ada the leading man is my tpye

Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

drizzlypeas If the practice of yoga or any activities relating to yoga, including watching yoga movies, causes stress, anxiety, consternation or anger - you're doing it wrong. I personally thought it was an intriguing movie. To each his/her own though. Not sure I understand the very strong emotional feelings that have resulted in personal attacks against the director. A movie is just one person's perspective, nothing more, nothing less. I would not have seen this movie if it were another infomercial-type production about how great yoga is. I've seen, and enjoyed a lot of that, experience the benefits of a daily practice myself. I get it. I was fascinated to see another's perspective - an outsider looking in. I think the director's motivation to "convert" was flawed, but that is the beauty of this film. both director and cast had some self exploration that needed to be done. and It caused a break down in her as she realized the futility of that goal. As to accusations that she defamed the biggest names in yoga. I really did not see that. She portrayed them as the humans they are- not gods, nor demigods - humans just like us struggling with self realization, just a little further along the way. I saw a beautiful, tragic, and sometimes insecure side to these instructors - facets we all have. The intro w/none of the instructors giving the same age for yoga was not about making them look dumb. It was a statement about its diverse origins - especially many of the western practices - not that no one knew the truth with a capital T. There is no right answer. Depends on what you are referring to when you say "yoga". On top of that, so much of Indian tradition is passed along by word of mouth family to family it is very difficult to really answer that question even for the "purest" yoga forms. That is the whole point of the movie - there is no one yoga with one history.While Nick may not have been has enlightened as some of us like to think we are, it took guts to do what he did. He dove into this head first and was really willing to open himself up to possibilities. As a self proclaimed skeptic I was worried the movie might die on the vine if he were to quickly dismiss the practice, he did not.Very thought provoking movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.

coolhand1979 This is a truly awful, trashy documentary. Filmed in a conceited, MTV, cynical manner. It is more like some junk "reality TV show" than a professional documentary.Kate spends the first 45 mins of the film making each yoga practitioner look like a complete fraud / fool. She shows no respect for any Yoga that is not taught in India.... As though enlightenment is only available to those who travel to India and study with a particular guru.Complete BS - Kate Churchill is a Yoga snob - Yoga is about opening your heart to yourself and all beings. Her snobbishness is irresponsible when covering such a beautiful subject. There is magic here though, and it has NOTHING to do with the people BEHIND the camera. The magic is the interviews with the many and varied yogis, to be able to see these charismatic characters and feel humbled by there straight talking, no BS perspectives on life and happiness, was a true pleasure.However, Kate spends too little time with these Yogis, and far too much time with the complete pratt she chose to be her guinea-pig. He too is ignorant and slots neatly into the MTV, pop-culture, self absorbed, smug category. He is absolutely, positively, the very last person on earth that I would wish to have drinks and conversation with. He gives these snide little looks to the camera as if to say "yea, I know all this Yoga stuff is bullshit really, I'm cool, I'm hip". When in fact he's just revealing his own school-yard / peer-approval seeking lameness. Grow. Some. Balls.However, the film-maker's ignorance serves to frame the enlightenment of the Yogis beautifully... Their ignorance seems to provide the shadow while the Yogis provide the light... if you get my lingo :) A happy accident has happened unbeknown to Kate Churchill and I love it! Guerilla Yogis!!You could edit this movie down to 30 minutes, giving the entire screen-time to the interviewed Yogis, and you would have a very rewarding experience.The other 60 minutes are pure rot.

jeffwink At first glance this film has a relatively straightforward premise: immerse an average American male in yoga and chronicle his transformation or lack thereof. This viewer had high hopes that something "enlightening" would result. Ultimately, the film fails to "enlighten" in nearly every respect. Ironically, it is Nick's honest appraisal of his experience and apparent rejection of yoga that is the film's bright spot. Nearly everything else is frustratingly muddled and disjointed. Here are some of the more troubling aspects of the film:First, for people unfamiliar with the prominent western teachers who are presented in this film, take what you see with a large "grain of salt." The manner in which the director has presented them is disturbing and disingenuous. In general, these people are serious, knowledgeable practitioners of yoga, the director portrays them as simple-minded, hyper-commercialized charlatans (although the ex-pro wrestler is probably presented accurately). It is not clear why the director has chosen to present these western teachers this way. Is she trying to undermine yoga as it is practiced in the West? If so, this can be done honestly without needing to resort to the artifice of creative editing.Second, the film's presentation of the various yoga traditions is so muddled that it borders on misrepresentation. The uninitiated will not walk away from this film with a basic understanding of the yoga tradition and its major principles. "Non-yogi" viewers of this film, presumably had at least some open-minded curiosity about yoga and some desire to see what it is all about. Sadly, these people are likely to walk away with the impression that there is no need to look any further. I wonder if this was the director's intention. Third, the director doesn't let Nick's experience unfold on its own. She repeatedly injects herself into the process in a way that is distracting. It seemed as if she had an agenda and was frustrated when Nick didn't do or think what she wanted. I was left wondering if she needed to have Nick's experience go a certain way so that she felt better about her own experience with yoga.Finally, afriendofyoga's comment is spot on. If you want to "enlighten up," just go to a yoga class and skip this movie. If you want a basic overview of the yoga tradition, go to wikipedia. Ultimately, this stilted view of a westerner's brush with yoga is a poor substitute for a personal exploration. Check it out yourself!

bottsford This is more a comment about a comment: The comment by "afriendofyoga" is full of weird projections onto this film. Almost every criticism "afriendofyoga" makes is tied up in his/her skewed assumptions about Kate Churchill's intentions. I saw "Enlighten Up!" yesterday -- Churchill clearly doesn't think she has any answers, the movie presents a wide variety of perspectives on the practice of yoga (some reverent, some practical, some skeptical), and the personal conflicts between Churchill and her "guinea pig" Nick Rosen are given a balanced and honest treatment. This isn't (and isn't meant to be) a conclusive statement about yoga, it's a snapshot of a personal experience. I found it more intriguing than the dozens of reverent beatific infomercials about the wonders of yoga.