Demonstrates the Gokhale method--a technique for alleviating back pain--using eight steps, and includes illustrations, exercises, and tips on how to deal with issues that might arise while learning each step.

Foundations -- Back pain -- Loss of kinesthetic tradition -- Influence of the fashion industry -- Effect on our backs -- Good posture -- Anteverted pelvis -- Gently curved, elongated spine -- Every bone in its natural place -- Using muscles more than joints -- Muscles fully relaxed when not working -- Breathing as a therapeutic exercise -- Orientation -- Lesson sequence -- Herniated disc -- High impact activities -- Bending activities -- Allow time to change -- Know what to expect -- Understand how the lesson are organized -- Recognize your progress -- Barriers to success -- Lesson 1. Stretchsitting -- Troubleshooting -- feeling overly stretched -- Unable to stretch the spine -- Discomfort at point of contact -- Inadequate chair -- Shoulder repositioning -- Lumbar cushions -- Sitting in a car -- Fashioning a backrest -- Checking our position -- Lesson 2. Stretchlying on your back -- Troubleshooting -- Feeling pain or discomfort in the low back -- Feeling pain or discomfort in the neck -- Feeling discomfort at a point of contact with the bed -- Snoring -- Feelings of exposure -- Beds -- Pillows -- Cervical pillows / rolls -- Lesson 3. Stacksitting -- The wedge -- The anteverted pelvis -- Troubleshooting -- Pan in the low back -- Soreness in the low back -- Inelegant movement -- Changed line of vision -- Conflicting guidelines -- Distinction between tipping the pelvis and swaying the back -- Chairs -- Floor -- Lesson 4. Stretchlying on your side -- Troubleshooting -- You can't fall asleep -- Your body doesn't hold the position through the night -- You are uncomfortable in this position -- Sleeping on your stomach -- What to do with your legs -- Lesson 5. Using your inner corset -- Troubleshooting -- Swaying the low back -- Difficulty breathing -- Lengthening by contracting -- Jumping -- Reaching above your head -- Protecting your neck -- Using an external corset -- Lesson 6. Tallstanding -- Troubleshooting -- Unable to contract the foot arch -- Difficulty shifting weight onto heels -- Problems aligning the shoulders -- Inability to sense your vertical axis -- Arm position -- Weight on the heels -- Natural arches of the feet -- Bare feet -- Pregnancy -- Insoles -- Shoes -- Spine contour confusion -- Lesson 7. Hip-hinging -- Anatomy of a backache -- Comparing different bending styles -- Troubleshooting -- Bending is painful -- The groove in your low back disappears as you bend -- The groove in your low back gets deeper as you bend -- Hamstring flexibility -- Bending for extended periods -- Bending while sitting -- Extra weight -- Hip-hinging for athletic advantage -- Training children to hip-hinge -- Lesson 8. Glidewalking -- Troubleshooting -- Feeling that you are leaning forward -- Tendency to tuck or lead with the pelvis -- Unable to coordinate buttock contraction and forward thrust -- Difficulty leaving back heel on the floor -- Losing track of your posture -- Cannot coordinate all the elements of glidewalking -- Walking on one line -- Getting extra power in your stride -- Running like a Kenyan -- Appendix 1. Optional exercises -- Strengthening the torso muscles -- Abdominal muscles -- Deep muscles of the back -- Muscles in the shoulder area -- Neck muscles -- Key muscles that connect the torso and legs -- Hamstrings -- External hip rotator muscles -- PSOA muscles -- Key muscles used in walking -- Arch muscles -- Gluteus medius muscles -- Tibialis anterior -- Troubleshooting -- Stiffness or pain -- Lack of improvement -- Failure to exercise -- Appendix 2. Anatomy.