Netflix is the destination of choice for many who are at home more than usual due to the global pandemic. With hundreds of books in their library, it’s easy to get distracted by binge-reading.
We’ve put together a list of shows every yogi should be watching on Netflix. From documentaries about famous gurus to inspiring stories of yogis to breathtaking meditation music and images of the world we live in. There’s something for every yogi here.
Any yoga practitioner can learn more about the ancient practice and themselves with these great shows on Netflix.
documentary
1. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019) – 1 hour 26 minutes
One recent documentary that has become a hot topic in the yoga world is about Bikram Choudhury. Celebrity yoga teacher who popularized hot yoga.
At the height of his fame, yoga practitioners from all over the world flocked to five-star hotels to receive his expensive yoga teacher training. Even Hollywood stars lined up to sweat in what he called the “torture chamber”.
He’s been criticized for his Rolex watches, luxury car collection and domineering personality in and out of hot yoga rooms.
His original sin began with allegations of student rape and abuse. Even one of his former lawyers, Minakkshi Jafa-Bodden, sued him for sex discrimination. She ended up winning his entire fortune, including the Indian Bikram College business.
2. Ram Dass, Come Home (2017) – 31 minutes
This short documentary highlights the final chapter of Baba Ram Dass’ life. After suffering a stroke in 1997, his health deteriorated and he moved to Maui, Hawaii to deepen his practice.
Born Richard Alpert, he became an important and influential figure in the 1960s and 1970s for his pioneering research on psychedelics. A pilgrimage to India reborn him as Baba Ram Dass, the spiritual leader of millions around the globe.
Ram Dass, Coming Home is a cinematic summary of his final days as he reflects on his life experiences and his soul’s journey home.
3. Cure (2017) – 1 hour 46 minutes
Experts in mind-body healing, meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and more share their insights on what it means to heal.
It also tells the story of the deep and personal journey of recovery for three people with chronic illness. They explore the limits of their own beliefs and emotions, and their power to heal themselves.
The film explores the fusion of science, spirituality, and faith, and how one’s perceptions can change one’s reality.
4. I am Maris (2018) – 54 minutes
Maris is a young girl whose life is affected by depression, anxiety, and a life-threatening eating disorder. In this documentary, she begins to explore her deepest emotions through yoga.
By the age of 16, Maris was a certified yoga teacher and blogged about food, yoga and her personal issues.
The film follows Maris as she enters a new chapter in her life as a successful motivational speaker from a young age. Meanwhile, Maris balances mental illness, a parent who struggles to escape her ego, and finds her place in the world with the help of yoga.
5. 100 Days of Solitude / Cien Dias de Soledad (2018) – 1 hour 33 minutes
Tired of the hustle and bustle of the modern world, photographer Jose Diaz retreats to the remote mountains of northern Spain. There, he spent 100 days in a hut with a few horses and chickens, with no human contact at all.
He describes his experience as a journey to find the reconnection between man and nature. Diaz was inspired by his favorite Henry David Thoreau book Walden Pond.
Viewers see Diaz living alone in the mountains while missing her family and learning survival skills for the first time.
As Diaz rediscovers his place in nature, we also contemplate our own place in the world.
series
1. Wild Wild Country (2018) – 1 season, 6 episodes
This documentary series focuses on the community founded by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in Oregon and known worldwide as Osho.
The congregation of 50,000 sannyasins (followers of Osho) outraged local Antelope, Oregon residents, who saw it as a sex cult. The battle between them escalated into a war involving guns and other threats, including bioterrorism.
The six episodes of the series also introduced viewers to Ma Anand Sheela, whom Osho met as a teenager and who rose to chair the Rajneesh International Foundation. She runs the commune in Oregon and puts him on medication while she speaks for him.
2. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) 3 seasons, 61 episodes
Avatar is a hugely popular animated series that originally aired on Nickelodeon. It’s finding newfound popularity as a Netflix favorite.
The story follows the adventures of Aang and his friends. Aang is the last incarnation in the world – a man who has mastered the elements of nature.
One of the most popular episodes of the series has Aang learning to meditate to master the chakras: energy centers, elements and various qualities of self-discipline and self-awareness also correspond to this.
3. Tales of Light (2015) – 3 seasons, 18 episodes
Tales by Light takes you on a tour of the world through the lens of three image makers.
These photographers and filmmakers document their travels through India, Australia, Indonesia and other countries, meeting locals and immersing themselves in their cultures and stories.
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