You're looking forward to a relaxing evening on the couch - why not watch a film about yoga? Whether you are a yoga beginner or a professional, you can definitely learn something new and deepen your knowledge of yoga in all the films and documentaries. Most of the films are available for free on YouTube.
If you are missing a film from our list - then write us an email to mail[at]findedeinyoga.org with the link to the film and a short description. Have fun with the yoga marathon on the couch!
MaiLab - Yoga scientifically tested
Short and sweet, as we know from Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim on her YouTube channel MaiLab, she examines the effects of yoga in 20 minutes and looks at the whole thing from a scientific perspective. You can certainly learn something even as an advanced yoga student. Or do you know straight away what gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is responsible for? Quick spoiler - this is a neurotransmitter that downregulates brain activity. But it's best to see for yourself what all this has to do with yoga in the video.
Mai not only looks at the positive effects of yoga, but also shows where yoga has no effect or is even dangerous and what most yoga studies lack. You can watch the video here: Mail Lab - Yoga scientifically tested.
Who owns Yoga
The documentary explores the question: Who owns yoga? Is it part of a religion? Does yoga belong to a country? Where does yoga originate? Bhanu Bhatnagar, yoga teacher and reporter, finds many different answers. The film explores the changing nature of yoga in modern society, the innovations and the challenges of commercialization as yoga companies seek to own a piece of this ever-popular ancient practice. It's always about the question of what yoga is and can be for each individual - and ultimately the realization that yoga is something different for everyone and the question is very complex. An important and really worth seeing documentary!
You can find the English-language film free of charge on YouTube here: Who owns Yoga
Vishnu Devananda
Swami Vishnu-devananda was a student of the Indian yoga master Swami Sivananda and brought the previously relatively unknown yoga to the USA and Germany. His big goal was to promote “health, peace and unity” in the world. To achieve this, he has overcome borders and flown around the world in his plane. Always with you: an open heart and his infectious laugh! To date, the Sivananda Yoga Organization has trained over 40,000 yoga teachers, making it one of the largest. The documentary about Swami Vishnu Devananda should be seen by everyone who wants to understand how yoga came from India to Europe and who would like to be infected by the positive energy of the "flying swami".
Update 2021: Vishnu Devananda is guilty in several cases of abuse. Please also find out more about this side of him. We have put together information for you: here .
Click here for the documentary on YouTube: Vishnu Devananda
The Science behind Yoga
The documentary was produced for the International Yoga Festival 2016 and is dedicated to the question of the science behind yoga and how it affects people. You will learn how yoga influences how you deal with stress and affects your mental abilities. A short, really worth seeing documentary that examines the effects of yoga from a scientific perspective!
The 20-minute, English-language documentary is available free of charge on YouTube here: The Science of Yoga
GEO report: Yoga - India's amazing medicine
In August 2014, the international yoga community lost one of its most important minds - the yoga master BKS Iyengar from India. He died at the age of 95. In the 1930s, yoga master BKS Iyengar developed new techniques from the ancient Indian Hatha tradition. Iyengar yoga is now practiced and recognized worldwide and is even used to support the treatment of cancer patients. Andrea Oster investigates the secret of yoga in the 360° GEO report. A wonderful film!
The documentation can be found in German and on YouTube: Yoga - India's amazing medicine
Bikram yoga guru predator - in his realm of abuse
This film shows the dark side of yoga and is not for the faint of heart - it is about the controversial yoga master Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Hot Yoga. The Netflix documentary tries to recount Bikram's journey from India to the USA as objectively as possible. After watching the film, you can form your own opinion about his life as a liar, manipulator and ridiculous braggart. In 2016, Bikram was ordered to pay $7 million in damages and compensation for harassment and discrimination. The compensation has not yet been paid and Bikram left the USA shortly after the verdict was announced. Some of the 5 sexual harassment and rape lawsuits have been settled. There are black sheep everywhere - even in yoga. It is all the more important that there is this film that educates about it and creates awareness!
The film is currently only available on Netflix for a fee. You can find a free trailer here .
We have dedicated a separate blog article to the topic of rape and abuse in yoga. You can find it here .
Interested in yoga? Then look for a yoga class near you. On Find Your Yoga, over 5,000 yoga teachers introduce themselves and their yoga - there is definitely a suitable teacher for you. Let's go!
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