Gokhale Method

09/03/2025

So many people try everything: PT, Pilates, acupuncture, massage, before finally finding what truly makes the difference. For Loren, Esther Gokhale’s 8 Steps to a Pain-free Back was the missing piece that helped them cross the finish line.

Don’t wait. Start your healing journey today!

Order the new edition here: https://amzn.to/4kOVKA0

https://bit.ly/467O4Ey

Would you like to give 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back Testimonials a shoutout in a video or text testimonial?

09/02/2025

First published in 2008, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back quickly grew beyond expectations. It reached #3 on Amazon after The New York Times featured Esther Gokhale as “The Posture Guru of Silicon Valley” (paywall) in 2012, and climbed to #2 on Amazon following her NPR program in 2015.

Now translated into 12 languages and with over 250,000 copies sold, the book has helped countless people reclaim their comfort.

In our latest blog post, Esther shares the backstory behind the new edition. What’s changed, what’s new, and why this revision is such an exciting step forward in the mission to end back pain!

👉 Read it here: https://gokhalemethod.com/blog/15_years_of_refinement_8_steps_to_a_pain_free_back_is_back_revised_and_expanded

09/01/2025

Happy Labor Day!

After 15 years of teaching, research, and refinement, the brand-new edition of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back is here. Ready to help even more people find lasting relief from back pain.

This holiday is the perfect time to honor your body and the work it does every day. Whether your back pain comes from years of physical labor, hours at a desk, or you simply want to prevent future problems, this book offers practical steps to restore comfort and ease.

Order the new edition before September 21 and send us your purchase receipt to info@gokhalemethod.com. You’ll receive an invitation to our exclusive Back Story event on September 26. Join Esther Gokhale as she shares behind-the-scenes stories from writing the book, her field research adventures, and answers your questions live.

Order here: https://amzn.to/4kOVKA0

08/29/2025

At just 31, Emily’s back pain was so severe she couldn’t tie her kids’ shoelaces, drive, or even walk without agony. Scans showed herniated and bulging discs pressing on nerves, and surgery was suggested; painkillers barely helped. She was one of the four million Australians living with back pain.

A friend suggested she meet Canberra Gokhale Method teacher Tegan Kahn. Skeptical but willing to try, Emily enrolled in an in-person Foundations Course. With simple tweaks to how she sat, slept, and stood, and steady practice, she was soon off painkillers and moving as she is meant to: pain-free!

If you’d like to experience the same, Tegan teaches both in-person in Canberra and online. You can reach her at tegan@gokhalemethod.com

📖 Read the full article here: https://hercanberra.com.au/active/the-surprising-reason-four-million-australians-have-back-pain-and-how-to-fix-it/

The Gokhale Method was founded by Esther Gokhale, who has been dubbed “The Posture Guru of Silicon Valley” by The New York Times.

08/28/2025

📖 We’re hosting an exclusive, intimate storytelling event with Esther Gokhale to celebrate the launch of the second edition of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back on Sept 1.

In this one-time-only behind-the-scenes session on September 26, Esther will share untold stories behind the book:

✈️stories from her travels and field research
🧍stories about the people who helped shape her method
🚧obstacles she overcame to bring the method to the world.

Esther will describe some of the characters who are pictured in the book, how the techniques got their names, and more.

Expect to be informed, moved, and entertained. You’ll also have a chance to ask Esther your questions. This event is a thank-you gift for readers who buy 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back before September 21, 2025.

Send the receipt for your book order to info@gokhalemethod.com, and our Customer Support team will register you for this special event.

👉Pre-order 8 Steps here: https://amzn.to/4kOVKA0

*this is an affiliate link that supports us in our work

08/26/2025

The shape of your spine is the ultimate clue for any posture detective. 🕵️‍♀️ By simply looking at the way someone stands, you can uncover how their posture affects their whole body.

With practice, “reading” your back shape feels like having X-ray vision. In this photo, the healthy J-shape of Gokhale Method alumna Christine’s lower spine is clear on X-ray (left) and just as visible to a posture-trained eye in real life (right).

Ready to spot your own spine shape? Join one of our free Gokhale Method workshops and start training your posture detective eyes!

08/25/2025

Learn how to move like you are meant to!

This September, join us for a free 1-hour Gokhale Method workshop (online or in-person) and take the first step toward lasting relief from back pain.

