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"This work has been incredible for me. I used to have a very pronounced curve in my low back and a lot of pain. I wouldn’t have thought that at age forty you could actually reverse curvature in the spine. Now, I have no pain at all and I can do all sorts of exercise without getting injured. It’s very encouraging." |
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Mandy Mafy, Marketing manager
Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Mountain View, CA
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"I eventually became convinced that I was living with a chronic, degenerative-and essentially untreatable-back problem. I hadn't experienced a day or a night without pain in over a decade. Today I am virtually pain free, and I am once again leading a physically exuberant life." |
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Ben Davidson
Assistant Dean of Students, Stanford University, CA
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"Since giving birth four years ago, a recurrent painful bursitis in my hip has kept me from my favorite activites - walking, jogging, hiking, etc. I tried some yoga and pilates which seemed to help some, but, at times, would cause another bout of bursitis. I had tried months of physical therapy as well with no results. I had started to realize that my posture was quite lopsided and full of tension, but I had no idea how to change it. With much frustration and sadness, I sought out more ideas and was referred to Esther. From the first session the new postures felt strange, but much more balanced and relaxed. It has been challenging to change the way that I sleep, sit, walk, stand, reach, bend, etc., but I am able to walk for exercise now for the first time in four years. I look forward to continuing my work with Esther to fine tune my posture and keep myself focused on establishing these new habits. I'm thrilled that spring is here and I'll be able to hit the trails for the first time in years."
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Kristin Gershfield, M.D. Internal Medicine/Hospitalist
Sequoia Hospital
Mountain View, CA
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"The patients I have referred to Esther have, without exception, found her work to be life changing. I have employed her concepts and techniques in my practice and have countless patients that have benefited from her work."
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Salwan AbiEzzi, M.D.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, CA
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"For many years, I basically 'put up with' an intermittent yet chronic lower back pain. Exercise helped offer temporary relief, but days of sitting in the office all day brought it right back. A colleague with much more serious back problems recommended I see Esther. Her praise of the benefits was encouraging, but I kept putting it off as something I could do by myself. I never thought of myself as having 'bad posture'. What I came to realize is that most people (in our society anyway) have some degree of bad posture. I felt the benefits from day one. I rarely have back pain now, and I feel more healthy and energetic overall. I am very pleased to testify to the positive effects of this work." |
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John Hamilton
Geologist (USGS) and Musician
Menlo Park, CA
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"Every year tens of thousands of patients undergo major back surgery without any benefit. By using Esther Gokhale's novel techniques, many of these patients can avoid such needless and expensive medical procedures, and quickly return to a pain-free life."
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John R. Adler, M.D.
Neurosurgeon, Stanford University Medical Clinic
CA
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C. S.
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"Logically based, compelling, and expertly delivered….I would like to see this approach become a part of standard care. Early access to this kind of intervention could have saved me a lot of pain and grief." |
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"After back surgery, I was still in excruciating pain and lived with prescription pain medication on a daily basis. The Gokhale Method changed all that."
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Stacia Hurley,
Project Manager
Concentric Network, CA
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"I used to have a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders. Since doing the posture work, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had any discomfort at all." |
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"I still find it surprising that such a big improvement can be produced by such seemingly small adjustments that have no downside risk. A quantitative measure of my improvement is provided by my height measurement, which increased 3/8" over the past year, placing me just shy of my youthful height." |
Gail Mahood, Professor,
Dept. of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University
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"…pragmatic and theoretically sound…" |
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Judith Murphy, MD
Pediatrician, Palo Alto, CA
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"Esther is the real thing – a healer and teacher with extraordinary knowledge and talent."
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Mark Tuschman,
photographer, Menlo Park, CA
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"Over 15 years ago I was diagnosed with a degenerated disk (lumbar 4-5) which caused me persistent and commonly severe pain, especially when I had to sit for extended periods such as on airplanes or driving. The disk was removed surgically in 1992 and the pain decreased substantially but still was an everyday fact of life until I started working with Esther. Had I been trained by her long ago perhaps I could have avoided damaging my back in the first place and certainly would have been spared years of misery." |
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Charles R. Bacon
Senior Research Geologist, USGS
Menlo Park, CA
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"Studying this method has enabled me to avoid what would have been my fifth foot surgery. I can now walk again without pain. It has given me a new lease on life."
