Gokhale Foundations

I am so grateful to Kathleen, Esther and the entire Gokhale team. Before I started this method, I could barely walk for 15-20 minutes and had to stop 3-4 times because of back pain. And it was so painful to bend that I had “grabbers” in every room in the house. I slept with a cervical neck pillow and sat on all my seats with a lumbar cushion. I thought I was doing the right thing for myself. I have bulging discs in L1-S1, stenosis, scoliosis, etc. I couldn’t stand long in the kitchen either. After I did any little thing, I had to sit in my reclining chair and relax my back. I did my physical

Kathleen and the Elements Course make a big difference in my life and outlook as I age into retirement years. The tools learned allow continued improvement in body health even surpassing my younger body's level of fitness. 

Kathleen showed much kindness, and commitment to my learning. As a Physician I appreciated her anatomic knowledge and explanations. Kathleen is one of the best teachers I have had in my many years of education.

At age 72, I was wondering how well I would be able to enjoy gardening in my retirement due to back problems.  Arthritis caused pain in my neck, back, and hands and both hips had already been replaced.  I was horrified when a friend emailed me a recent photograph of myself revealing a very hunched back.  That is when I resolved to do something to improve my posture.  In my search for answers, I heard of the Gokhale Method and took the Gokhale Elements Course with Kathleen O’Donohue.  Kathleen was the perfect teacher for me.  She was very thorough in explaining and demonstrating the different

I began my individualized instruction with several online consultations with Kathleen in Autumn 2020.  I had become comfortable with Kathleen’s teaching while she was a moderator of Free Workshops and then Q & A teacher of 1-2-3 Move class when she led the non-alumni.  I immediately felt a connection with Kathleen’s teaching method.  She was always positive, encouraging, and easy to talk to.
I found her to be extremely accommodating and flexible in her teaching style which calmed me and allowed me to advance with her soothing voice guiding me.  She always seemed to have little gems to allow me

I purchased Esther’s wonderful book several years ago after my second back surgery. I implemented several of the directions in the book but eventually fell off in that practice. In October 2021, after my 3rd back surgery, I signed up for the Elements Course with Kathleen determined to do all I could to better protect my spine. Having Kathleen as my online live coach was fabulous. She is clear, patient, and compassionate. Not everyone makes a great teacher, but Kathleen’s grasp of body dynamics and the Gokhale Method plus the ability to communicate these principles puts her in that category. 
 
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Starting in July 2020, I have been practicing the Gokhale Method intensely and it has really paid off. I recently received an outstanding report from my doctor (an osteopathic physician).  It was the first good news I have had regarding my spine in a very long time.  After a year when I was unable to see him for routine visits and manipulation, he informed me that I had changed the architecture of my spine!  Specifically, he told me 3 things:  that I had improved my lumbar lordosis; corrected the angle of my pelvis; my leg length discrepancy was gone (had been 3/8 inch, requiring modification

Kathleen is an EXCEPTIONAL coach! I signed up for the online Gokhale Elements Course as COVID forced lockdowns, thinking it would be a useful way to spend the isolation. Little did I know what a fantastic adventure was ahead! This is far more than just a course about 'posture' — these are lessons about how to optimally use your body, from sitting to standing to walking and sleeping.

The course is beautifully organized into neat bite-sized pieces. Over a series of 18 13-minute sessions, you learn how to work with the various parts of the body so as to make the best use of the spine. 

My guide

I met Kathleen in February 2020 when she was co-teaching a Gokhale Method Pop-Up Course with Esther Gokhale.  My daughter had recently taken the Pop-up Course and could not stop waxing positive.  Knowing I had some slight back issues she “insisted” I take this one-day class.  “Mom, what do you have to lose?  It’s one day, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you!”  Needless to say, I did and this is where I met Kathleen, a delightful, knowledgeable and cheerful qualified Gokhale Teacher.  

The object/mantra of Gokhale is how to achieve a “pain free back”.  Yeah, right.. As if ... and yet

Learning the Gokhale Method through the Gokhale Method Foundations Course has been critical to me gaining control over my posture and upper-back, shoulder and neck tension and pain. As a long-time student and someone who uses technology, it’s too easy to lose awareness of posture and fall into painful and tense postural habits. And as an actor, I’d always felt that my posture was holding me back from embodying certain characters. When directors and yoga instructors would give me notes about my posture, somehow the fixes never stuck and I couldn’t figure out why. 

The Gokhale Method has

I’ll get straight to it, posture-wise it has been an exciting past few months for me.
I attended the Gokhale Method Foundations Course, with Kathleen as my teacher, in December 2019, Palo Alto, CA. 
The course helped me in many ways - most importantly it helped me help myself by becoming more in tune with my body and increasing muscle awareness. Many times I have forgotten the original lessons by becoming too lost in the details (focusing too much on a small movement or a particular muscle), but now I come back to them more often. Glide-walking has been great for me. It sounds overly simple, but

I call Kathleen my personal posture trainer. (I took the Foundations Course with her 1-on-1.)

I had chronic back pain and no matter what I tried, nothing helped. I couldn't even swim without pain. After 6 sessions with Kathleen, my pain is reduced and less frequent. But more importantly, Kathleen taught me how to correct my walking, sitting, and head positioning whenever I catch myself slipping back into old habits.

All Kathleen cares about is you understanding and learning. She's not like other instructors we've all had — the ones that just want to show off how much THEY know. Not with

A few weeks ago I completed the Foundations Course of the Gokhale Method with Kathleen O'Donohue as my teacher/guide. I have pursued many avenues in my own health and wellness maintenance and after reading about the Gokhale approach I knew it was the one area where I was lacking. Kathleen O'Donohue was an excellent teacher, working us through the lessons spread out over three days. After having an L5/S1 herniation 5 years ago I have had minor discomfort and sometimes pain after doing tasks. I can truly say that since completing the course with the guidance of Kathleen I have had NO pain in my

The Gokhale Method has led me not only to reduced pain, but also a much greater
awareness of how posture and body movement can either reduce or increase
pain. One of the best features of the Method for me, is that Gokhale is not a
"work out" or therapy session. It is proper standing, sitting, bending, and even sleeping
which is incorporated into the whole day. I already have great hope of a pain free life
and what a precious gift that is.

I was very grateful to have Kathleen as teacher. While the Gokhale Method course and book are beautifully designed to make learning easy, Kathleen enhanced the application of the methods by her mastery of observation, listening, and knowledge. She gently helped me recognize my areas of weakness and coached me in ways that allowed me to more easily reach my goals. I came away confident in my ability to apply the methods. As a result of her training, I have made transformative changes that have eased or erased long-term pain and improved the quality of standing, sitting, sleeping, and mobility

For the first time in many years, I feel optimistic that I have a way to alleviate the pain I've been experiencing. Kathleen is a wonderful teacher - patient, generous, encouraging. I'm so grateful to her for introducing me to the Gokhale Method.

I have benefited over my life from many types of body awareness practices, yoga, physical therapy, etc., but the Gokhale Method has added a piece of the puzzle that I have been missing. The technique is something I use throughout my day in all my activities, from sleeping to walking. It helps me find the posture that is more natural and healthful to keep away my neck and back pain. I see now that some of the "correct" posture I had learned in growing up was counterproductive for proper body health. I got specific techniques to get rid of back sway, and to hold my body up without strain. My