This 2009 movie “Enlighten Up!” is a true, fascinating documentary of a young man’s quest to study and practice different forms of yoga. Besides the physical training and flexibility that yoga provides, Nick Rosen was trying to find if there was any spiritual “secret” in doing yoga. A complete novice to yoga and a skeptical journalist, Nick travels from New York City to California to Hawaii, and then ultimately to India on this quest.

After 6 months he finds that he has learned a lot, practiced yoga a lot, talked to many, many practitioners and gurus, but is left with no clear answer about the ultimate meaning of yoga (if any).

I suspect it was the value of this 6 month process of learning and experiencing that was Nick’s ultimate reward. But Nick and film maker Kate Churchill (who does practice yoga) should be complimented for trying to delve into this worldwide, somewhat mysterious yoga community. Kate had chosen to do this film and selected Nick as the subject, hoping that yoga would transform him spiritually. It is this quest for Enlightenment or transformation that proves so elusive to Nick (and Kate).

movie poster

An amusing part of the movie is that they do not ignore the new-wave Laughter Yoga. I hear it’s in Tucson as well and I aim to try it out. I’ve already been inspired by this movie to begin a weekly class in vinyasa yoga.

“Enlighten Up!” will be showing at the Loft Theater, 3233 E. Speedway, for one night only on Wed. September 9th at 7:30 p.m. as part of their One Hit Wonders program.

Namaste.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 9:26 am and is filed under Health, Life. Tags for this post: "Enlighten Up", Community, Family, Kate Churchill, laughter yoga, Loft Theater, movies, Nick Rosen, vinyasa yoga, yoga. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.