Wow, I am surprised that this topic and question has not been asked before! Or did I miss it elsewhere? Esther, you always demonstrate proper sitting using simple, straight back or foldable chairs or office desk chairs. How about in the living room? What kind of furniture--eg living room chairs and sofas, ottomans/footstools, recliners, etc, whatever--can we get for our homes/living rooms that would work best with your method? For example, Ekornes chairs & footstools, Lazy Boy Recliners, etc. Also, what have you chosen to furnish your home/living room with and why? Thanks so much for your great work.
Best Living Room Chairs to go with your method?
August 30, 2014 - 12:01pm | 7 posts
#1
Best Living Room Chairs to go with your method?
41 min 8 sec ago
09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
The only chairs that we have in our home are my Gokhale Pain Free chair - its' what we use around the dining table (I replaced an uncomfortable if beautiful antique set) and at every work station throughout the house. When the chair first came out, I gave each of my workers a choice between keeping their current chair (Herman Miller Mirra, Soma Ergonomics, and other esteemed brands - we are, after all, a posture company!) and switching their chair out for one of ours - without exception, each worker switched her chair out - this is when I decided we have a winner.
We do have a couple of Ethan Allen sofas that I'm not going to parituclarly recommend - we make them work with cushions pls a Stretchsit cushion facing to stetchist against, or by perching on the very front edge. I also have a recliner - I liek recliners even if the shape is not right, because you can add blankets / cushions to make the shape decent (I add just a Stretchsit cushion to mine) and then it's nice to lay back and take the weigth off your discs for a spell. Oh yes, I do have a coupe of antique Chinese wooden benches I liek for stacksitting. For floor sitting, I have some zafus and tiny wooden stools that work for me (I grew up in India and have pretty flexible hips).
4 years 4 months ago
09/18/2016 - 11:06pm
Hi Esther, you said you only have Gokhale Pain free chairs at home . But what about your lounge room ? Do you watch movies on your Gokhale chair ?!
How about the chairs in the picture I have attached ? Are they good ? Would you get them at home (instead of the Gokhale Chair) to watch movies (sitting on them for 2+ hours ) ?
3 years 11 months ago
03/05/2018 - 7:49am
Hi Esther
I follow your work and philosophies for a healthy posture.
Because of my back history I wish I had a Gokhale method chair, but here in Portugal is impossible with the local customs duties. Why don't you sell it on Amazon in Europe....Amazon UK, or Amazon Spain...?
I have adapted many items to my chair at work, but nothing helps. I already asked my boss to buy another chair, but I feel I will have the same problem, bad posture at work. Beside Gokhale Method chair what else you suggest Esther?
Since you were in Portugal, while you were "creating" the Gokhale Method, why not a Portuguese Teacher of Gokhale Method?
Best regards
Susana
2 months 2 weeks ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Ola' Susana,
I'm not Esther (obviously), but I am a Gokhale Method instructor. I can totally understand your frustration at not being able to easily purchase a Pain Free Chair in Europe. I don't know the answer to your questions about why, but I image someone at the Gokhale Method Institute knows why, and is hopefully working to fix the issue! I asked them to reply, as well.
Until then, there are many ways to adjust other chairs. If you haven't been taught how to stretchsit by a qualified teacher, it can be difficult to navigate how to make different chairs work. I think the nearest teachers to you are in the UK. If you check out the video I link to in the comments above, it could be helpful. I find towels to be a decent--though not perfect--fix. Adding some old yoga mat for the sticky factor can really help.
I also understand your frustration at there not being an instructor in your country, or even a native Portuguese speaker who is a Gokhale Method Instructor. I feel confident that, if someone from Portugal who was qualified to take the teacher training expressed interest in doing so, that Esther would be thrilled. The Gokhale Method is growing and every year we add new teachers. If you know someone who might be interested, please put them in touch with the Gokhale Method Institute.
If you have interest in hosting a teacher to visit and teach in your town, you can also let the GM Institute know. Often teachers are excited to travel if someone local is willing to set up the class and help find students. I speak a little Portuguese, but certainly not enough to teach the class--perhaps there is another teacher out there willing and able to do so?
Boa Sorte,
Abelha
2 months 2 weeks ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Hi Tony,
As Esther mentions, she does have a few couches in her living room and that recliners, too, can be made ergonomic. There is such a variety out there, it would take a lot to go through them all. As you familiarize yourself with the method, and hopefully take a class with an instructor, you will be able to analyze furniture yourself before buying!
As for the chairs you show, they aren't terrible, but could be improved . You want your behind to be level or slightly angling down in the front, but that chair looks like it angles down in the back a little (though it's hard to tell from the picture). Also, there is no extra space for your behind to be behind you. If I wanted to lean back in that chair, I might add a small folded towel in the back to make the seat level, and then fold a blanket that hangs over the backrest, effectively bringing your upper body forward and making room for your bottom to be behind you. If you can add a stretchsit cushion or other thing to stretch on, it's an added bonus! If you look at this video:
https://youtu.be/y1bJMlseX8U, she demonstrates stretchsitting with a cushion on a chare that is about the same shape as yours (at about 4 minutes into the video).
I hope that helps.
Abeja Hummel
Gokhale Method Instructor
Boonville, CA
3 years 10 months ago
03/21/2016 - 6:17am
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your interest in the Gokhale Pain Free Chair. Unfortunately, shipping costs along with customs and duties fees prevent us from being able to offer our chair in Europe. Many of our European students have opted to use the Stretchsit Cushion to adapt and improve the chairs they already have. In some instances, students have ordered a chair to a US address and then arranged to ship the package from the US on their own. Please feel free to contact me via [email protected] if you have more questions.