Gokhale Foundations

I just finished my foundation courses with Aurelia Vaicekauskas.  After seeing all the helpful videos with Esther and her high standards, I was especially pleased with Aurelia and her equally impressive high standards.  She was always available, encouraging, professional, punctual and able to help when I needed extra assistance due to what I thought were my own limitations.  She always adapted easily.  She always followed each session with detailed notes and clear follow up for the next session.  Aurelia was the best fit for me on my Gokhale journey.

Aurelia, you and your amazing teaching abilities and the Gokhale Method are changing my life! Less pain, more graceful form, movement. I am so grateful.

THANK YOU!!!! I loved your class. 

You made me look at things differently, which is one of the greatest gifts to receive. 

I really appreciate your kindness, precision, passion and compassion, and depth of knowledge.

I have had low back pain for many years which resulted in 2 back surgeries.  The final diagnosis was “failed back surgery” in 2016.  In seeking relief for the pain, I have had epidural injections, physical therapy, acupuncture, and pain medication.  I met Aurelia through the Gokhale Method several months ago.  She has taken me through the Gokhale Elements Course with remarkable results.  I can stand and sit straighter.  I now know how to bend over correctly which results in less pain.  Aurelia is deeply knowledgeable and using Zoom walked me through each step of the Gokhale Elements Course...read more

I am very glad I attended the Gokhale Method Foundations Course taught by Aurelia. Aurelia is a knowledgeable, detail-oriented, thorough, and approachable teacher with expansive training that made the course a significant value-add. She would present a Gokhale Method concept and then suggest multiple ways to incorporate it into daily life, which helped me transition to new posture habits without feeling like it was forced or a temporary phase. I’ve found the course concepts provide a helpful foundation not only as I sit, stand, and walk, but also as I lift, bike, or do yoga. Taking this course...read more

This is an awesome program. I had strained my hip flexor in early 2022, which created multiple back and hip problems. I'm very flexible and am in good shape from years of dance, yoga, competitive riding, and SuperSlow. I had never experienced such incredible pain as I did with this hip flexor injury. I went through 12-weeks of PT, and while I had some relief, I was not nearly 100%. I did a second round of PT with another therapist and got much better results and I was still not 100%.

A friend had suffered a back injury and had given me a book that someone had given her - 8 Steps to A Pain Free...read more

I have been aware of the Gokhale method for 10+ years and found Esther’s book and videos very helpful for my occasional back discomfort.  However, I didn’t fully embrace her approach until this year, when I experienced persistent pain in my right hip and back. I was thrilled to discover that a video consult and bi-weekly meetings in the online Elements course with my teacher, Aurelia Vaicekauskas, made such a huge difference in fully understanding and applying the Gokhale method for my specific needs. My pain is mostly gone, but what is even more valuable to me is knowing how to hold my body...read more

I am so grateful that I finally decided to sign up for Gokhale Method Foundations classes with Aurelia! Reading 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back was helpful, but Aurelia is such a dedicated and knowledgeable teacher that I was able to really understand and implement the postures. My back, foot, and leg pain started to diminish right away and for the first time in years, my back doesn’t hurt when I wake up in the morning. Thank you, Aurelia, for your patience and encouragement.

It was lovely to do the GM Foundations Course with Aurelia. She is very perceptive and sensitive, and many of my pain points in the back have been resolved for over a year now. Thank you!

Because of my constant muscle tension an Osteopath doctor recommended me the Gokhale Method, I searched and found Aurelia to be my nearest teacher. I took the class and have learned a lot about my posture. I am now much more aware of how my body is positioned either while seating, driving, etc.  I feel less muscle tension now than before. Aurelia is a great teacher, very caring and meticulous.

I had a great experience attending the Gokhale Method Foundations Course. As a young adult suffering from chronic lower back pain and a herniated disc, I had already tried chiropractic care and physical therapy. But what I was looking for was something that could help me better understand and use my body the 95% of my life when I wasn't exercising or getting treatment.