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Honor Rautmann
Business Owner
Sun River, OR
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"Changing my posture changed my life. I am now free of the debilitating back pain that had plagued me since my adolescence."
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Suzanne Hecker,
Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Menlo Park, CA
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"The Gokhale MethodSM helped me eradicate my lower back pain, even though surgery was recommended. It helped me understand the origins of my pain and taught me proper posture techniques (walking, sitting, sleeping) to achieve long-term healing and well- being of body and mind." |
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Elfi Altendorfer, San Carlos, CA
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"I have had occasional low back pain for about 30 years, resulting from a degenerative disk condition. Episodes of incapacitating pain became more frequent as the years went by, even though I pretty conscientiously followed recommendations of doctors and physical therapists, who have prescribed the usual exercise regimes. When the pain became unbearable I spent from one to ten days flat on my back in bed, taking pain medications, a muscle relaxant called Flexeril, and cursing my feeble and somewhat overweight body."
"Since taking the posture class over ten years ago, I have had no recurrence of severe back pain, and have been able to immediately relieve small pains by using a simple technique you taught me. No more pain pills, no more Flexeril." |
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Grant Barnes
Director Emeritus, Stanford University Press
Sebastopol, CA
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"I have had significant problems with low back pain and sciatica for more than two decades. At several points I was unable to walk more than fifty yards without squatting to relieve the pain, and required one back surgery for for a slipped disk. Back pain often kept me from sleeping. I tried excercises and pain-killers with mixed and generally poor results. The person who has helped me the most over the years has been Esther Gokhale. My back problem is now essentially under control. I no longer regularly wake up with a sore back and generally am able to walk five or more miles a day with little or no discomfort, and if I avoid cramped long-term sitting I can mostly forget about the back that plagued me for so long." |
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"I also used to contract headaches that clearly were related to poor posture, particularly staring at a computer screen. The training I received from Esther has greatly reduced the frequency of my headaches." |
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Charles R. Bacon,
Senior Research Geologist, USGS
Menlo Park, CA
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"Esther’s posture work has given me relief from chronic neck pain that physical therapy was unable to address. I am now pain-free even when sitting for long periods or flying long distances." |
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Dan Leemon
Chief Strategy Officer, Charles Schwab & Co.,
San Francisco, CA
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"I was fascinated by how Esther Gokhale’s method filled important gaps in my "Dancer’s placement". I got rid of my chronic neck pain and had loads of fun while getting the work done." |
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Julie Dorsey
Former ballet dancer and teacher,
Atherton, CA
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"I am amazed at how much more comfortable I am in everyday like and while travelling " |
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Rebecca Barfknecht
Chief Technology Officer,
Charles Schwab
San Francisco, CA
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"My +10-year battle with Tendonitis has ceased its seemingly endless, uncontrollable downward spiral. I tried Homeopathy, Biofeedback, Medication (Vioxx and Celebrex), Massage, Physical Therapy and a multitude of wrist bands/braces; everything was focused on fixing the symptoms rather than addressing contributors to the problem. With posture work and acupuncture, my tendonitis has become much more manageable with quicker and shorter recovery periods." |
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Celestine Lee, San Carlos, CA
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"While working intensively on a book, I developed a version of repetitive stress syndrome that gradually made my hands and forearms virtually useless. I experienced intense burning and numbness, and ended up finishing the book (under a deadline) using my two index fingers. I saw several medical doctors, underwent physical therapy, wore various wrist devices, redesigned my writing places to be more ergonomic, took scheduled breaks from the computer, and so on... Nothing worked. After a matter of weeks of posture work, acupuncture and acupressure, I recovered the full use of my hands and forearms." |
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Gretchen C. Daily
Professor,
Biological Sciences
Stanford University, CA
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"I had the good fortune to be referred to Esther Gokhale for help in rectifying a significant distortion of my posture and a severe limitation in my walking due to spinal stenosis and a broken-off fragment of inter-vertebral cartilage which impinged on a sciatic nerve. Since starting to work with Ms. Gokhale over one and a half years ago, I’ve taken no non-steroidal analgesics (previously I would have several episodes a month in which some were necessary), have received non-solicited spontaneous comments from friends and family on the improvement in my posture and have resumed walks of some duration…It’s a pleasure to be able to giver her an unqualified endorsement." |
