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If you love yoga and a good movie, what better way to combine two of your interests than by seeking out yoga movies to watch.
From yoga documentaries to box office hits with yoga, there certainly are a number of options to enjoy.
Whether you’re ready to plan your next movie night in, want to learn more about yoga, or are simply looking for something entertaining to watch on a rainy afternoon, this list of the best movies about yoga will help you select something you’re sure to have fun with.
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Yoga Movies: Documentaries
A yoga documentary allows you to deepen your understanding of important yoga principles and gain insight from prominent yoga masters and professionals.
Here are some of my top suggestions if you’re looking for a documentary on yoga to enjoy and learn from.
Yoga Unveiled
If you’re looking for the best yoga documentary, you really can’t go wrong with Yoga Unveiled.
This film takes a deep look into the history of yoga and its beginnings. It also explains how yoga practices were passed to the West and takes a look at the various branches of yoga.
One of my favorite parts of Yoga Unveiled is getting to learn more about the lives of some of the most well-known and respected yoga masters, including Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his disciples B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, and T. K. V. Desikachar.
The film also explores how yoga has been used for healing by Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Herbert Benson, and other medical professionals.
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
This documentary delves into the life of the Hindu Swami Yogananda.
Yogananda was responsible for bringing meditation and yoga from the East to the West in the 1920s.
The movie explores the challenges that Yogananda faced at the time, how he overcame these challenges, and how he was able to inspire so many others to embrace yoga principles and achieve self-realization.
In addition to covering the life of Yogananda, the documentary also features special interviews with other important yoga figures, examines holy yoga pilgrimages, and can help you understand more about the practice of yoga.
Breath of the Gods: A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga
In this fascinating yoga movie, you’ll get to learn more about the life and beliefs of T. Krishnamacharya, who was responsible for the creation of modern yoga early in the 1900s.
The film follows Krishnamacharya’s journey and his interactions with students at the palace of the Maharaja of Mysore.
You’ll also learn more about Krishnamacharya’s famous students: Pattabhi Jois, T. K. Sribhashyan, and B. K. S. Iyengar.
Yoga, Inc.
This interesting 2007 documentary explains the opposing viewpoints some yoga enthusiasts hold.
It examines the conflicts that have developed in the yoga community since yoga has moved away from being a solely spiritual practice and has also become associated with capitalism, weight loss, fitness, and celebrities.
The film features interviews with Bikram, Baron Baptists, Shannon and David Life of Jivamukti Yoga, and the founders of Yoga Works. During these interviews, you’ll learn more about their opinions on whether yoga and business should ever be connected.
Yogawoman
Yogawoman is a film from 2011 that documents the generation of women who are building on the practice of yoga, which, contrary to what many people think, was originally taught and practiced exclusively by men.
Anette Benning narrates this movie that explores the life of important female yoga figures such as Seane Corn, Angela Farmer, and Cyndi Lee.
If you believe in the power of feminism and empowering women, this film is for you. Its examination of the major impact that women have had on the practice of yoga will inspire and amaze you.
Kumaré
Kumaré is different from the other documentaries about yoga on this list.
Rather than sharing information about a yoga master, this film recaps the time when Vikram Gandhi, a filmmaker, pretended to be a yoga guru.
As an imposter, Gandhi was able to build a following of real people. This documentary, which started as a social experiment, recounts what happened when Gandhi tried to prove that blind faith in yoga masters was unwise.
A must-see for every yogi out there!
Enlighten Up!
Enlighten Up! was directed by Kate Churchill, a filmmaker and strong believer in the value of yoga. Churchill set out to prove the transformative power of yoga.
To create this film, she recruited Nick Rosen, a skeptic with a lot of doubts about yoga.
The movie recounts the pair’s time together as Nick engages in yoga practices and exercises, travels around the globe to truly experience everything yoga has to offer, and meets highly respected yoga masters.
Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey
This is a more recent yoga movie that was released in 2018. If you’re even a little familiar with yoga, you probably have heard of Iyengar Yoga.
B. K. S. Iyengar, the creator of Iyengar Yoga, is the subject of this documentary. While Iyengar Yoga is renowned across the globe, many people don’t know much about its creator.
The film seeks to provide a background and history of B. K. S. Iyengar to help you understand more about this highly regarded and important yoga guru.
Naked in Ashes
Naked in Ashes is a beautiful documentary that seeks to reveal some of the mystery behind the lives of 13 million Indian yogis who renounced worldly life.
These modern-day Holy Men have devoted themselves to their spiritual journey and given up all of their material possessions as they search for the meaning of life.
Director Paula Fouce lifts the veil on how these yogis live and some of their beliefs and values, including pure devotion to yoga principles and chastity.
Yoga Movies: On Netflix
Netflix can be a great resource if you’re looking to watch a yoga film or mini-series. Some of my favorite Netflix recommendations are described below.
On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace
This wonderful film about yoga, which you can watch on Netflix, is directed by Heito Dhalia. The movie documents Michael O’Neill’s conversations with various yoga masters in Tibet, India, and New York.
O’Neill, who is a famous photographer, discovered the benefits of yoga following a surgery that left his right arm paralyzed. Through yoga, he was able to regain the use of his arm, which prompted him to become a believer in the power and possibility that yoga holds.
