Hip Hinging

Harvesting rye with scythes in early twentieth-century Lithuania. Original photograph Balys Buročas, 1923.

The Gokhale Method has improved my understanding of how posture correlates to our health and physicality. The method is based on healthy body architecture and has been informed by movement patterns from populations without back pain, those shared by our ancestors worldwide. This inspired me to take a look at my own forefathers in Lithuania, especially their posture while laboring in the fields. 

Memories of my youth
I was born and raised in urban Soviet Lithuania. Yet, we had a little plot of land outside the city in “kolektyviniai sodai” (collective gardens) and most of our weekends and summers were spent there. It was heaven to play in the fields, but there was always plenty of work.

My sister and I were often assigned weeding, watering, or harvesting to complete. It was definitely good exercise and a learning experience. I remember how proud I was when, one summer, my dad deemed me grown-up enough to show me how to cut grass with a scythe. It took a lot of coordination and control to swing the blade just so, to catch the grass low enough and to not drive the blade into the ground.

Harvesting rye with scythes in Juodėnai village, Lithuania. Original photograph Povilas Butkus, 1938.

In the summertime, we frequently visited with our relatives in the country. The grownups helped with harvesting and us kids followed them around and entertained ourselves with lighter tasks. My parents, aunts, and uncles all grew up on farms and were used to this type of work. I remember them teasing each other and laughing in the fields. Yet, it was hard work and they were all exhausted by the end of the day.

My own ancestors in Old Lithuania, like ancestral peoples everywhere, must have carried much body wisdom. Working the land shaped their bodies and their posture. Theirs wasn’t just a weekend task: it was a day-by-day, year-after-year way of life.

Photo treasures
Much more recently, I found a treasure trove of photos on E-paveldas. I immediately recognized the pristine body architecture and beautiful movements of the Lithuanian farmers. Here were women and men working with a clear J-shaped spine — which is found in highly functioning and musculoskeletally sound populations and is a cornerstone of the Gokhale Method. I was not surprised to see the J-spine show up in historical photos from Lithuania. How else could one exert oneself on a daily basis and remain productive and intact?

Before machinery, harvesting was a communal affair. Men did most of the chopping, plowing, and scything. Women raked and gathered, but also did heavier work when needed. Hay and grain harvesting was done with scythes. When harvesting grain, as in both photographs above, the cuttings were gathered and bundled into neat bunches and stacked in big piles in the fields. If harvesting hay, the cuttings were first spread out to dry and once dry, the hay was gathered and transported to the barns (below).

Young women from Didsodė village harvesting hay. Original photographer unknown, ca. 1940.

In the picture below, we see women hefting piles of dry hay to load up a horse cart.

Women loading harvested and dried hay onto a horse cart. Original photographer unknown, 1935.

Postural highlights
These old photographs give us a good view of people’s silhouettes. In contrast to modern-day postural tendencies in industrialized societies, there is no tucking of the pelvis. Behinds are very much behind. Shoulders are back and necks are lengthened. That’s J-spine, the same spinal shape we all had when we were little! 

This body architecture sets a foundation for inner corset engagement. Here, the obliques, transverse abdominis, rotatores, and multifidi muscles are all engaged. 

The inner corset muscles stabilize and decompress the spine so there is no wear and tear on spinal structures during exertion. This is how repetitively thrusting with pitchforks, lifting weights over the head, forcefully swinging scythes across the body, or reaching and pulling with rakes can be performed without hurting one’s back. Of course, the inner corset muscles get a huge workout! Meanwhile, they become stronger and in turn better support the spine.

Additionally, heavy arm and shoulder actions require correct shoulder placement. Notice that the farmers’ chests are open and wide, and shoulders are set further back. This shoulder location allows for better arm circulation, opens the chest cavity for better breathing, and prevents the upper spine from slumping. This position is key for efficient movement and protection from injury.

Bending well is essential to avoid back pain. You can see all the women hinging beautifully from their hips and keeping their backs flat while harvesting potatoes, doing laundry, and cooking. In spite of long hours bending, they did not hunch their shoulders, round their backs, or distort their spines.