Here’s what you’ll discover:
✅ Why 80% of us suffer from back pain
✅ How Esther Gokhale healed her herniated disc even after a failed surgery
✅ The science + anthropology behind the Gokhale Method’s success
✅ First, simple steps to ease back, neck, muscle, and joint pain today
✅ How thousands have already transformed their bodies and reclaimed pain-free lives

✨ Bonus: Receive a special gift just for attending!

👉 Workshops are happening worldwide in many time zones, languages, and locations. Scroll down to find the one that works best for you and book your free spot today.

Feel free to contact our Customer Support at info@gokhalemethod.com for more information.

08/24/2025

Did ‘8 Steps to a Pain-Free Life’ make an impact on your life? Help others searching for the solution to their aches and pains to find this life-changing book 🎉

Share your experience with the book in the comments below.

📹Or, if text alone won’t do justice to your message, record a 1-minute video about 8 Steps at testimonial.io

Thanks for helping others start on the journey to being pain-free!

Record your video message—>https://testimonial.to/8-steps-to-a-pain-free-back-testimonials2

08/23/2025

🔍 Ex Your Back Pain, Use Your X-ray Eyes Series

Part 4: The “J” Spine

The J-shape is the healthiest spine shape for humans. It’s the alignment we all had as infants, seen in our ancestors, and still common in traditional societies where back pain is rare.

In a J-spine, the back is relatively straight with a pronounced angle at the lumbar-sacral junction, without exaggerated sway or hunch.

Why it’s healthy: This shape stacks the vertebrae so bones, not muscles, bear most of the weight, reducing pressure on discs and nerves while protecting ligaments and allowing muscles to work efficiently.

And this is exactly what we teach in the Gokhale Method®. How to restore and maintain this healthy alignment for a lifetime of pain-free living.

🕵️‍♀️ So… which shape is your spine? Are you ready to spot it? Time to put your X-ray eyes back on and become your own posture detective.

08/22/2025

🔍 Ex Your Back Pain, Use Your X-ray Eyes Series

Part 3: The “I” Spine

A tucked tail with weak glutes and abs can lead to an I-shaped spine — a posture that looks almost straight up and down.

Rather than having pronounced curves, the I-spine comes from a kind of “sinking into oneself.” It’s common in older adults in modern, industrialized societies, but it can start at a young age from tucking the pelvis.

This shape often shows up with:

❌ No angle between the buttocks and the back
❌ Underdeveloped glutes
❌ A general “melting” posture that can make you lose 1 or more inches in height over time

The height loss can come from disc degeneration or tiny fractures in the vertebrae. In many cases, diagnoses like osteoporosis or stenosis accompany this posture. Though it might not look as obviously problematic as an exaggerated curve, the I-spine can still cause pain and limit mobility.

💬 Have you noticed yourself or someone you know getting “shorter” over time? Share your thoughts below and follow along for the final spine shape in this series.

08/21/2025

🔍 Ex Your Back Pain, Use Your X-ray Eyes Series

Part 2: The “C” Spine

Our backs rounding into a C-shape is one of the most common modern posture problems, also known as slumped posture.

This shape can show up as more curve at the top when we hunch, or more curve at the bottom when we tuck.

The C-spine often comes with:

❌ Tail tucked between the legs
❌ Rounded shoulders
❌ Head jutting forward

This posture compresses the front of the spinal discs, pushing the soft interior backward, right where the nerve roots exit. It’s one of the most dangerous ways to load the spine. It also overstretches and weakens the ligaments around the spine, making it harder for them to protect your spinal column.

Many people swing between forcing an S-shape (see our previous post) and collapsing into a C-shape when they get tired.

💬 Have you caught yourself slumping into a C-shape? Tell us in the comments and follow along to see the next spine shape in our series.

08/20/2025

🔍 Ex Your Back Pain, Use Your X-ray Eyes Series

Part 1: The “S” Spine

We take it as a given that our spines should be curvy, like the letter S. It’s what most medical professionals, therapists, and even yoga teachers are taught is normal, if not ideal.

But here’s the problem…

Those deep curves in the upper and lower back can create excessive compression in your nerves, discs, and bones. This “ideal” shape is actually a major source of pain and dysfunction for many people.

From the Gokhale Method® perspective, the S-spine:

❌ Loads the spinal joints
❌ Requires a lot of muscular effort to maintain
❌ Creates pinch points that can impinge nerves and wear down discs
❌ Often goes unnoticed by health professionals because it’s seen as “correct” posture

If this shape looks like your spine, it might explain why your symptoms return again and again even after treatment.

💬 Do you think you might have an S-shaped spine? Share your thoughts in the comments and follow along so you don’t miss the next post in this series, where we’ll reveal another common spine shape.