Inside the Making of Living Yoga
An Interview with filmmakers Shiva Kumar and Joshua M. Greene from the Spring 2008 issue of Integral Yoga Magazine (www.iymagazine.org)
What happens when two filmmakers from opposite ends of the earth find out their partnership on a documentary about Yoga has more synchronicities than either one could have imagined? Magic! Our readers learn the revealing behind-the-scenes kismet that brought those involved in the making of Living Yoga full circle.
Integral Yoga Magazine: How did you two first meet?
Shiva Kumar: In 1983, Joshua had just returned to New York from India, and he brought to Lincoln Center a puppet-show of Indian folk stories. I was working for the television program Visions of Asia as a newscaster. Joshua came to the station to see if we would do a promotion for this program. Not only did I wind up creating a series of specials about his puppet show, but we really connected and started talking about working together. While we were coming from opposite ends of the earth, we found that our working styles were on a parallel.
IYM: Since you have very different backgrounds, did this influence how you approached the subject of Yoga?
SK: Joshua had a typical upbringing in an American Jewish family in the ‘60s—like many seeking answers that were not available in his society, he took a keen interest in Hinduism and eventually lived in ashrams for many years. I was born in South India and was raised as a Brahmin in a traditional Hindu family. Even though I had distanced myself from that when I left home, a lot of the culture stayed with me. I had an abiding love for the stories from Hindu scriptures, and when Joshua and I met we realized we wanted to do the same thing: We wanted to tell stories. The stories we first told were about Indian mythology—Ramayana, the Mahabharata.
Joshua Greene: What’s funny about the partnership is that people say “the Indian guy is more Western than the American, and the American guy is more Hindu than the Indian!” Shiva is a visual person with a real sense of what works with the general public. I’m more conceptual and tend to think in terms of the spiritual crowds. He’s the real litmus test for the bottom line, which is, “Is it good watch able programming?” My head leans more toward crafting the script and assuring that we provide the greatest editorial value to viewers.
SK: Joshua has a practitioner’s perspective on Indian culture and is very sympathetic to it. On the other hand, I’m quite willing to break traditional boundaries if it means telling a better story. My approach is that of a fast-moving production, and Joshua has a scholarly, content-based perspective. The two of us came from opposite ends of the spectrum and met on a very compatible middle ground.
IYM: What is your connection to filmmaker Conrad Rooks (Siddhartha)?
SK: Around the time I met Joshua, I had a party in my Brooklyn apartment and Alexander Rooks (son of the filmmaker Conrad Rooks, who introduced Gurudev to the West in 1966) crashed the party, along with a few other guys (Karan Kapoor, son of the famed Indian actor Shashi Kapoor, and Rahul Chatterjee). At that point, I and all my Indian friends had heard about the film, Siddhartha, and we knew it had been controversial in India. As teens, we had wanted to see this film, but it didn’t play in India. The fact that Alex’s father had made the film was so interesting to me! Rahul moved to India, Karan went to London, Alex and I maintained our friendship, and I met his father. My son Sarik was to help on our final shoot in Yogaville (Satchidananda Ashram) but, at the last minute, he couldn’t make it. By then, I had worked with Alexander on many projects, and so I asked if he would be available to work with me on this one. It wasn’t Alexander’s first visit to the ashram, but this was his first visit since Gurudev had left the body. It seemed to be a very moving experience for him to be at the ashram and to be working on this film. Joshua has his own story.
JK: That’s another so-called coincidence. In 1971, Conrad called the Brooklyn Krishna temple asking if a few of our senior members would come to a screening of Siddhartha, his film-in-progress, and provide him with feedback. Back then, I had no idea that his first film had been Chappaqua, in which Gurudev appeared, or that Conrad would appear in the film we would be producing nearly forty years later.
IYM: What was it like to meet Conrad?
SK: He was a great raconteur and the stories he had to tell were just amazing: about life in Sri Lanka and how he hosted in his apartment jams with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ravi Shankar and every other big name in the late ‘50s. So, when this film became a reality, it was like all these loose strands that had been floating around for some twenty years seemed to weave together.
IYM: Where there other synchronicities?
JG: There have been too many for them to have been chance. For starters, my first contact with Yoga was attending a lecture by Gurudev at the Universalist Church in New York City in 1968. The next time I saw him was at the Woodstock festival a year later. Soon after, I moved to London and lived in Krishna ashrams for the next thirteen years. In a sense, I owe the initial impetus for my spiritual life to Gurudev. Peter Max was the one who told me to go see Gurudev at the Universalist Church and, when I interviewed Peter for the film, it was the first time we’d seen each other in thirty-nine years! I remember thinking, “Boy, have we aged.” [Laughs]
Then there’s the coincidence that Shiva came from same district in India as Gurudev, and so he brought to the film that insight into the culture. So we discovered all these unexpected connections and resources for making the film. Some might say that God works in mysterious ways, but maybe another way of saying that is that resources come to our aid in all aspects of life, if we’re not selfishly motivated and if we’re open to the experience. The Yoga message is to be open to that mystery and to the excitement of this moment right now. If we’re lucky enough to have the guidance of a great soul such as Sri Gurudev, then we’ll see the synchronicity everywhere. As stunning as all those bits and pieces coming together may be, in a sense it’s not a surprise.