Through attending Aurelia's classes, I was able to learn about my body, posture, and how to use my body in the natural way it was designed. In the lessons, we learned how to stand, sit, lie down, and move our bodies in ways that...read more

Before working with Aurelia, I was in almost constant pain from my neck and upper back.  I have acquired kyphosis.  After working with Aurelia in the Gokhale Elements course I’ve felt a dramatic decrease in pain and an increase in energy and strength. She made the changes I needed to do easy to follow and understand .  She was always positive and fun.  She gave me ‘thumbs ups’ that I started looking forward to.  Working with her was a positive and rewarding experience. 

Taking the GM Foundations course with Aurelia took me from waking up daily in excruciating back pain to 75% of my days pain-free and now knowing how to relieve my back pain the remaining 25% of the days. This course makes me hopeful about my future as I age, and I really appreciate all of Aurelia's guidance, teaching, and encouragement. Definitely worth the time and the money! And, don't wait until you are in excruciating pain. If you wonder whether you are holding your body correctly in the course of daily activities -- lifting, walking, sitting, lying down -- take the class sooner rather...read more

One of the main reasons I became interested in the Esther Gokhale Methodology was to work on straightening my poor posture due to heredity and compounded by decades at the computer. My height was shrinking and I didn’t want to end up like my Mom, who said it hurt too much to sit up straighter. After the Initial Consultation, Esther recommended the Gokhale Elements course with Aurelia — a perfect match for me. Aurelia’s professionalism, attentiveness, patience, encouragement, perceptiveness, and careful coaching opened a whole new world for me! I learned a new way to walk, a new way to sleep, a...read more

I am so glad that I decided to enroll in the Gokhale Elements course and to have Aurelia as my coach.  I was not able to stand or walk very much due to a knee problem that arose suddenly a few months ago.  Thanks to Aurelia thorough and patient coaching with me, I am now able to stand and walk almost as well as before, but only in better and healthier form.  

I deeply appreciate her kind attention to details which gave me the confidence to learn new and healthier methods to stand, walk, and to lie down for rest or sleep.  These are all very basic and foundational things that I had to relearn...read more

Of all the self-care things I have tried these past years, this was the most impactful.  Aches and pains were increasingly hindering my quality of life -  something I thought was inevitable at worst and a big hurdle to overcome at best.  I came across the Gokhale method, purchased the book, about a year later attended a free workshop, and then signed up for the Foundations Course taught by Aurelia Vaicekauskas. The course was eye opening, doable, and so impactful.  Aurelia taught the course with clear explanations, illustrations and visualizations that not only showed what to do, but why...read more

Aurelia was a wonderful Gokhale Elements teacher.  I always looked forward to my lessons and I was impressed with how well Aurelia was able to notice via on-line all the nuances of my posture.  She was able to accurately explain corrections and give wonderful encouragement when I achieved the goal of each of the Gokhale elements.  I highly recommend Aurelia!!

Previous to learning Gokhale, I had consulted with three chiropractors, a naturopath and a DO with no improvement in my back.  It was only after my 18 Gokhale sessions with Aurelia, that I finally experienced a quiet, discomfort free lower...read more

FINALLY, I have time to share my incredible Gokhale experience, thanks to my instructor, AURELIA VAICEKAUSKAS. I chose the one-on-one teaching methodology (over the group or online), because I know what kind of student I am: I ask a lot of questions. I absolutely chose wisely.

Aurelia's belief in the effectiveness of the Gokhale Method permeates all that she shares in her lessons. From the start, she explained EVERYTHING about the program, in general, and its goals, very clearly and slowly. When we began to implement each specific point, re: sitting, standing, sleeping, etc., she modeled and...read more

I am so grateful to the friend who recommended the Gokhale Method to me! I just turned 30, and I have dislocated several disks in my lower back that has caused countless hours of pain and lost time. I am forever grateful to my in person coach, Aurelia. She was so patient and detailed in my healing. She took so much time to intentionally teach me how to correctly sit, stand, bend, reach, lay down, and breathe! The science is SOUND! I will live the rest of my life being mindful of my body and doing whatever I can to keep my J-shaped spine, and my neck and head aligned! All my thanks to Aurelia...read more

When I was introduced to the Gokhale Method, I was experiencing painful sciatica due to a bulging disc. I was quite down and after joining an online workshop, I felt hopeful that I could recover while also learning new techniques. I am now pain-free, but I continue to work on many of the techniques that I learned through the one on one course. I know these techniques will be crucial for having a strong and healthy spine.