Esther Gokhale, L.Ac.: Walk This Way

There is compelling evidence that over the past 100 years the populations of industrialized countries have drifted away from the somatic heritage of their forbearers. We have adopted postural habits which are dramatically different from those used historically and still found in non-industrialized peoples today. Modern "adaptations", such as tucking the pelvis and S-shaping the spine have had detrimental effects on the biomechanics of our gait and structure, generating an epidemic of foot, knee and back problems. Restoration of healthy and sustainable functioning requires a return to natural alignment, our Primal Architecture. The Gokhale Method is a systematic and effective program for attaining this.
Esther Gokhale (Go-clay) has been involved in integrative therapies all her life. As a young girl growing up in India, she helped her mother, a nurse, treat abandoned babies waiting to be adopted. This early interest in healing led her to study biochemistry at Harvard and Princeton and, later, acupuncture at the San Francisco School of Oriental Medicine where she became a licensed acupuncturist.
After experiencing crippling back pain during her first pregnancy and unsuccessful back surgery, Gokhale began her lifelong crusade to vanquish back pain. Her studies at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and years of research in Brazil, India, Portugal and elsewhere led her to develop the Gokhale Method®, a unique, systematic approach to help people find their bodies' way back to pain-free living.
Gokhale has practiced acupuncture and taught posture, dance and yoga in her Palo Alto wellness center for over twenty years. Her Gokhale Method Foundations course is now taught by qualified teachers all over the world. Their offerings, her book, 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, DVD, posture-friendly cushion, and chair are all available on her website at gokhalemethod.com. In May 2013, The New York Times featured Esther in an article giving her the title, "The Posture Guru of Silicon Valley".
Gokhale has been a speaker/teacher at corporations such as Google, IDEO, and Mimosa Systems and conferences including TEDx(Stanford), Ancestral Health Symposium, Western Price Foundation Conference, and PrimalCon. She also speaks with medical physician groups including Stanford, PAMF, UCSF and sports teams such as the trainers of the SF 49ers and several Stanford teams. Her method has been featured in publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Sun, Chicago- Sun Times, Prevention Magazine, and AAOS.

[@robar711]

The Gokhale Method has been an absolutely amazing for me. I am 64 years old with chronic arthritis throughout my body. I have a TKR and THR that are 14 and 12 years old, respectively. Both great toes are bone on bone and need fusions. I' ve had multiple CAT scans for another condition and won't even go into the incidental findings re: my spine, but it's not good. Since starting the Gokhale method on my own my "glildewalking" literally leaves whomever I am walking with in dust. I am practicing all of her other techniques on my own but realize I need to take a class with Ester, or one of her trained teachers. Something I will definitely stive for, and work towards because there are no teacher's in my area, or even nearby. Thank you Ester for your brilliance! I would love to master your technique become a teacher, so I could teach, or give others the amazing gift of healing, and relief I have found.

[@gaelicorder116]

I come from a very rural part of Ireland, and many of the things stances and walking methods taught in this video were also practiced and taught by the old people living in my area, especially those living in the more isolated and mountainous areas. Sadly these communities are all but gone due to the advent of the "modern world".

[@jamesl.o.h.6000]

Thank you Esther for a revealing explantion.

[@findyourinnertube124]

It makes a lot of sense. I've been reading her book and working on stretching out and straightening out my spine and the pain I normally suffer is reducing.

[@marlenexz]

there is no better teacher than esther.

[@pappy9473]

Wonderful. I went to an osteopaths many years ago who advocated among other tips, watching how babies move and support themselves. Your talk is further advancement toward enlightenment. Thank you so much.

[@femkekoene8293]

The style of gait that you advocate reminds me of "the rest step" used in mountaineering and tramping. I'm thoroughly enjoying your presentations Esther. Thank you

[@VincentGill3]

I learned so much from this video - I am enjoying walking now - I passed on the link to my chiropractor and he learned something new from it. Best wishes

[@janetxb]

Excellent! Thank you so much for passing this along. I will be buying your materials.

[@suraah]

When I teach Oriental dance, I let my pupils practice walking with a toilet paper roll on their heads. I tell them to imagine it is a crown. It is fun and helps them stand tall and lengthen the spine.

[@jotge.3444]

Sehr angenehm und interessant vorgetragen. Man kann gut zuhören. I like the most the Pre Samba at the end....🙃

[@chancewatkins5071]

Wow. Thanks for sharing the vid; Jesus Christ Bless! :)

[@strokeracer]

Can yoi share a link to the research regarding load carrying capacity and energy efficiency of African tribeswomen vs Marines with backpacks? Sounds fascinating!