IYM: What was it like to take on this project?
JG: Initially it was overwhelming, daunting. Here is Sri Gurudev, who had dedicated his life to helping people around the world awaken to their true Self—one of the truly great teachers in Yoga history—and here we were, outsiders to the community. I’d studied Bhakti Yoga with my teacher Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and taught Bhagavad Gita, but I’d never had the privilege of studying Integral Yoga®. My hope was that by combining whatever understanding I had of the Yoga traditions with Shiva’s terrific skills as a filmmaker— somehow all that would allow us to adequately portray Sri Gurudev’s extraordinary life and achievements.
IYM: How did you approach the making of this documentary?
SK: We began with interviews that we did during Integral Yoga’s 40th anniversary celebration in Virginia in October 2006. The archival resources available for this film were huge—so many satsangs, so much footage. We were shooting in high definition but also incorporating this old footage. To pull it all together and tell a cohesive story was a challenge. Joshua and I like to think of ourselves as storytellers. The medium may change, but the basic experience of telling and receiving a story remains the same. If we have told a story well, it will resonate with an audience. Over the years I’ve come to recognize my inability to anticipate what a program will look like when it’s finished. When I was younger, I’d make things up, but then I learned that a program has an internal logic of its own. It starts forming itself when you allow that to happen. This project was no different. I had no idea where we were going with it when we started.
IYM: What was it like for you working on this film?
JG: Without wanting to exaggerate too much, Shiva and I have probably watched as many if not more videos and heard more audio recordings and read more books about Sri Gurudev than some of his own students. I admit I can be arrogant about my years in ashrams—“Oh, look how much I know about Yoga”—but after that much exposure to Sri Gurudev’s life and teachings, the realization I had was, “Boy do I have a long way to go.” Doing this film has also renewed my respect for the physical and psychological dimensions of Yoga. My training has been in bhakti, the devotional side of Yoga. After doing this film, I’ve started attending beginners’ Yoga classes.
Another gift for me was that I felt, I guess, Gurudev enter my heart. I hadn’t experienced anything like that since my own spiritual master passed away in 1977.
SK: There was a strange but extremely comfortable feeling of coming home. I spent so much time watching footage of Gurudev and listening to his voice. There was so much in his cadence and mannerisms that reminded me of the world in which I grew up. The way in which Gurudev states things, his silences, his “hmmms,” were very similar to the way in which my grandfather spoke. It would have been wonderful if, when I was younger and searching for an understanding of our Hindu scriptures and rituals, I had heard some of the explanations Gurudev gave. I’ve come to appreciate his charisma and his wonderful approach. People felt disarmed when they came in his presence.
IYM: What did you take away from this experience?
SK: I had often felt at odds with the ritualized aspects of our culture and religion; it’s the deep philosophy that is uniquely meaningful. The way Gurudev explains profound issues really resonated with what I had always felt. As Dean Morton explained in the film, Gurudev wasn’t a Hindu talking about Hindu rituals to other Hindus. He was talking to the world-at-large. He was a global person. I pride myself in having a global sense, which is why I immediately connected with his approach to things. His path was so open and free, there was no coercion. He didn’t make you feel, “I know something that you don’t.” Instead, it was more like, “Let’s discover this path together.” It’s a wonderful feeling. All that had a definite impact on me.
IYM: What do you hope the audience might take away from the film?
JG: My freshman class at Hofstra University got a sneak preview. We’d been discussing other books on Yoga and we’d screened some films, but I only got blank stares. After seeing Living Yoga, all the students had questions and I heard comments like, “Oh, we get it now,” and “This really spoke to me.” There was a personal recognition on their part, that somehow this message included them. The value then, from my perspective, in a film that explores Sri Gurudev’s teachings and the application of the teachings in practical, daily life is that people who may otherwise never have considered Yoga might do so now. That’s a whole lot.
SK: Producing a film, like a book, calls for laboring in private for six months or a year. Then you bring it out and people make it their own, they find things that resonate with them. Our hope is that the film will have a broad appeal to people of all ages and from many walks of life. Regular people who have never even thought about Yoga might discover how to make more helpful and healthful choices. If, after seeing it, they come away with one or two things that they want to do to change in their life, it would be great. It might be something small, like how Denise Winchester talks about falling off the wagon occasionally, but on the whole, she’s “eating more tofu.” It’s cute when she relays that, but it’s also really real. We hope we present enough real people in the film with whom audiences can relate so that they feel that Yoga is not something beyond their reach. I hope they will realize that real contentment, peace and happiness—whatever you want to call it—is attainable by all.