During the film, you’ll learn more about O’Neill’s personal yoga journey and gain a new perspective on yoga by listening to interviews with renowned yoga gurus.
Ram Dass: Going Home
This short documentary on Netflix shares information about the life of Ram Dass, a modern yoga guru, teacher, and author who was highly regarded in the yoga world and beyond.
The film was released in 2017, just two years before Ram Dass’s passing and presents a unique window into his life.
This movie was filmed on the island of Maui at Ram Dass’s home. During the interviews for the film, Ram Dass shares his experiences and reflects on his life, death, and impact on the practice of yoga.
I Am Maris
I Am Maris is the captivating and inspiring story of yoga teacher and writer Maris Degener.
Maris suffered from anorexia, depression, and anxiety, but discovered yoga as the solution for self-healing and self-love.
This empowering Netflix yoga documentary paints a unique picture of the importance of mental health and how yoga can aid in recovering and acceptance of oneself.
Wild Wild Country
If you’re into yoga and meditation, you’ve probably heard of Osho, or maybe even read one of his books. So, make yourself a favor and watch this one.
Wild Wild Country is a disturbing mini-series documentary available on Netflix. The six-episode series is centered around the Indian Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh best known as Osho.
It focuses on the time Osho traveled to Oregon to create a utopian city for his followers, the Rajneeshpuram community. This action, however, was very controversial with the local residents who saw Osho as the dangerous cult leader he was.
From the use of weapons to bioterrorism and election and immigration fraud, the film follows the chain of events that prompted outrage in the United States and ended up with Osho trying to flee the country and ultimately being deported to India.
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator
If you’re searching for yoga movies on Netflix, I’d recommend checking out Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator.
You may be familiar with Bikram hot yoga, but if you’ve never heard the story of its creator, Bikram Choudhury, prepare yourself for another worrying story of a guru turned cult leader.
The film follows Choudhury’s rise to popularity in the 1970s as well as the numerous accusations of sexual harassment and rape that were revealed more recently.
After fleeing the United States without paying his lawyer, Choudhury continues to conduct yoga teacher training courses in other countries such as Mexico and Spain.
Disturbing and revolting, this movie is an important reminder of the dangers of blindly following any yoga or spiritual gurus.
The Goop Lab
I must confess I was a bit skeptical about this one, but it turned out to be a pleasant and interesting surprise.
This documentary series, which premiered on Netflix in January of 2020, takes an in-depth look at Goop. Goop is a wellness company that was founded by famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who is also the executive producer and host of the series.
During the six episodes in this mini-series, Paltrow and other members of the Goop tram take an interesting (and mostly science-based) look at different health and wellness principles and treatments that are often viewed as controversial or contradicting science.
These ideas include breathing techniques, fasting, psychedelic drugs, energy healing, and female sexuality.
Movies About Yoga Principles
In addition to documentaries and movies that primarily focus on yoga, yoga principles are also present in many popular films.
I suggest watching them with new eyes and seeing how yoga is incorporated into the plot of these movies that you’re probably already familiar with.
Eat, Pray, Love
Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favorite movies with yoga. I love how Julia Roberts embodies the role of Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote the memoir that inspired the film.
During the movie, Gilbert discovers that she is in an unhappy marriage that isn’t fulfilling her desires and needs in life. She goes through a difficult divorce and then proceeds to travel around the world seeking self-discovery.
Towards the end of the movie, Gilbert travels to Indonesia, where she is able to finally discover the balance and peace she was looking for.
Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas is a unique science-fiction film that tells the stories of multiple characters over hundreds of years.
Throughout the movie, which bounces between different time periods, you see how the relationships between different characters change and how individuals may change roles from one period to the next.
The film explores the concepts of karma and reincarnation, and how souls can remain connected to one another, even during different time periods.
Watch this powerful movie to explore questions about finding yourself, freeing yourself of past actions, and making meaningful changes in your life.
Star Wars
I’m a big fan of the Star Wars movies and think they are, without a doubt, some of the most powerful films out there.
It’s likely that you’ve seen a few movies in the saga already, if not all of them, but did you ever realize the connection between yoga and Star Wars?
Think about it for a second: yoga has a life force, called prana, which is nearly identical to “The Force” that provides power to Jedis.
The Jedis and yogis share other similarities as well. Both work to achieve perfect balance, to show kindness without judgment, and believe that spiritual journeys can save them from the negative feelings of fear or anger.
The next time you watch Star Wars, put on your yogi hat and think about how inner-related many of the concepts and principles of the film are with those of yoga.
The Matrix
The Matrix is another film you’ve likely seen before, but perhaps not with a yoga perspective.
From the same creators of Cloud Atlas, the movie takes a deep look at heavy topics, like freedom, responsibility, fate, free will, and spiritual ignorance and the role they play in our lives.
Yoga principles can also be found in the two sequels of The Matrix: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. A new sequel, The Matrix Resurrections, is due to be released in December 2021, so be sure to see how yoga principles come into play in it as well.
Did your to-watch list suddenly grow exponentially after reading this article? Watching a movie about yoga or yoga principles can help you improve your practice and get the most from future yoga sessions.
Which of the yoga movies that I shared are you planning to watch first?
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