15 inspiring yoga documentaries
1 Awake: The life of Yogananda
Biography about the life of Paramahansa Yogananda who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s, through his book Autobiography of a Yogi.
2 Kumare
A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona, just to see how easy people were fooled into following him. And in the process learns more about himself.
3 Breath of the Gods - A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga
A look at the origins of modern yoga with footage of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois and T. Krishnamacharya.
4 Yoga Unveiled
Revealing how yoga began, this film tells the story of yoga’s passage to the West, describes its numerous branches, the lives of some of its early teachers and the benefits of the practice.
5 In Pursuit of Silence
A beautiful documentary on silence - the lack of it, the way it helps us to thrive, the way it helps us to listen.
6 Naked in Ashes
Shot in India, this film follows the path of India’s Yogis through the Himalayas. Exploring their ancient ceremonies. A favourite of Jennilee Toner's.
7 Enlighten Up - A skeptic’s journey in to the world of yoga
A light-hearted documentary about a journalist who tries yoga for the first time and goes around the world studying with some of the 'big names' in the yoga world.
8 The Power of the Heart
Featuring interviews with Paulo Ceolho, Maya Angelou, Deepak Chopra, Isabel Allende and Eckhart Tolle, this documentary looks at the power and intelligence of the heart.
9 The Connection
About the connection between Mind, Body and Health and includes interviews with people such as Dr Herbert Benson and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
10 & 11 What The Bleep Do We Know and What the Bleep Down the Rabbit Hole
Where science and spirituality converge. Delving into physics, consciousness, reality and more. As recommended by David Dodd.
12 Women of Bhakti
An enlightening look at the historical and modern devotees of bhakti yoga. Shot in India and America, it gives you an understanding of the bhakti or devotional tradition and how it relates to modern yoga practice.
13 How to cook your life
A beautiful documentary on zen and cooking. The documentary follows zen master and chef Edward Espe Brown as he talks about life, food and mindfulness.
14 I AM
Made by Hollywood’s comedy director, Tom Shadyac, after recovering from a serious cycling accident. The film asks two central questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better?
15 Yoga Women
Intimate interviews with several world-renowned yoga teachers including Seane Corn, Sharon Gannon, Shiva Rea, and Angela Farmer on how women have shaped another path of yoga.
Big thanks to:
Esther Ekhart, Julie Martin, David Lurey, Emma Newlyn, David Dodd, Veronique Gauthier, Joey Miles, Esther Hertog, Irina Verwer, George Langenberg and the YogaEasy backstage team for your recommendations!
We'd love to hear your favourites too - let us know in the comments!
Related:
Jenny Savage was part of the behind the scenes EkhartYoga team. She first started yoga at the age of 15 and took her 200hr teacher training with Esther Ekhart in 2013. She has a background in Health Psychology, community mental health work, and health and wellbeing research.