, sooner or later, trouble your neck, shoulder, or wrist. Playing can become a physical challenge rather than an activity integrated with the music making. Read more

My Three Favorite Posture Podcasts

October, 2023
Podcasts are one of my favorite media. It’s hard to reimagine a time when you couldn’t take your pick and enjoy their entertaining and compelling content. Over the years I have been invited to be interviewed for many podcasts about the Gokhale Method®, and for this blog post I would like to introduce you to three of my favorites, which I hope you will now enjoy if you haven’t done so already. Read more

The Gokhale® Executive Chair: Sitting for Success

September, 2023
Our very successful Gokhale® Pain-Free Chair was launched ten years ago, < 2013> celebrating the philosophy that sitting is a natural, healthy activity. This office chair was designed to facilitate stretchsitting and stacksitting, two key techniques of the Gokhale Method® that transform sitting into a comfortable activity that heals you rather than hurts you. Read more

Upcoming Workshops

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
11:00am

Pacific Time

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Esther Gokhale

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Thursday, March 21, 2024
7:00pm

Europe/Ljubljana

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Sabina Blumauer

Women’s Empowerment Through Posture

Date and time: Saturday, March 23, 2024
1:00pm

Pacific Time

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Esther Gokhale

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Thursday, March 28, 2024
4:00pm

Pacific Time

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Esther Gokhale

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, April 03, 2024
7:00pm

Asia/Jerusalem

Open spots: Open
Language: Hebrew
Teacher: Michal Tal

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Sunday, April 07, 2024
10:00am

Australia/Sydney

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Tegan Kahn
Introduction to The Gokhale Method and Living Pain-Free
Date and time: Sunday, April 14, 2024
11:00am

Europe/London

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Clare Chapman

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Sunday, April 14, 2024
8:00pm

Europe/London

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Clare Chapman

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
7:00pm

Europe/Paris

Open spots: Open
Language: French
Teacher: Michal Tal

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
7:30pm

Europe/Berlin

Open spots: Open
Language: German
Teacher: Julie Johnson

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Thursday, April 18, 2024
10:00am

Australia/Sydney

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Tegan Kahn

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
8:00pm

Europe/Berlin

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Julie Johnson

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Friday, May 03, 2024
4:00pm

Pacific Time

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Esther Gokhale

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024
8:00pm

Asia/Jerusalem

Open spots: Open
Language: Hebrew
Teacher: Michal Tal

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, May 08, 2024
7:00pm

Europe/Ljubljana

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Sabina Blumauer

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, May 08, 2024
8:00pm

Europe/Berlin

Open spots: Open
Language: English
Teacher: Julie Johnson

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
7:00pm

Europe/Paris

Open spots: Open
Language: French
Teacher: Michal Tal

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, June 05, 2024
8:00pm

Asia/Jerusalem

Open spots: Open
Language: Hebrew
Teacher: Michal Tal

Move like you are meant to

Date and time: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
7:00pm

Europe/Paris

Open spots: Open
Language: French
Teacher: Michal Tal