Potato harvest in the Džiuginėnai fields. Original photograph Juzefas Perkovskis, 1940.

This healthy way of bending does no damage to the bones, discs or ligaments. Instead, it strengthens the muscles in the back (erectors and rhomboids) and provides the best stretch for the leg and hip muscles (external hip rotators and hamstrings).

Women hip-hinging while doing laundry. Original photograph Balys Buračas, 1923.

Hip-hinging while cooking in an open-air summer kitchen. Original photograph Stasys Vaitkus, 1937.

Another beautiful image (below) depicts three shepherd boys with their instruments. Notice that their lengthened leg and hip muscles in turn allow the spine to stack without slumping even when squatting on the ground. Their legs remain externally rotated, and their foot arches intact.

Village shepherds. Note the deep, healthy squat at left. Original photograph Stasys Vaitkus, 1938. 

In the last image (below), an older couple carries a yoke (naščiai) and baskets. What a clever way to carry a load! The yoke is placed close to the spine — the best place to bear weight, just like in weight lifting, while arms and hands are spared.

Marija and Augustas Šarkai on their way to harvest potatoes. Group Photograph/Bernardas Aleknavičius, 1971.

This couple encapsulates what we find across all ancestral populations:

1. Their feet are turned out and bean-shaped.

2. Their behinds are behind them.

3. Their ribcages are flush with the contours of the torsos, which means their lower backs are lengthened.

4. Their shoulders are set way back and their arms are externally rotated.

5. Their necks are long; their chins angle down.

Furthermore, this couple is not young anymore. I am sure they worked throughout their lives, yet they retain beautiful, erect posture.

Reflection
This was a brief glimpse of village life in Lithuania in the early twentieth century. The photographs of my ancestors laboring in the fields are brimming with body wisdom. This wisdom is a part of a common worldwide heritage that has been displaced by modern culture. Yet, it is still available to us through photographs, stories from elders, and posture work.

I felt inspired by the wisdom and proud of my Lithuanian heritage when looking at these pictures. I encourage you to do the same! Look through your own family photos, if you have them, or historical photography books. Let these images inspire you and reaffirm how well our bodies are designed, and how sturdy and strong they are when used well.

Studying and teaching yoga has been part of my life for several years. However, after learning the Gokhale Method, I approached the well-known yoga posture “downward-facing dog” (Adho Mukha Svanasana) in a new way.
 

Hip-hinging with my even spinal groove visible — GOOD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

In the Gokhale Method Foundations Course, I learned how to hip-hinge and keep my spine from flexing when bending. I wanted to maintain about the same spinal shape in my “downward-facing dog” pose as I had learned when hip-hinging. This spinal shape, with an even spinal groove from the lower to the upper back, meant that my intervertebral discs, nerve roots and spinal ligaments would be protected during bends, and my hip joints would be used in a healthy way.

Also informing the adjustments I made to my downward-facing dog was receiving detailed feedback about my spinal shape from the new SpineTracker wearable device developed by the Gokhale Method Institute. This technology is available to participants of the new Pop-up Course and in private lessons with participating teachers.
 

Here, I’m wearing a set of SpineTracker sensors on my back to determine my lumbar spinal shape. Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

Here is an example of the SpineTracker feedback for a hip-hinge. To contextualize, each dot is the location of a sensor.

SpineTracker snapshot of my spinal shape while hip-hinging — GOOD!

Although many yoga practitioners hip-hinge in their “downward-facing dog” posture, I had a habit of slightly flexing my lumbar spine in this pose.
 

The practitioner in this version of "downward-facing dog" pose shows a slightly flexed lumbar spine, putting the lumbar discs under strain. Image courtesy Form on Unsplash.

After many years of spinal flexion occurring with most hip flexion, I had developed chronic low back pain. Not all spinal flexion is easy to see (or feel internally), as my former downward-facing dog form, demonstrated below, shows.
 

Here I am in downward-facing dog with some lumbar spine flexion and hip flexion (knees straight, heels down) — BAD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

To heal my irritated back, I began revisiting the way I approached this yoga posture. It was a worthy project since this pose shows up frequently in my yoga practice and yoga teaching sessions.

