KT tape

Thank you for your interest in ways to use athletic kinesiology tape to support your learning the Gokhale Method.  You also mention that you have hip and low back pain. The Gokhale Method can be very helpful for the discomfort you describe. I would recommend that as you work through the book, you also connect with a Gokhale teacher in your area who can help you with the simple but subtle Gokhale techniques and check that you are doing the techniques correctly.  We do not use tape when teaching the Gokhale Method Foundations Course.  However we have discussed the possibility of using tape as a reminder for students particularly when learning to place and maintain the ribs in their proper position, in line with the rest of the abdomen. Proper positioning of the ribs lengthens the spine and prevents a sway which can contribute to lower back pain. Learning to engage and maintain a proper rib anchor is one of the essentials of the Gokhale Method.  However, before trying to use tape or any other reminder of healthy natural posture, it is vital to understand the elements of healthy posture as they relate to your body. Once you have practiced engaging your internal and external oblique muscles to hold your ribs in their proper "rib anchor" position, and feel that you can maintain the rib anchor position, you might try applying tape to the skin at the front of your body, half on the lower edge of the ribs and half on the skin below. If your rib anchor fades and the ribs pop up, the tape would make this obvious; that would give you some good feedback and remind your to reengage the rib anchor.  

It is an intriguing idea to experiment with the use of kinesiology tape to help support your learning the Gokhale Method.  It would be extremely helpful, I believe, to consult with a Gokhale teacher in your area to check that your use of tape is appropriate for this Method.

Good luck with your posture journey.

Roberta Cooks MD

Gokhale Teacher