Shiva Kumar, the director and co-producer, has worked in commercial, documentary and corporate filmmaking for over 20 years. His award-winning programs have been seen on PBS, The Disney Channel, the BBC, Israeli Cable, Canal Plus (France), RAI (Italy) and NHK (Japan).
Born in New Delhi and educated in England, Egypt, Bhutan, India and the US, Shiva brings a global perspective to all his productions. Shiva’s productions are informed by his diverse background as an actor, newscaster, reporter and student of world cultures and his keen understanding of cinematography, lighting, emerging HD technologies and good production design.
Joshua M. Greene the writer and co-producer, has been described by the New York Times as “a storyteller who traces journeys to enlightenment.” He teaches mysticism at Hofstra University and Bhagavad Gita at the Jivamukti Yoga School and Integral Yoga Institute in New York. His most recent book is the bestselling biography Here Comes the Sun: The spiritual journey of George Harrison, which traces the late Beatle’s evolution from entertainer to spiritual seeker. Joshua lived for thirteen years in ashrams across India and Europe.
Friday, July 11, 2008
In-depth View from the Executive Producer
ABOUT LIVING YOGA
An in-depth look from Prem Anjali, the executive producer of the film
LIVING YOGA: The life and teachings of Swami Satchidananda is divided into five main sections: Asanas, nature, balance, wellness, and interfaith. Each section opens with an inspiring quote from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali chanted by Dr. M.A. Jayashree of Mysore, India.
According to Karen Karuna Kreps, a Yoga teacher with over 30 years teaching experience: “I think this film might be one of the best teaching aids and promotional tools a Yoga teacher can have.”
LIVING YOGA opens with Sri Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) talking about the goal of Yoga, which really gives an overview and summary of the heart and soul of the film. He says:
Your goal should be to be easeful. You disturb your ease by doing wrong things and you call yourself dis-eased. To be peaceful—if a person lives based on this “I, me, mine,” he can never, never be peaceful. And then to be useful. Nothing will disturb you if your life is based on selflessness. You can always be peaceful; and, when you are peaceful, you are a happy person.
After a brief biography of Gurudev’s life, retold by him, pop artist Peter Max recounts early meetings with Gurudev: “The yogic type of thinking about love and peace was in the air as a fashion; but for it to truly become part of your lifestyle, not just an idea, was very, very big. I said to him, ‘Swami, America needs you.’ I remember, he kinda laughed and slapped his knee. ‘Why? America needs me? Well, if America needs me maybe I’ll come.’ ” Cut to scenes from the Woodstock music festival which Gurudev opened and which earned him the affectionate title of “Woodstock Guru.”
YOGA AND WELLNESS
One of the wonderful and very helpful features of the film is that you can access the major sections (or chapters on the DVD) by selecting them from the main menu. Yoga teachers will find the chapter entitled, “Yoga Asanas” a very useful segment to show students, because it features Sandra (Amrita) McLanahan, MD giving an overview of the physiological benefits of a full Yoga class.
Dr. McLanahan, a resident of Yogaville, has for many years been one of the nation's leading experts on the medical effects of Yoga. She served for 20 years as Director of Stress Management Training for the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, where she was a crucial part of the research team led by Dean Ornish, M.D. Dr. Ornish’s research established that heart disease can be reversed by a combination of a low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian diet, Yoga, meditation, and group support.
There is another breakout chapter titled “Yoga and Wellness” that features Dr. Ornish and, also, Mehmet Oz, MD (author of You: The Owner’s Manual series and a regularly featured guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”). In this chapter, a compelling recovery story is told by Richard Cripe, now a certified Yoga teacher who healed himself of heart disease through Yoga and the Ornish program. In this section, Dr. Ornish discusses his latest research with prostate cancer patients.
Dr. Oz describes in detail how Yoga enhanced his personal and professional life and the medical benefits he’s observed with patients:
Yoga allowed me to get my body focused on something so my mind could be freed to focus on emptiness. So, although the asanas are important, it was the deep breathing and meditative aspects of Yoga that provided the deepest lessons. These tools, which at a very basic level for a healthy human, have benefit, provide an incremental benefit to folks who have illness. In particular, if you can combine Yoga with meditation, you begin to see medicinal benefits in a whole slew of different areas, including management of arrhythmias, asthmatic conditions, autoimmune problems—places where our body has gone a little bit awry and can be rebalanced and reset if you can use a tool like Yoga.
