Video: Yoga, Inc. – A Message from Sematawi

November 5, 2015
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yoga in

Words by Sematawi

Greetings. I watched this film around 2008 and loved it. The different angles that it touched on that normally go unseen or just never addressed. As we enter a time when we can easily lose focus of the journey of different spiritual practices that we engage in, it’s truly divine timing to share this documentary at this moment for those that have yet to watch it. Even for those that have seen it, watch it again. As practitioners, teachers, enthusiasts, etc. we all need reminders.

(Watch this film below)

-“The film raises important questions about the state of yoga in 21st-century: How do you square yoga’s spiritual intent with an often-obsessive focus on asana?”

“Yoga has transformed from an ancient spiritual practice into a competitive, commercialized, multi-million dollar industry. And for a practice rooted in renunciation, yoga sure is making some people very rich. This Yoga documentary, YOGA INC. ponders if yoga survive the war between the sacred and the profane with its good karma intact?

Esak Garcia is a star on the burgeoning competitive yoga circuit, racking up cash prizes and edging ever closer to snagging an endorsement deal. But Esak’s ultimate goal is the Olympics, a dream instilled in him by his guru, Bikram Choudhury. Bikram’s supporters applaud his crusade to have yoga recognized as an Olympic sport. His detractors are horrified. It’s typical of the controversies that surround the ‘Bad Boy of Yoga’. Bikram has also copyrighted his popular yoga style. Those who teach ‘Bikram yoga’ without playing by his rules are hit with crippling copyright infringement fees. So a group of yoga studio owners take Bikram to court to pose an important legal question; can anyone ‘own’ yoga?

In today’s yoga world only the marketplace has real meaning, where everything is up for grabs, from yoga shoes to chakra panties. The new mantras are Standardize and Supersize. In the race to cash in yoga chains (‘McYoga’?) are popping up everywhere, putting the smaller studios out of business. No wonder purists are scratching their heads. Is nothing sacred?

Greed, lust, ego and the search for enlightenment all come together in this original, irreverent portrait of spiritualism and capitalism colliding head on.” -SNAGFILMS

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