8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot
by Esther Gokhale
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Book Summary Information
Author: Esther GokhaleEditor: Susan Adams
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-01
ISBN: 0979303605
Number of pages: 244
Publisher: Pendo Press
Book Reviews of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot
Book Review: A Purchase That May Just Change Your Life
Summary: 5 Stars
*****
All of our lives we are taught to "stand up straight" and to have good posture, but how many of us still have back problems, knee problems, foot problems, and chronic pain despite our best efforts? If this is you (and it is me) then this book is for you. It is my belief that the author's ideas about posture, movement, sitting, sleeping, etc. could very well revolutionize conventional wisdom about posture, movement, and more.
How is this possible? At the most basic level, you can buy this book and not even read it, but just look at the many diagrams, photographs of people modeling healthy behaviors, and most importantly, stunning photographs of people from other countries. The latter--the people from third world countries especially--where good posture is taught and modeled and passed down through the family, rather than via books, or visits to an orthopedic surgeon's office, or Pilates lessons--these are exceptionally revealing. Look at the pictures of how people in these countries hold themselves, and view the arduous work they do all day, and then note the incidence of back pain and other chronic pain they experience from their work. This alone will impress you. These photographs alone are worth the price of the book.
If you are interested, you can try to do the posturing yourself. It is very simple, but it is not easy, because of the way our culture has changed over the years. Conventional wisdom no longer teaches us how to care for our bodies; in fact, the opposite is true. Here in our industrialized society, poor habits are the norm. Even popular "posture" practices teach one or another person's ideas and theories, rather than looking at how people have moved (and still move, in most cases) throughout history. If you struggle to achieve the positions from just looking at the visuals, as I did, then you can go to the author's site at egwellness dot com. Here you will find many resources, including free classes in many locations and free online classes for those people who wish to learn in this way. In addition, there are paid group classes and even paid private classes. The visual and kinesthetic support is very helpful. For those people who need "see it" to learn, you can. For those who need to "do it" to learn, you can.
If you are motivated, you can do these exercises as a practice, as I have begun to do. I am (as I write) taking an in-person beginner class because I learn by seeing AND doing. Just in a couple of days I have felt so much relief and hope that I plan to do this for a significant period of time; as I develop my practice, my body will begin to change to the point where the positions will eventually be automatic. It is important to understand that no significant change can come without hard work; however, for those of us who have spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars pursuing other methodologies and solutions without success, you need to know that there is hope and that this is it.
The chapters are organized into lessons, starting with some foundations and an orientation. Then there are 8 lessons: Stretchsitting, Stretchlying On Your Back (e.g., in bed), Stacksitting, Stretchlying On Your Side, Using Your Inner Corset, Tallstanding, Hip-Hinging (e.g., bending down to pick up an object), and Glidewalking. There are additional exercises and many more resources in the back of the book.
Readers should also know that many of the examples contradict various ideas promulgated in our culture about what good posture is. Thus, you should have an open mind. However, the positions in the book are not theoretical or ideas you need to accept on faith because all of the evidence necessary to understand what is behind the positions is in the book itself; it is merely reinforced when you try to do the positions and experience the change for yourself.
If you are still uncertain, go to the web site mentioned above as well as to YouTube and search for the author's name and watch the videos that are available by many people on YouTube.
This is a beautiful, elegant book filled with color photographs that you will not regret buying, whatever your level of interest.
Highly recommended.
*****
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Summary of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot
Nearly 90% of American adults suffer from back pain, and the number continues to climb. Why does this condition affect so many people in the industrialized world, while in some countries only 5% of adults report back pain? In a quest to find the root cause of back pain, Esther Gokhale studied at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and traveled to parts of the world where back pain is virtually unknown. Her research took her to remote Burkina Faso, rural Portugal, and fishing villages in Brazil.What she learned in each of these places has changed the lives of thousands of people. Preserved in the movements of weavers, millers, and farmers in more traditional societies is ancient body wisdom that prevents pain and enhances health. For the first time, these insights have been brought together in a step-by-step guide designed to help those suffering from back pain re-educate their bodies and regain the posture for which our bodies evolved.
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