For Yoga teachers who are branching out into Yoga therapy, this section is an extremely useful teaching tool, and it’s something that Richard Cripe has been screening during the presentations he makes at hospitals and medical centers on the medical benefits of Yoga. Recently, he gave a presentation to the St. Louis Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Richard explains:
There were four presenters during this program, and I was the only person there who wasn’t a physician. We began by showing LIVING YOGA’s chapter 8 (section on Yoga and Wellness). Then they introduced me to give the rest of my presentation. It was wonderful because showing this segment from the film had established my credibility before I even got on the stage! Here’s Oprah, Dr. Oz and Dean Ornish talking about the benefits of Yoga, and then you hear my story. I walked onto the stage to the biggest applause and excitement! That’s the power of media [laughs]! LIVING YOGA is a wonderful forum to establish credibility for Yoga teachers and stimulate discussion about the intricacies of Yoga and how that can work with lifestyle changes.
The filmmakers faced many challenges in creating the film. As Joshua, the film’s writer/co-producer describes, “Initially it was overwhelming, daunting. Here is Sri Gurudev, who had dedicated his life to helping people around the world awaken to their true Self—one of the truly great teachers in Yoga history—and here we were, outsiders to the community. I’d never had the privilege of studying Integral Yoga. My hope was that, by combining whatever understanding I had of the Yoga traditions with Shiva’s (the film’s director) terrific skills as a filmmaker, somehow all that would allow us to adequately portray Sri Gurudev’s extraordinary life and achievements.”
YOGA AND BALANCE
Joshua and Shiva wanted to provide viewers with practical insight into Gurudev’s teachings and, at the same time, create an engaging viewing experience. How to accomplish this? One of the ways is vividly evident in the section on “Yoga and Nature.” Shot entirely on location at The Institute for Greatly Endangered & Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) in South Carolina, Dr. Bhagavan Antle takes the viewers behind-the-scenes of the Institute. Viewers get up close and personal with the magnificent big cats. This segment has a broad appeal. Dr. Antle explains that, “The practice of Yoga and the application of Yoga is that we take our mind out of the past and try and be here now—like the tiger is all the time.”
Gurudev’s teachings were very broad and universal. They appealed to people of every age, and we tried to not leave anyone out. Could we make a film about Yoga that had at least a little something for everyone and anyone? In the section, “Yoga and Balance,” we wanted to illustrate Gurudev’s teaching that Yoga is something to be integrated into daily life. As he explains in the film,
Yoga teaches you to face the problem. Analyze it. Solve it; not to run away. In fact, what good of your Yoga if it can only be practiced in the Himalayan cave? You are no good for anything or anybody. And not everybody can do it. So if you are a yogi, stay in the midst of the din and bustle of the town, of the city, of the life and still maintain your equanimity.
To highlight this, the film has interviews with some of the younger generation of Yogavillians as they talk about how they are striving to live Yoga every moment. A special highlight is music from the popular Goth band, Bella Morte, whose co-founder Gopal Metro is a Yogaville resident.
Additionally in this section, are highlights of how Yoga is being applied in settings such as school systems (Yoga At School program), with special needs children (in the work of Sonia Sumar and Yoga for the Special Child), and in the arts (Felix Cavaliere, Padma Rasiah-Cantu). Public school teacher Denise Winchester recounts her journey of first getting into Yoga and how it has changed her life. “I have quit smoking and that was due to the IYI for sure. Food is my vice. It takes a lot more than beans and greens to fill me up. I’m Italian, I grew up on a lot of different heavy foods, and I fall off the wagon from time to time, but I am eating more tofu and that was really unthinkable to me for a long time.”
YOGA AND INTERFAITH
The role of spirituality in wellness is explored throughout the film, and the link between inner peace and outer peace is also highlighted, particularly in the section “Yoga and Interfaith.” Since Sri Gurudev was a pioneer in the interfaith movement and promoted world peace by bringing together people of all backgrounds and beliefs so they could learn respect for all the different paths and realize their common spirit, the filmmakers wanted to include some of his close friends and leaders in the interfaith movement.
Discussing their views on this subject in the film are: Rev. James P. Morton (former dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and president of The Interfaith Center of New York), Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB (senior Benedictine monk and founder of gratefulness.org) and Rabbi Joseph Gelberman (All Faiths Seminary International). Rabbi Gelberman points out that thinking “You are white, I am black, you are a Jew, I am Gentile, you are Christian, you are this—is absolutely stupid! It doesn’t fit us. We are all children of that one God and we are brothers and sisters and we have to love each other.”
LIVING YOGA
Throughout the film we hear from senior Integral Yoga monks, Swamis Asokanandaji, Karunanandaji, Ramanandaji, Dayanandaji and others whose lives and Yoga teaching have been influenced by the teachings of Swami Satchidananda including nutritionist Manu Dawson, Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, Cardiac Yoga therapist Dr. Mala Cunningham, among others. As Joshua Greene explained:
Because information alone does not move the hearts of viewers, the documentary must reflect the emotion of its subject. Supporting the narrative we needed connecting thread of graphics, quotes, music, and symbols, intended to create a sensation of peace, contentment, and harmony.