First, I needed to learn how to stabilize my overly mobile lower back and ease into deeper flexion in my hips. Luckily, hip-hinging practice had helped me learn how to achieve both of these goals. Then I needed to transfer this skill to one common yoga pose: downward-facing dog.
 

In this photo, I’m in downward-facing dog with my spinal groove visible (knees bent, heels up) — GOOD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

Here’s another view of my downward-facing dog, wearing the SpineTracker sensors on my back (knees bent, heels up) — GOOD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

The upgraded downward-facing dog pose creates an even spinal groove which I’m able to feel with my fingertips — GOOD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

A great way to capture the shape of the spine in a complex yoga pose is to take an image with the SpineTracker device. The SpineTracker sensors stick directly to the skin over the spine and are able to give detailed information about the spine’s shape (and your hands can stay on the floor).

SpineTracker snapshot of my spinal shape in upgraded downward-facing dog (knees bent, heels up), more spinal extension — GOOD!

For comparison, this SpineTracker snapshot of my spinal shape in unmodified downward-facing dog (knees straight, heels down) reveals noticeably more spinal flexion than in the upgraded form — BAD!

In my upgraded downward-facing dog pose: no spinal flexion, heels up, knees bent — GOOD! Image courtesy Cecily Frederick.

To refine my downward-facing dog pose, I needed to:

1. Learn how to hip-hinge from a Gokhale Method teacher
2. Come to a hands and knees position (“dog pose”) with a J-spine
3. Lift hips into downward-facing dog position without changing spinal shape and gently pull hips back, away from hands

Things that might also help if you have shortened hamstrings and calf muscles and/or internally rotated femurs:

1. Keep knees softly bent and kidney bean shape the feet to allow the pelvis to settle well
2. De-emphasize dropping heels to the floor
3. Allow the pose to feel awkward at first (but not painful)

One additional advantage to structuring a downward-facing dog this way is that the pose becomes a great way to lengthen the entire spine, which can make other yoga poses healthier and more accessible. Yoga is one of many topics addressed in the Online University content for alumni.

Is there a yoga pose that causes you some back discomfort?

Feeling happy after a lesson. 

If you ask Joan Baez what keeps her in good enough shape to do worldwide musical tours at age 78, she will hand you a little brown card that says “Esther Gokhale, Creator of the Gokhale Method.”

My wooden business card.

Joan has used various kinds of bodywork throughout her career. Music tours invariably involve bumpy bus rides, late-night performances, uncomfortable beds, and other challenges to the human frame, and Joan, like most seasoned musicians, has experienced her share of neck and back strain. Joan lives in California, the mecca of massage therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other healers who smooth and soothe soft and hard tissue into more harmonious states. So it’s not surprising that she has found many helpful interventions and intervenors. But one stands out in getting to the root of her musculoskeletal challenges, and in altering the usual trajectory of wear and tear, degeneration and dysfunction. It’s the Gokhale Method. And thank goodness for the Gokhale Method, because there’s only one Joan Baez, and the world needs her right now, though she is at an age where we would expect her to be winding down. 

Joan stretchlying on her side, very relaxed and comfortable.

It’s been a treat to work with Joan. My interaction with Joan began after college in New York City, when I was involved in an organization called CRY (Child Relief and You). CRY was trying to raise money for central audio/video/media cultural centers in India so less-privileged youth could have access to video cameras, slide projectors, audio recorders, and other wonders of modern technology, which they could learn to use and which would keep them abreast of a useful aspect of the modern world. Joan Baez, whose music and mission had moved me deeply, seemed like the ideal person to craft an appeal to. I fantasized that she would do a concert in India and bring awareness to CRY’s mission. I spent quite some time crafting my letter, sent it (through someone who knew someone who knew someone) — and did not get a response. When I told Joan this story decades later, she said sadly, “We tried so hard to respond to the kids especially…” I assured her the letter probably got lost because it was sent by “hand delivery.”