[@sleepyjoness]

I love this info. Would love to train... but don't think anyone's in Ireland yet. I think the lecture would work way better with a model demonstrating each movement as she describes them? It's a little hard to envision sometimes.

[@johncarter4771]

+Jo Murphy Hi Jo, I'm a Gokhale Method Teacher based in Bristol, UK and would be happy to teach in Ireland. Do let me know if you would be interested in taking the 6 lesson Gokhale Method Foundations course [e-mail]

[@rebeccanyarko3128]

Ghanaian moves

[@candysoh525]

Thanks Esther 🏥💖👍

[@fernandocruz-villalba9095]

good observations; eye opening.

[@ansas.9957]

I always thought that my spine was weird because it was straight at the bottom. I was worried something was wrong with me, but it seems not!

[@dahnajeen]

Like when you say "go from here, to here" it obvious you are pointing at the screen the audience there can see, but on the video it isn't visible.

[@loicleguen6446]

Is doing the bridge is bad for the back ? I thought was of the best yoga posture

[@AaronMartinProfessional]

Loving the premise and I’m learning much from your presentation. You’re referring to ‘research that is showing that posture affects your hormone levels’ around 25:10 - I’m sure you’re referring to Amy Cuddy and her research team as I have found no other source making similar claims - their results have since been failed to replicate and there is no conclusive outcome as to whether or not that is true. Perhaps because our thoughts are a bigger underlying factor affecting our hormonal balance, which can never be taken out of any of the posture studies. It might be inconvenient for Amy Cuddy and for posture experts who like to use her misrepresented data, but when it comes to using science to prove a point I believe it comes with a great responsibility of actually checking the studies, finding similar studies and building up an informed opinion, opposed to picking what a single Ted talks mentions. I think it would be useful to update future presentation accordingly in the sense that we want to give people an accurate representation of the current state of science. If on the other hand I’ve missed something and there is conclusive evidence of a shoulder roll affecting your hormonal levels in a double blind study, please tell me about it! I would like to know! Thank you for doing your work and helping people with their pain conditions and their movements.

[@bertpatrick7447]

Thank you, Aaron Martin, for being the "adult" with regard to "miracle methods" to solve ills. If you make a claim, show us the proof!

[@georgebovell8046]

100% interesante. Gracias muchas.

[@dahnajeen]

When you are showing the pictures of the spine and pointing out the differences, the viewer can't see the screen your pointer. I'm kind of guessing which spine you are saying is the correct shape and which is wrong.

[@Matty-H]

So when walking using this method, I already know of letting the pressure of your body weight land on the heel of the foot, but do you walk with the front part of your foot first, then land your heel after putting the body weight on the heel of the foot after? Or doesn't it matter whatever part lands first? Thanks

[@blue_cameron]

Minimalist shoes should allow you to have good foot strike.

[@michaeldooley5331]

Esther, at 10:39 I see you exemplify the posture you advocate. Beautiful glutes, straight spine.

[@lh2435]

I see it every time I see her ;) :)

[@TheHUhelps]

Esther, lieve meisje... I love the work you do and your ability to help so many. I do have a question though and that is about these various populations around the world that suffer little to no back or joint pain like we do in the West. Is not a hunter and gatherer diet (which has been shown to reduce pain - I've certainly seen in my practice many, many times when someone chooses to do a low carb diet that their complaints greatly improve) not a factor in their back health? Also, someone I know does volunteer dentistry work in Africa. He never has to use an anesthetic and the people he treats have a different perception of pain, or put another way, another relationship with pain then the 'civilized' world. Have you factored in these two important points in your research? Met vriendelijke groeten

[@johncarter4771]

I am a Gokhale Method teacher so do teach posture but I am a student of nutrition and exercise. I agree that the points you make are important but do not claim expertise in these areas. From my own personal experience switching from a high carb diet has been a very positive experience. Having had root canal work done my relationship to pain is not yet ready for that to be done without anaesthetic, though my personal experience is that meditation practice has enabled me to "be with" pain much better than before. Definitely helped when my dentist unexpectedly drilled through to the nerve in a tooth without the normal anaesthetic. Village Africa is a great source of inspiration but we also need to work out how we move in that direction in practice. If you want to talk posture check out the gokhalemethod website.

