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 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.

[robar]

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.

[jamesl.o.h.]

Thank you Esther for a revealing explantion.

[findyourinnertube]

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.

[gaelicorder]

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".

[marlenexz]

there is no better teacher than esther.

[VincentGill]

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

[pappy]

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.

[femkekoene]

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

[jotge.]

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

[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.

[loicleguen]

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

[chancewatkins]

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!

[ansas.]

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!

[cinmac]

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😫

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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