Joan hip-hinging to pick lettuce. Notice how her externally rotated legs create space for her torso to settle between her legs.

Shoulder rolls help the shoulders settle further back and further out from the body. Joan is enjoying having her shoulders return home.

I forget exactly how Joan, her buddy Jeanne, and her other buddy Karen ended up in my studio 11 years ago, in 2008. Each of them were able to use the Gokhale Method techniques to rid themselves of a deep-seated and seemingly inevitable degenerative symptom that many practitioners had been unable to give them relief from or hope around. Three for three was impressive to them. They decided I was the “real thing” and have championed my work since then. Joan gave me and the Gokhale Method a ringing endorsement, which we have since used on flyers and brochures to good effect.

After years of struggling with chronic neck and back pain, I had the good fortune of meeting Esther Gokhale, who introduced me to her Method. Although stunningly simple, Gokhale's Method turns much of conventional wisdom about pain and posture on its head. Each session of the course gave immediate results which have affected my life profoundly, and I now look forward to many years of a healthy neck and back. I would highly recommend that others seek out this very special woman, or read her book entitled 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back.

Joan Baez

In the course of our lessons together, Joan and I hit it off and became friends. My relationship with Joan continued at a sauntering pace, peppered with highlights like being invited with my entire family to her 70th birthday celebration at Teatro Zinzanni. This event, a comedic showcase employing impressive theatrical talent, will forever remain in my memory as our 16-year-old son Nathan was chosen to go up on stage and become a part of the spectacle. And spectacular it was, as well as bawdy, hilarious, and entirely “incorrect.” At the end of the evening, a woman came up to me and humorously remarked that she hoped we have enough saved up for therapy for the rest of our son’s life. Christine Deaver was the Maitresse d’ for the show. Christine is a large woman who owns every centimeter that she occupies. At one point in the evening, in joking with another volunteer she pointed out that her breast was larger than his entire bald head. The way she did it was very funny indeed. Nathan was one of three competitors for the role of Romeo against her Juliet.  There were several sections to the competition, including singing (for 200 guests) Mary Had a Little Lamb in a high-pitched falsetto, reciting a heavily adapted version of the balcony scene including lewd lines such as “I’ll come a-knockin’ when the balcony’s a-rockin’,” and the grand finale, in which all contenders had to pull a sword out of a scabbard to declare their love for Juliet. Christine expressed her disappointment in the limp and fallen-to-the-side swords of the other contenders, and approval of Nathan’s upstanding and sturdy sword. The show ended with Christine feeding a reclining Nathan grapes as their float circled around the stage. Oy vey.

Nathan playing Romeo opposite Christine Deaver’s Juliet. In addition to his sword remaining upright (see story above), his neck looks pretty upright too! Original photo courtesy Teatro Zinzanni, 2011.

On another occasion, Joan invited me to her fundraiser concert with Emmylou Harris and Jackson Browne for the Downtown Streets team to support local homeless shelters. Vintage Joan in her sixth decade of supporting people in need — I felt so inspired.

There are many stories: too many to recount here. Suffice it to say that our friendship has truly been a delight.

When hip-hinging for extended periods, like in a garden, it’s normal to rest on the knees as Joan demonstrates here.

In the last year, Joan has returned for refresher lessons. I feel lucky that Joan values my lessons. Joan ups my game. She inspires new turns of phrase, her paintings inspire posture lessons, we dance with good posture. And Joan helps me remember just how much is possible, well into your higher decades.

Joan in a “ready position,” preparing to hip-hinge to pick some calendula.

My students sometimes lead me to particularly juicy nuggets that enrich my understanding of posture-related practices in other cultures. Sometimes they simply send me a link to an article; sometimes it is an introduction to a special person. Recently, my private Gokhale Method Foundations Course student Alpana informed me that her friend had a visitor I might be interested in meeting. She was right.

Two days later, my daughter Monisha and I showed up at Nirmala’s host’s home in Saratoga. I was immediately struck by the woman’s presence, regal carriage, slender and strong frame, and sparky energy, especially for a 60-year-old. Nirmala does traditional Indian baby and post-natal massage on newly delivered babies and their mothers in Surat, India. She speaks no English. Thanks to Alpana’s fluent Marathi and my broken Hindi, I was able to communicate very effectively with her.