I think the filmmakers achieved this goal as evidenced in this review of LIVING YOGA by Sabine for Yoga-Live Magazine (UK):
The juxtaposition of visually striking, soul-uplifting and often unexpected contrasts in the broad spectrum of film participants, chosen imagery, sounds, colors and settings conveys a powerful sense of the multi-dimensionality of Yoga and creates a deep sense of universal unity and harmony. Listening to the pure and enlightened voice of Sri Swami Satchidananda dispensing his simple though powerful teachings takes the listener to an elevated place of peace and inexpressible joy and provides valuable opportunities for physical, mental and spiritual transformation on the path to Self-realization.
Swami Satchidananda was always so encouraging to our Yoga teachers. He gave special satsangs to teacher trainee groups in Yogaville and elsewhere, and he attended TT graduation ceremonies whenever he was in residence in Yogaville. Gurudev imparted valuable instructions to guide teachers on their journey. He often said: “You teach by living Yoga. That's why those who come to Yogaville for the Teacher Training are able to absorb so much in such a short time. So, learn to live the Yoga.”
That is why we chose this title for the film, and we hope it will inspire and encourage the viewers to take this message to heart and to really, deeply and truly live Yoga. As Sabine, in her Yoga-Live magazine review so beautifully expressed, “May we, too, be sincere in our intention to give of ourselves selflessly and cultivate the spirit of equanimity and the quality of compassion, truth and forbearance at all times so that we may become channels for universal love.”
An in-depth look from Prem Anjali, the executive producer of the film
LIVING YOGA: The life and teachings of Swami Satchidananda is divided into five main sections: Asanas, nature, balance, wellness, and interfaith. Each section opens with an inspiring quote from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali chanted by Dr. M.A. Jayashree of Mysore, India.
According to Karen Karuna Kreps, a Yoga teacher with over 30 years teaching experience: “I think this film might be one of the best teaching aids and promotional tools a Yoga teacher can have.”
LIVING YOGA opens with Sri Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) talking about the goal of Yoga, which really gives an overview and summary of the heart and soul of the film. He says:
Your goal should be to be easeful. You disturb your ease by doing wrong things and you call yourself dis-eased. To be peaceful—if a person lives based on this “I, me, mine,” he can never, never be peaceful. And then to be useful. Nothing will disturb you if your life is based on selflessness. You can always be peaceful; and, when you are peaceful, you are a happy person.
After a brief biography of Gurudev’s life, retold by him, pop artist Peter Max recounts early meetings with Gurudev: “The yogic type of thinking about love and peace was in the air as a fashion; but for it to truly become part of your lifestyle, not just an idea, was very, very big. I said to him, ‘Swami, America needs you.’ I remember, he kinda laughed and slapped his knee. ‘Why? America needs me? Well, if America needs me maybe I’ll come.’ ” Cut to scenes from the Woodstock music festival which Gurudev opened and which earned him the affectionate title of “Woodstock Guru.”
YOGA AND WELLNESS
One of the wonderful and very helpful features of the film is that you can access the major sections (or chapters on the DVD) by selecting them from the main menu. Yoga teachers will find the chapter entitled, “Yoga Asanas” a very useful segment to show students, because it features Sandra (Amrita) McLanahan, MD giving an overview of the physiological benefits of a full Yoga class.
Dr. McLanahan, a resident of Yogaville, has for many years been one of the nation's leading experts on the medical effects of Yoga. She served for 20 years as Director of Stress Management Training for the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, where she was a crucial part of the research team led by Dean Ornish, M.D. Dr. Ornish’s research established that heart disease can be reversed by a combination of a low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian diet, Yoga, meditation, and group support.
There is another breakout chapter titled “Yoga and Wellness” that features Dr. Ornish and, also, Mehmet Oz, MD (author of You: The Owner’s Manual series and a regularly featured guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”). In this chapter, a compelling recovery story is told by Richard Cripe, now a certified Yoga teacher who healed himself of heart disease through Yoga and the Ornish program. In this section, Dr. Ornish discusses his latest research with prostate cancer patients.
Dr. Oz describes in detail how Yoga enhanced his personal and professional life and the medical benefits he’s observed with patients:
Yoga allowed me to get my body focused on something so my mind could be freed to focus on emptiness. So, although the asanas are important, it was the deep breathing and meditative aspects of Yoga that provided the deepest lessons. These tools, which at a very basic level for a healthy human, have benefit, provide an incremental benefit to folks who have illness. In particular, if you can combine Yoga with meditation, you begin to see medicinal benefits in a whole slew of different areas, including management of arrhythmias, asthmatic conditions, autoimmune problems—places where our body has gone a little bit awry and can be rebalanced and reset if you can use a tool like Yoga.
