strength

As the world tunes in to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina from February 6–22, we’ll marvel at skiers flying downhill, skaters carving ice, and athletes who’ve trained for years to make a few minutes look effortless. We know about the grueling workouts—in the gym, on the track, on the snow. What we rarely consider are the thousands of quiet hours in between: how these athletes sit, walk, stand, and recover when they’re not officially training or competing.

Several years ago, I was struggling with sleep apnea, knee pain, and chronic neck pain from an old diving injury—all despite my committed yoga practice. Something was missing. When I found the Gokhale Method®, I experienced a profound shift. My pain reduced. My stamina increased. I felt calmer, more confident, more capable in my body.

Imagine it is 2027. You're moving easily through your day—gardening, playing with grandchildren, hiking, dancing—whatever brings you joy. Your back doesn't hurt. Your knees work. You feel strong and capable in your body.

Some years ago I had a student who had difficulty engaging his glutes and leaving his back heel down while walking. I had guided him through my usual toolbox of techniques and principles, but this piece still stubbornly failed to land. All of a sudden something dawned on him, and he exclaimed, “Oh, it’s a jaunty walk!” and proceeded to do exactly what I had been trying to teach him with an additional spring in his step.

My Gokhale Method® journey has unfolded in stages. I attended an in-person weekend Gokhale® Foundations course in 2016, seeking relief for a stiff neck. My neck had been a chronic problem during my long career as a professional oboe player, and it was now much worse after a freak fall down the stairs. As I began to incorporate the Gokhale principles into my daily life, my neck gradually improved.

It’s that time of year again—we know we’re about to get one year older and we hope we’re also going to be one year wiser! If you have applied that wisdom to progressing your posture, you may also experience that you look, and even feel, one year younger. Or if you have a long backlog of ignoring your posture, it’s not impossible that you may feel ten years younger!