She described her daily routine, which begins with chai upon waking and chai again as she is about to leave for the day’s work. Her workday goes from 7am – 3 pm. In all that time, she rarely accepts offers to consume anything besides water. If a host insists, she might eat a small morsel of food. She bikes from home to home, massaging babies and mothers and sometimes taking care of an elderly person. She wears sandals to ride her bike but goes barefoot when she walks in her neighborhood. It was hard not to notice her especially kidney bean-shaped feet, and she was tickled that I wanted to photograph (and touch) her feet. Touching someone’s feet in India is a way of bestowing honor on them and also puts you below the person in some essential way. I was happy to touch her feet, and I was happy to hang on her words. I usually have to travel far and wide to find subjects like Nirmala.

Nirmala’s feet have a particularly strong kidney bean shape. Walking barefoot often probably helped keep her natural foot shape intact.

Nirmala described various aspects of her massage practice and her life, but also insisted that it would be much better if she could show me what she does. We settled on an afternoon two weeks later to meet again so I could observe her in action. Alpana offered to provide her transportation and be the translator for us once again.

I was able to find an 11-month-old baby in my network whose mom brought him along for this event. No one knew what to expect and the experience made a deep impression in many ways.

• The base position was identical to what I had observed in Burkina Faso. Nirmala sits with her legs outstretched with the baby lying on her lower legs, the baby’s head close to her ankles.

Nirmala prepares to massage the baby with her legs outstretched.

• When she massaged my daughter Monisha (as though she were a post-partum mom), she stood astride her and hip-hinged beautifully.

Nirmala hip-hinges to perform a post-partum massage on volunteer Monisha.

• The baby massage was quite rough, comprehensive, rapid in the strokes, and unrelenting. Front and back, every organ, limb, and crevice received its treatment. I was reminded of Piglet pretending to be Baby Roo in the Winnie the Pooh story. Kanga pretended not to notice the switcheroo and paid no attention to Piglet’s squeals. But Nirmala was not meting out punishment, but rather helping the baby be strong. Some of us reached out to the baby to offer him solace. Nirmala explained that she was doing a light massage since the baby’s skin was light and might redden if she were more vigorous. She wasn’t sure how the baby’s mother would feel about that. Nirmala explained that the baby would sleep really well following the massage, giving the mother a rest. After the oil massage came a warm water massage in the bathroom. In Burkina Faso, the massage was done with shea butter and warm water at the same time, instead of sequentially. That massage was also vigorous, and the baby seemed a little in shock during it, but being only days old, didn’t have as developed a cry as the 11-month-old baby we observed.

• The baby cried for the entire 10 minutes of being massaged with oil and then warm water — Nirmala seemed unphased and said that this usually happens for the first 2-3 massages, after which the babies get used to being massaged and don’t cry.  She also said crying makes the lungs and baby strong. Mom was impressively able to withstand what must surely have been a stressful experience. All of us were too taken aback to say or do much, banking on the premise that Nirmala knew what she was doing. In Burkina Faso, the baby (only days old) cried only during the part where it was held upside down by the ankles (Nirmala did not do this).

The baby faces Nirmala’s feet as she works on every part of him.

• Part of the massage included leg and crossbody stretches. This was quite different from what I observed in Burkina Faso, where the focus of the stretches was on the joints between the limbs and torso. Nirmala drew the opposite arm and leg toward each other, and both legs up above the head to stretch the back.

Nirmala’s baby massage involves various kinds of stretching.

• Nirmala has additional expertise for conditions in both the baby and mother. She described what she would do in case the testicles hadn’t descended. Also what she does in case the mother has had a C-section. The masseuse in Burkina Faso was also comfortable doing procedures in some instances; for example, in case of a kink in the spine, she would have used a corn husking device to straighten the baby’s spine out. In both cases, the knowledge is passed down within the family. Nirmala’s daughter and daughter-in-law are able to provide similar services, and are, in fact, filling in for her during her U.S. visit.