For Yoga teachers who are branching out into Yoga therapy, this section is an extremely useful teaching tool, and it’s something that Richard Cripe has been screening during the presentations he makes at hospitals and medical centers on the medical benefits of Yoga. Recently, he gave a presentation to the St. Louis Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Richard explains:
There were four presenters during this program, and I was the only person there who wasn’t a physician. We began by showing LIVING YOGA’s chapter 8 (section on Yoga and Wellness). Then they introduced me to give the rest of my presentation. It was wonderful because showing this segment from the film had established my credibility before I even got on the stage! Here’s Oprah, Dr. Oz and Dean Ornish talking about the benefits of Yoga, and then you hear my story. I walked onto the stage to the biggest applause and excitement! That’s the power of media [laughs]! LIVING YOGA is a wonderful forum to establish credibility for Yoga teachers and stimulate discussion about the intricacies of Yoga and how that can work with lifestyle changes.
The filmmakers faced many challenges in creating the film. As Joshua, the film’s writer/co-producer describes, “Initially it was overwhelming, daunting. Here is Sri Gurudev, who had dedicated his life to helping people around the world awaken to their true Self—one of the truly great teachers in Yoga history—and here we were, outsiders to the community. I’d never had the privilege of studying Integral Yoga. My hope was that, by combining whatever understanding I had of the Yoga traditions with Shiva’s (the film’s director) terrific skills as a filmmaker, somehow all that would allow us to adequately portray Sri Gurudev’s extraordinary life and achievements.”
YOGA AND BALANCE
Joshua and Shiva wanted to provide viewers with practical insight into Gurudev’s teachings and, at the same time, create an engaging viewing experience. How to accomplish this? One of the ways is vividly evident in the section on “Yoga and Nature.” Shot entirely on location at The Institute for Greatly Endangered & Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) in South Carolina, Dr. Bhagavan Antle takes the viewers behind-the-scenes of the Institute. Viewers get up close and personal with the magnificent big cats. This segment has a broad appeal. Dr. Antle explains that, “The practice of Yoga and the application of Yoga is that we take our mind out of the past and try and be here now—like the tiger is all the time.”
Gurudev’s teachings were very broad and universal. They appealed to people of every age, and we tried to not leave anyone out. Could we make a film about Yoga that had at least a little something for everyone and anyone? In the section, “Yoga and Balance,” we wanted to illustrate Gurudev’s teaching that Yoga is something to be integrated into daily life. As he explains in the film,
Yoga teaches you to face the problem. Analyze it. Solve it; not to run away. In fact, what good of your Yoga if it can only be practiced in the Himalayan cave? You are no good for anything or anybody. And not everybody can do it. So if you are a yogi, stay in the midst of the din and bustle of the town, of the city, of the life and still maintain your equanimity.
To highlight this, the film has interviews with some of the younger generation of Yogavillians as they talk about how they are striving to live Yoga every moment. A special highlight is music from the popular Goth band, Bella Morte, whose co-founder Gopal Metro is a Yogaville resident.
Additionally in this section, are highlights of how Yoga is being applied in settings such as school systems (Yoga At School program), with special needs children (in the work of Sonia Sumar and Yoga for the Special Child), and in the arts (Felix Cavaliere, Padma Rasiah-Cantu). Public school teacher Denise Winchester recounts her journey of first getting into Yoga and how it has changed her life. “I have quit smoking and that was due to the IYI for sure. Food is my vice. It takes a lot more than beans and greens to fill me up. I’m Italian, I grew up on a lot of different heavy foods, and I fall off the wagon from time to time, but I am eating more tofu and that was really unthinkable to me for a long time.”
YOGA AND INTERFAITH
The role of spirituality in wellness is explored throughout the film, and the link between inner peace and outer peace is also highlighted, particularly in the section “Yoga and Interfaith.” Since Sri Gurudev was a pioneer in the interfaith movement and promoted world peace by bringing together people of all backgrounds and beliefs so they could learn respect for all the different paths and realize their common spirit, the filmmakers wanted to include some of his close friends and leaders in the interfaith movement.
Discussing their views on this subject in the film are: Rev. James P. Morton (former dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and president of The Interfaith Center of New York), Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB (senior Benedictine monk and founder of gratefulness.org) and Rabbi Joseph Gelberman (All Faiths Seminary International). Rabbi Gelberman points out that thinking “You are white, I am black, you are a Jew, I am Gentile, you are Christian, you are this—is absolutely stupid! It doesn’t fit us. We are all children of that one God and we are brothers and sisters and we have to love each other.”
