Why do I teach posture?
 

Do you hurt when you play? What if you could learn an upright and relaxed posture, that decompresses your spine, and that increases your range of motion? If music is a vital means of self-expression for you, being in too much pain to practice can be anywhere from disappointing to devastating.
 

I believe posture is an integral part of music performance and enjoyment. What we are creating is inseparable from how we use our body. Further, our body is the tool we have to do anything in this world at all. We want our bodies to be pain-free, able to do the activities we love (music!), to not decline invitations, to keep running or skiing. I believe we owe it to ourselves to know how to use it well.
 

I am a certified Gokhale Method instructor, and offer classes to musicians struggling with pain. I had spent 20 years searching for 'how to sit' at the piano and organ, and the Foundations had an answer. It transformed playing and teaching (leaning over students to write in their music, sitting or standing all day long) into a profoundly comfortable experience. I want to share that with other musicians. There are many wonderful ways to learn to feel better in your body, and this is the method that resonated and worked best for me — and the method I am motivated to teach to others. 
 

The Gokhale Method is a likely a good fit for people who are curious about posture and willing to change (and practice 15-30 minutes a day). The expense is measured in hundreds, not thousands of dollars. It is education, not therapy. It's practical, logical, and different.

Here is a video clarifying concepts and demonstrating some techniques:











The Gokhale Method organization is committed to investing in scientific evidence. Here is the government page to an ongoing clinical trial being conducted at Stanford University:
https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05657964


Friday Morning Workshops, 8:30-9:15am (Free): Learn the reasoning behind the Gokhale Method, and what makes it different from other postural health systems. Learn whether your movement issues or pain are a good fit for posture re-education. RSVP for these to franzen.sigrun@gmail.com. Limit 4 people per session. These occur in my studio in Monona, Wisconsin. Coffee/tea provided.

Gokhale Consultation ($150): A one-on-one session with a private and detailed posture assessment and how it applies to your instrument, photos, a couple techniques to help you immediately and long-term, and email support. Good if you want a bit more experience with Gokhale Method, some immediate relief techniques, and are curious about how your posture may be impacting your playing.

Gokhale Foundations ($540): Six classes that teach you how to sit, stand, walk, bend, sleep in traction. A comprehensive posture re-education. Good if you want to go all-in and have all the pieces work together to change your whole. To truly change, instead of mitigating symptoms, this is recommended.
     
Follow-ups for deeper success ($60): As you practice the method, your muscles lengthen and loosen, reshaping your posture becomes easier and more successful; you work towards freedom in L5S1 (lumbosacral joint) and easy, effortless posture (Best once/month. It can take years to achieve this, but it's so worth it!). These alumni classes are when we can apply what you learned in Foundations to your instrument.

To register: http://bit.ly/SigrunGM