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Milton Lozoff, M.D., Palo Alto, CA
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"The pain was so severe that my entire body was tense trying to fight it. There was no relief at night. No positionwiould alleviate the throbbing. I would wake up as tense and weary as when I went to bed. People noticed the linp and the dragging of my left leg. Walking the dog was torture. Trying to mask the pain became impossible. Thoughts of surgery fillled me with dread. "
"One of my friends suggested Esther Gokhale who had helped her boss resolve recurring pain. I shall admit that I was skeptical. After my first session I walked out feeling better, but I believed that the feeling would be short lived. That whole week was a week with minimal pain. I am still going to Esther. I have had a total of siz visits. Learning is challenging. I have had no pain for four weeks. The work is not always easy, but the payoff is probably as close to a miracle as I'll ever get." |
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Smokey Chapman
Palo Alto , CA
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"As a scientist, I found Esther’s approach to be very well thought out, based in extensive experience, integrated with the rest of one’s life, and extremely effective. " |
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Gretchen C. Daily
Professor,
Biological Sciences
Stanford University, CA
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"Esther's work is logically based, compelling, and expertly delivered." |
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Paul R. Ehrlich, Ph.D.
Bing Professor of Population Studies
President,
Center for Conservation Biology
Department of Biological Sciences
Stanford University, CA
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"The techniques are simple and can be learned by anyone." |
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Michael Smith
Palo Alto, CA
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"As a retired elderly physician, I’ve been impressed by her superb knowledge of her field." |
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Milton Lozoff, M.D.
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"In six 1-hour sessions I felt transformed. This approach is stunningly simple and confers immediate results. I wholeheartedly endorse this program." |
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Deirdre Stegman, M.D.
Internal Medicine, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
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"Before studying the Gokhale MethodSM, I suffered from regular and often quite intense back pain for about 5 years. I routinely took Ibuprofen at night to relieve the pain and permit me to sleep. Since taking the introductory course, I am almost completely free of back pain." |
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Leta H-F
Journalist
New York, NY
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"With young children at home, I got fed up with picking things up around the house. I didn't want to bend anymore. It was uncomfortable. Hip-hinging was a revelation. This kind of bending was comfortable and had the extra benefit of stretching the hamstrings. It actually felt energizing. How I hip-hing when I garden too, and it gives my knees a break." |
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Madeleine DeCorwin
Retired Canadian Physician
Palo Alto, CA
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"Her compassion, patience and humor make her a pleasant teacher. She also has a very soothing energy, which is very relaxing.… I highly respect Esther as a teacher and as a person of character."
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Jeanne Hinkle, I.T. Professional
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"My body does remember and is happy for it." |
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Magdalena Cabrera
Palo Alto, CA
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"I urge you to take a class from her, or hear her presentation, so that your world can be opened like mine was, to a better understanding of back health and overall physical well- being. I am constantly teaching Esther's vision (as best I can) to my patients. I agree with her that our traditional teaching of how to care for backs is not optimal. I think her vision is better. I think it is right."
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Jessica Davidson, M.D.
Internal Medicine, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
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"I am 85 years old and in the last couple of years developed low back pain when doing kitchen work and other chores. I assumed this was because of my age. I was pleasantly surprised to learn from the Gokhale MethodSM that this kind of back pain is not inevitable. I now do my household chores without any pain at all. I also got rid of my knee pain and walk faster." |
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Gertrude Bock
Palo Alto, CA
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"Deep relaxation, constructive breathing and good body alignment are essential components of a sucessful natural childbirth experience. The Gokhale MethodSM is a wonderful way of learning these skills. I have been very impressed by its results."
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Sarawathi Vedam, M.S.N., C.N.M.
Indianapolis, IN
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