LIVING YOGA
Throughout the film we hear from senior Integral Yoga monks, Swamis Asokanandaji, Karunanandaji, Ramanandaji, Dayanandaji and others whose lives and Yoga teaching have been influenced by the teachings of Swami Satchidananda including nutritionist Manu Dawson, Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, Cardiac Yoga therapist Dr. Mala Cunningham, among others. As Joshua Greene explained:
Because information alone does not move the hearts of viewers, the documentary must reflect the emotion of its subject. Supporting the narrative we needed connecting thread of graphics, quotes, music, and symbols, intended to create a sensation of peace, contentment, and harmony.
I think the filmmakers achieved this goal as evidenced in this review of LIVING YOGA by Sabine for Yoga-Live Magazine (UK):
The juxtaposition of visually striking, soul-uplifting and often unexpected contrasts in the broad spectrum of film participants, chosen imagery, sounds, colors and settings conveys a powerful sense of the multi-dimensionality of Yoga and creates a deep sense of universal unity and harmony. Listening to the pure and enlightened voice of Sri Swami Satchidananda dispensing his simple though powerful teachings takes the listener to an elevated place of peace and inexpressible joy and provides valuable opportunities for physical, mental and spiritual transformation on the path to Self-realization.
Swami Satchidananda was always so encouraging to our Yoga teachers. He gave special satsangs to teacher trainee groups in Yogaville and elsewhere, and he attended TT graduation ceremonies whenever he was in residence in Yogaville. Gurudev imparted valuable instructions to guide teachers on their journey. He often said: “You teach by living Yoga. That's why those who come to Yogaville for the Teacher Training are able to absorb so much in such a short time. So, learn to live the Yoga.”
That is why we chose this title for the film, and we hope it will inspire and encourage the viewers to take this message to heart and to really, deeply and truly live Yoga. As Sabine, in her Yoga-Live magazine review so beautifully expressed, “May we, too, be sincere in our intention to give of ourselves selflessly and cultivate the spirit of equanimity and the quality of compassion, truth and forbearance at all times so that we may become channels for universal love.”
Film Review in LA Yoga
LA YOGA June 2008
Media Reviews: dvds/film
By Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN
Living Yoga:
The Life and Teachings of
Sri Swami Satchidananda
Directed by Shiva Kumar
From the famous opening of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival (pictured above), to impacting medical research, interfaith dialogue, teaching and providing spiritual guidance to countless students, Sri Swami Satchidananda was one of the twentieth century’s greatest spiritual masters, living from 1914 to 2002. He first came to the U.S. on a stopover on the way to Paris, when popular artist Peter Max begged him to stay and teach. That led to the formation of Integral Yoga International (IYI), Yogaville in Virginia, the interfaith Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) and more than 50 IYI centers. In Living Yoga, the filmmakers capture the heart, soul and teachings of this teacher and his legacy through archival footage, interviews, photographs and glimpses into classes that continue the essence of Swamiji’s message.
World peace, insisted Swamiji, comes from within, from practicing the teachings of yoga. Within these teachings you can clean your own house. Devotee Felix Cavaliere, the lead singer of The Rascals, recalled some of Swamiji’s influential words in the film. When Cavaliere expressed frustration at the world around him, Swamiji said: “I gave you a broom and told you to clean your closet and now you want to clean the whole house. Finish your closet and then come back and talk to me.” It is fitting advice for the practice of yoga, physical, mental and spiritual closet cleaning. Somehow, when we clean the closet, we look around and notice a different perspective on the room.
In watching the film, I was struck by Swamiji’s humanity during a Richard Avedon photo shoot and his wisdom that continues in the teaching, like the reminder that the eyes are the only part of our brain that is exposed, so relaxing the eyes facilitates the relaxation of the brain. Many were struck by Swami Satchidananda, as evidenced by the array of featured interviews including: Dr. Dean Ornish about his noted studies on the benefit for reversing heart disease and Swamiji’s influence. Artist Peter Max, Yoga for the Special Child founder Sonia Sumar and Dr. Mehmet Oz are only a few of the others who weigh in on Swamiji's impact.
Even though it is a documentary, there is a meditative quality to the program, fitting for the person and the subject. It is a delightful film for sangha (community) members to watch, no matter their tradition.
For more information, visit:
www.livingyogamovie.org
Media Reviews: dvds/film
By Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN
Living Yoga:
The Life and Teachings of
Sri Swami Satchidananda
Directed by Shiva Kumar
From the famous opening of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival (pictured above), to impacting medical research, interfaith dialogue, teaching and providing spiritual guidance to countless students, Sri Swami Satchidananda was one of the twentieth century’s greatest spiritual masters, living from 1914 to 2002. He first came to the U.S. on a stopover on the way to Paris, when popular artist Peter Max begged him to stay and teach. That led to the formation of Integral Yoga International (IYI), Yogaville in Virginia, the interfaith Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) and more than 50 IYI centers. In Living Yoga, the filmmakers capture the heart, soul and teachings of this teacher and his legacy through archival footage, interviews, photographs and glimpses into classes that continue the essence of Swamiji’s message.