My quick takes from this experience: massage for babies is an old tradition spanning many cultures. Babies are particularly targeted for massage post-delivery. The massage covers the entire body, is vigorous, and includes stretching. Oil/butter and warm water are used for baby and mommy massage. Crying is not a show-stopper. The masseuse maintains healthy posture throughout the act of giving the massage.

Have you seen or experienced baby or post-natal massage? What was your experience like?
 

You’re on a long hike, and it’s been a while since you began. Your surroundings are beautiful, and you want to take a moment to soak it all in. But, there’s nothing nearby to sit on and the ground is damp. What do you do?

Resting up for the next all-out effort.

The best restorative position I know for these situations is the isometric resting position that includes hip-hinging to park your hands on your knees with straight elbows. Steps to relief: hinge your back, place the heel of each hand on its respective knee, lock your elbows, permit your shoulders to hike up in a slack manner, relax your belly, let your pelvis nest between your legs, and rest. This resting position counterbalances some different parts of your body and requires almost as little muscular effort as reclining in a chair or lying in a bed. It has a further advantage of allowing you to shut yourself off from the hullabaloo to recoup your strength to keep going.

Sightings of this position are common on athletic fields, tracks, and courts. Athletes often gravitate toward this position (or variations of it) to catch a quick breath between points, rest on the sideline of an empty playing field, or recover some lung capacity after a sprint.

  
This isometric rest position is a favorite among all kinds of athletes.

Common mistakes to doing this position:

1. Rounding your back significantly. When you relax your muscles, you’re also relaxing some protective mechanisms that keep your back safe. Relaxation comes with vulnerability, so don’t subject your joints to significant distortion without muscular protection. It’s your form that makes it safe to relax.

 
Left: This runner has more rounding in his back than is ideal. Rounding loads the spinal discs and threatens the spinal nerves. Right: Because the spinal discs are much less loaded in this position than in a hip-hinge, a small deviation from an ideal hip-hinge position is usually well-tolerated. Photo by Alex Fraser for UltiPhotos.

2. Leaving your elbows bent. Now you can’t REALLY enjoy the delicious letting-go.

3. Craning your neck up. Most likely, you don’t need to track what’s going on (and still look ahead). Check out for a minute. Look down at the ground for a visual break as well as a muscular break. If you do need to look up, learn how to pivot your skull on your neck, rather than crane and strain within the stretch of your neck.

When is your favorite time to employ this position?

Eating is an essential part of life and can also be a delicious, healthy, and pleasurable experience. But for many people, sitting down for a long, leisurely meal causes tension and pain. Have you ever found yourself considering going out to eat and having second thoughts because you know you are going to be squirming in your seat before the end of the meal? We at the Gokhale Method Institute believe that dining can be a delectable experience for all of your senses. Here are a few tips on how to stay pain-free while dining:

Stacksitting

Stacksitting is a comfortable and healthy way to sit down for a meal. Find or construct a wedge for your chair—a sweatshirt, jacket, or scarf will do. At home, you may want to have a folded towel or blanket handy in your dining area for this purpose. When you don't have a wedge, you can use the edge of the chair like a wedge. Position your legs slightly apart and sit with your sitz bones on the front edge of the wedge. This will tip your pelvis forward, which allows the rest of your spine to stack without tension. It's best to scoot yourself close in to the table so you can reach for your utensils and glass without being tempted to hunch forward.

Stacksitting close to your table sets you up
to interact with your food in a healthy way.

Hip Hinging

Bending slightly forward can help prevent you from spilling food on your lap. A common mistake is to drop your head or round your shoulders in a subconscious effort to move closer to your food. Instead of distorting your spine, use hip-hinging to keep your posture intact. Bend at the hip, allowing the pelvis to rotate relative to the femur (thigh) bones. Hip hinging prevents damage to your discs and spinal nerves while strengthening your back, shoulder, and neck muscles.

Hip hinging allows you to approach your food
and drink without compromising your spine.

