In a Pilates session, I cue you a jillion times to lengthen your spine actively away from your legs, but lengthening while you sleep sounds like a whole not a lot of effort dream come true.  Yes you can create length in your spine while you sleep!  You might as well, you are there for a good 6-9 hours of your 24.  

I learned this technique from a woman named Esther Gohkale (Go-clay) who wrote 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back.  Of course, if there is a book that helps me learn different ways to get people out of back pain, I am in.  It’s an easy to follow book. The backstory on how she found her work is fascinating, which you can listen to HERE.  She focuses on lengthening the spine in moments we are more passive; Sleeping, standing, sitting.  Genius!  Passive hours can also be productive in finding length but this doesn’t take exercise out of the equation!  There are many benefits to doing both active work and passive rest.

In 2016, I took the Gokhale Method Foundation Course from one of her teachers.  Then upped my game, and went to the sublime Esalen Institute to take a posture and movement weekend workshop from her, personally, over the Labor Day weekend of that same year.  The whole experience was pretty awesome!

Lately, I have come back to exploring her work, especially when I sleep.  If you want to try, I have two videos to watch.  First I want to establish a cue I use all the time in my teaching.

I talk a lot about the rib circle and pelvic circle to help in my sessions.  Not only does this help with the abstract idea about length, but it effortlessly activates the core.  I like to layer this image onto her work.

See these two embroidery hoops… 

Imagine them suspended from the ceiling, one directly stacking over the other, in perfect symmetry. Now imagine the top hoop is your rib circle, the bottom, your pelvic circle.  Imagine what happens when the hoops pull away from each other?!?  YES!  We get length that works in both active and passive modalities.  If you have that image, we can work this passive length while sleeping.  The book goes more into details, but this is simple and I think it works well. 

You will need two or three pillows and best to get into your bed!

Passive lengthening while sleeping on your back

I was NEVER a fan of sleeping on my back until learning about these little changes that make it so much better. Here is the video to help you through it

Passive lengthening while side sleeping

My favorite way to sleep is with a pillow between my knees, and that is part of this protocol.  Here’s the video to help you figure it out:

Try to practice these changes in alignment into length while you are sleeping and see if you get results.  Readjust into length when you shift.  Let natural traction do its job - sweet dreams!