World peace, insisted Swamiji, comes from within, from practicing the teachings of yoga. Within these teachings you can clean your own house. Devotee Felix Cavaliere, the lead singer of The Rascals, recalled some of Swamiji’s influential words in the film. When Cavaliere expressed frustration at the world around him, Swamiji said: “I gave you a broom and told you to clean your closet and now you want to clean the whole house. Finish your closet and then come back and talk to me.” It is fitting advice for the practice of yoga, physical, mental and spiritual closet cleaning. Somehow, when we clean the closet, we look around and notice a different perspective on the room.
In watching the film, I was struck by Swamiji’s humanity during a Richard Avedon photo shoot and his wisdom that continues in the teaching, like the reminder that the eyes are the only part of our brain that is exposed, so relaxing the eyes facilitates the relaxation of the brain. Many were struck by Swami Satchidananda, as evidenced by the array of featured interviews including: Dr. Dean Ornish about his noted studies on the benefit for reversing heart disease and Swamiji’s influence. Artist Peter Max, Yoga for the Special Child founder Sonia Sumar and Dr. Mehmet Oz are only a few of the others who weigh in on Swamiji's impact.
Even though it is a documentary, there is a meditative quality to the program, fitting for the person and the subject. It is a delightful film for sangha (community) members to watch, no matter their tradition.
For more information, visit:
www.livingyogamovie.org
Living Yoga Overview
OVERVIEW
How the ancient teachings of Yoga were brought to the West and the far- reaching effects on society of the modern Yoga movement is a story told for the first time on film in an hour-long documentary that informs, entertains and provokes self-inquiry.
“Swami Satchidananda enriched the lives of countless others and his efforts made a positive difference to our world and our future.”
—President and Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton
“I consider Swami Satchidananda one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time.”
—Richard Gere
“Swami Satchidananda was one of the early pioneers in bringing the knowledge of Yoga and Vedanta to this country. Had it not been for his contribution we wouldn’t have seen the popularity of Yoga that we see today, which is mainstream.”
—Deepak Chopra, M.D.
“Swami Satchidananda has been a spiritual friend to countless thousands, catalyzing their transformations, and a clear, consistent, and peaceful voice for honoring the many paths to the One.”
—Ram Dass
Today, an estimated twenty million Americans practice Yoga as a means for managing stress, promoting health, slowing down the aging process and creating a more meaningful life. The teachings of Swami Satchidananda have spread into the mainstream as evidenced in how Yoga has been instrumental in:
• Medical therapy applications and breakthroughs proven by Dr. Dean Ornish to reverse heart disease (new studies in prostrate cancer underway)
• Improvement in grades, attitude, focus, flexibility and adaptability of children, including those with special needs
• Peacemaking efforts and bringing people of all faiths together in respect and appreciation for the unity within our diversity.
A film written and co-produced by Joshua M. Greene and directed and co-produced by Shiva Kumar. A presentation of Stories to Remember in association with Integral Yoga International. An official selection in the Maui Film Festival, ReelHeART International Film Festival, Brilliant Light International Film Festival of Los Angeles, Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival and Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival.
www.livingyogamovie.org
How the ancient teachings of Yoga were brought to the West and the far- reaching effects on society of the modern Yoga movement is a story told for the first time on film in an hour-long documentary that informs, entertains and provokes self-inquiry.
“Swami Satchidananda enriched the lives of countless others and his efforts made a positive difference to our world and our future.”
—President and Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton
“I consider Swami Satchidananda one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time.”
—Richard Gere
“Swami Satchidananda was one of the early pioneers in bringing the knowledge of Yoga and Vedanta to this country. Had it not been for his contribution we wouldn’t have seen the popularity of Yoga that we see today, which is mainstream.”
—Deepak Chopra, M.D.
“Swami Satchidananda has been a spiritual friend to countless thousands, catalyzing their transformations, and a clear, consistent, and peaceful voice for honoring the many paths to the One.”
—Ram Dass
Today, an estimated twenty million Americans practice Yoga as a means for managing stress, promoting health, slowing down the aging process and creating a more meaningful life. The teachings of Swami Satchidananda have spread into the mainstream as evidenced in how Yoga has been instrumental in:
• Medical therapy applications and breakthroughs proven by Dr. Dean Ornish to reverse heart disease (new studies in prostrate cancer underway)
• Improvement in grades, attitude, focus, flexibility and adaptability of children, including those with special needs
• Peacemaking efforts and bringing people of all faiths together in respect and appreciation for the unity within our diversity.
A film written and co-produced by Joshua M. Greene and directed and co-produced by Shiva Kumar. A presentation of Stories to Remember in association with Integral Yoga International. An official selection in the Maui Film Festival, ReelHeART International Film Festival, Brilliant Light International Film Festival of Los Angeles, Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival and Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival.
www.livingyogamovie.org
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