Bring your food to you

Although it’s less common in the United States, people in many cultures bring their food to their mouth (lifting the bowl or plate) rather than the other way around. This solves the problem of hunching forward. If you feel comfortable trying this technique, go ahead and give it a test. This is a great solution for those who like to stretchsit while they eat, since you can relax your spine the entire time.

Drinking

The key to not distorting your neck while taking a sip is to rotate your head back on the neck instead of arching your neck. Alternately, you can experiment with jutting out your lower lip when sipping on your beverage, with little or no movement of the head. This action will create a little reservoir with which to “catch” the liquid. You may want to practice a few times in front of a sink, or start with a glass of water. It can be a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, your neck will thank you.

Sticking out the lower lip helps avoid arching the neck
when drinking from a glass.

Enjoy Every Bite

Getting your body in a comfortable dining position allows you to relax and enjoy the delectable food on your plate. Take the time to eat slowly and use all your senses to enjoy the variety of colors, smells, tastes and textures. Eating, so necessary to life, can also be one of its great pleasures--and eating with good posture is part of the celebration.

Best,
Esther

One shoulder at a time — a little forward,
a little up, a lot back, and totally relax.

The holidays are upon us and ‘tis the season for cooking, cleaning and entertaining. You may find yourself especially reliant upon your body as you enjoy the added festivities. We want to help keep you safe and healthy with some seasonal posture tips!

Shoulder positioning

Whether you are baking dozens of cookies or wrapping bundles of presents, your shoulders may feel uncomfortable if neglected. Firstly, assess your surroundings. Whatever your task, ensure that it is within comfortable reach. For example, if you are cooking, get close enough to your countertop so you can easily manage all of your ingredients. Or, if you are working while seated, find a suitable height for your chair and/or table. From here, do a shoulder roll. One shoulder at a time — a little forward, a little up, a lot back, and totally relax. Ideally you can still reach what you need without pulling the shoulders out of this position. This will alleviate tension or pulling between your shoulder blades, which over time would tax your rhomboid muscles. And, with the shoulders back and down, you will encourage healthy circulation to your arms and hands to keep up your stamina.

Notice how the baby's knees are bent in a wide stance to
allow his pelvis to settle comfortably between his legs.

Hip-Hinging

Decorating, cooking and preparing for house guests all require a lot of bending. Bending well by hip-hinging is a must to keep your back healthy. Always allow the legs to rotate open to make room for the pelvis. You want to make room for the pelvis to rotate, drop and nest between the legs.

For shallow bends, you will likely not need to bend your knees very much if at all while standing. If you are seated, the legs usually don’t have to be very far apart. As you bend forward, nothing else along your spine and torso moves. Your shoulders want to stay back, your neck remains elongated, and your ribs stay in place.

For deeper bends, the knees will probably need to bend more generously depending on your hamstring flexibility. If you are gathering things from the floor, you may want to take a wider stance as well, especially if those hamstrings are pulling your pelvis into a tucked position rather than the optimal tipped or anteverted position. Deep seated bends will likely feel better when the legs are opened as well.

This man uses his inner corset to lift a box.
Notice that his arms are still close to his
torso and his body is squared toward
the object.

Lifting with your Inner Corset

Heavy or bulky items require a great reliance upon your Inner Corset. While maintaining your hip-hinging form, add your Inner Corset AND bend your knees more generously when lifting heavy items. Often resting an elbow or two on your thigh can provide more leverage as well. And, always stay close to whatever you are handling—things feel heavier the further they are from your center.

Hopefully you can square your body toward any object you are handling. Sometimes, however (especially in decorating or cleaning those hard to reach spots) you may find your self in a slightly twisted, distorted, otherwise compromised position. During these times, it is especially vital to use your Inner Corset for extra protection. Creating more length allows room for the spine to handle bits of distortion. And, gathering your muscles up and in will stabilize your spine and prevent unnecessary compression.

Join us in an upcoming Free Workshop (online or in person).  

Find a Foundations Course in your area to get the full training on the Gokhale Method!  

We also offer in person or online Initial Consultations with any of our qualified Gokhale Method teachers.

Wishing everyone a warm holiday season!
Esther