I had the extreme privilege of interviewing Esther Gokhale, a world renowned posture guru and founder of the Gokhale Method.
Esther is a mastermind at teaching people how to decrease daily pain, without taking time out of their busy schedules for countless hours of chiropractic appointments or massages. She teaches simple and effective techniques that can be integrated into your everyday life: how to sit, stand, bend, and sleep. Esther’s book, “The 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back” has sold over 150,000 copies and her posture workshops and classes can be taken worldwide.
I am a huge fan of her work and her philosophies , and I was excited that she chose to “geek out” with me and discuss all things posture.
Ever heard of the “Paleo Diet” that emphasize eating n
atural foods from prehistoric times? Similarly, Gokhale promotes a “primal” posture, where our spines are lengthened, the lumbar curve is emphasized heavily (she calls it an anteverted pelvis), and the glutes are strong and highly developed. Michaelangelo’s David is used as an example of what our spines should look like: straight at the top part of the spine, with a curve right above the buttocks.
Gokhale’s techniques have produced testimonials from clients who have gone from chronic daily pain, to a pain free life. It doesn’t take hours of exercise therapies, or loads of painkillers, but rather focused attention on how your body is positioned throughout your day. Her book does highlight a few exercises that can be done daily to build a stronger body and to maintain the new postural positioning.
Before speaking to Gokhale, I spent some time thinking about how the Gokhale method might integrate with a myriad of exercises classes available in in today’s fitness world. I was also curious what her thoughts would be on the explosion of mobile phone usage, and how this has contributed to the increase in back and neck pain. She addresses this, and much much more in our 30 minute talk.
This is a MUST WATCH video, especially if you have back or neck pain. It will change how you sit, how you work on your phone, and how you choose to exercise.
Here are some highlights of the interview that might interest you:
2:13 Esther describes the 2 most popular sitting positions and why they are detrimental to you body.
8:25: What is the proper way to hold your cell phone and position your neck while working on your phone? She demonstrates this for us.
10:23: Es
ther does the Samba on camera!
12:45: What is the big issue with the popular Pilates “hundred” exercise? Listen and find out.
15:32: Esther tells us how she was a model in Mumbai, India and how it affected her back.
23:15: Are posture braces and posture shirts good for you? Should you invest in one?
25:48: Why parents should NOT be putting their children in an umbrella stroller.
The information in this video is invaluable… check it out, and comment on YOUR favorite part of the interview.
My favorite was the section on Pilates… I wanted to reach through the screen and hug her for her amazing insight!
If you prefer to READ the interview instead, visit HERE for the transcription.
Hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I enjoyed filming it.
In health and good posture,
Zeena