[@judith1216]

John Carter

[@cinmac3]

What the best way to sleep . I wake up with a very sore back. I am near Gainesville. My hip hurts. Changing very hard for me , right now in my mid 50s with back pain. Please help😫

[@ansas.9957]

On your back, on the floor, no pillow. It will ache at first, but over time it will be more comfortable than a mattress.

[@monicaprescher3852]

@Cindy Mulvey. How’s your back now! Something that is helping me is Dr John Sarno’s book, Healing Back Pain. You can find an audiobook here on KZbin. He actually narrates the books which I really enjoy hearing him speak the words of his book. There’s also a documentary about him and his studies/findings. All the Rage, it’s on Amazon Prime.

[@monicaprescher3852]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIW7m6abrc53gac

[@downbntout]

Get quicker relief with a 4" thick visco-elastic mattress top. For my shoulder I opened the cover and made a well, to have pressure lighter on the joint.

[@haza123b4]

*43:15** You're welcome.*

[@DJS12345678]

Thanks mate, sorry about October 6 he'll be back

[@haza123b4]

@@DJS12345678 *Who?*

[@usharege]

from where can I buy this material? Please reply. Thanks

[@bjornkruger8704]

Cool.

[@feelwundervoll]

What Ia have seen so far, this method is very passive-- are there videos where she teaches how to actively stabilize and elongate the abdomen and back? (

[@PoemsRunAground]

She has huge glutes is that from the method?

[@abrehamtadesse7203]

Yes, you can hear her say every step is like a rep.

[@Vengiism]

Yep she’s shape like a black woman now with a phaty

[@HansenFT]

@@abrehamtadesse7203 she likely stores fat there also, for genetic and hormonal reasons. Thinking otherwise is naive. Not that I disagree with he main points. But look to barefoot poulations outside Africa, with a natural walk. They don't have glutes like that. Nor have most westerns that go barefoot and walk naturally, even for many years.

[@christinealderson7357]

me confused, isnt this anterior pelvic tilt?

[@blue_cameron]

No an anteverted pelvis looks different. It's like your butt is behind and everything above your butt is straight whereas anterior pelvic tilt looks bad

[@johngaspar4425]

Listen to her

[@jillpipkin1802]

much more interested in how to do it right rather than the long and tedious history

[@LEDlightisNasty]

I saw nothing in this video that wasn't relevant it just requires paying attention. If you don't understand the Why then the How is based on nothing.

[@cinmac3]

Right now, I think it's helping,vbur, 8 ifted wrong so my hack is sore,. 8i think it's temoiry (I hop

[@pjjmsn]

The part about the women expending less energy with a heavy load vs none is hard to believe. It goes against the laws of physics.

[@ccaw5785]

Did you read the paper

[@bococlacko9380]

A backpack along with the way westerners walk means that the load is being lifted and lowered with every. single. step. When glidewalking with the load on the head, its height remains constant and so no "work" (physics term) is actually done to compensate for gravity. If velocity remains constant, there is no acceleration of the load and therefore no additional force being exerted. The skeleton is stacked to carry the load and the muscles only move the bones that are not under tension--i.e. a "step."

[@Isilzhatheta1]

This instructional video is way too long. Who needs a history lesson? I just want to see what to do properly to walk correctly without all the bells and whistles.

[@angiekoenigsberg9275]

Then buy her book and just go to the sections which are relevent to what you want to work on. It's an incredible book and she is brilliant, in my opinion. I could not sleep for six months due to a horrific chiropractic injury on my neck. Her book was the only thing that helped me sleep again.

[@AJRWilde]

her posture doesn't look that great tho, her neck looks stiff and she's carrying too much weight in her lower half which will be bad for her posture FAIL

[@blue_cameron]

What?

[@oogenesis]

*looks at her own body, which is also significantly thicker below the waist and muscular* i think she's probably doing just fine. her methods definitely work -- she's doing something right.

[@dspirit444]

Be quiet goofy...she's trying to put something positive into the world. You keep spewing racist slanted hate---go to bed n ask God to exorcise the hate out of you!

[@nanjolly]

Who cares what it looks like? I don't. She DOESN'T HAVE PAIN. Actually, I think she looks beautiful.

[@jej.claess269]

Shes giving a nearly 1 hour long presentation to huge room of people without any notes. If she looks a wee bit stiff than I’m gonna say it’s nerves from speaking for sure.