Is not too hard to explain enlightenment...

I am writing with a passionate purpose to provide a raw, honest and insightful critique to a movie I recently saw called, Enlighten UP! This movie’s aim is to turn people off from exploring the journey of going within, and refrain from using well documented and effective tools, such as yoga and meditation.

For those already using yoga in their daily lives, they not need to see the film. For those even slightly interested in exploring the reasons why yoga is effective for finding internal peace, this movie will give you such a negative glance at “spirituality” (as they call it) that afterwards you won’t want to step foot in a yoga studio. In order words, if you’re on the fence about deciding whether or not to have faith in making personal transformation toward greater overall health, this movie will convince you that there’s no such thing as a path or way to achieve happiness. How depressing is that?! 

This movie is designed to help those who don’t dedicate their lives to seeking their own personal truths feel more secure and OK with the lack of participation in the human spirit liberation movement. It gives examples, case studies, and interviews to somehow make an argument that contentment is located far outside yourself. You walk away more confused about spirituality than when you started watching the film.

If you haven’t noticed, I don’t have positive evidence to convince you that this movie is helping humanity evolve in a higher direction of peace and love. The movie’s highly superficial representation of yoga, and the way in which the practice impacts the lives of millions, is dishonorable and (my personal passionate feeling) intolerable.

My anger toward the spiritless direction of this story is the emotional layer on top of the sadness. I find the downtrodden message of “there’s no calculable evidence that proves a self-nurturing practice, like yoga, leads to greater levels of overall happiness” is so pathetically unrealistic, or as my friend Coco Dave would say, "We're constantly given misinformation". What’s even more sad is this movie has emerged during a critical time on the planet when humans are needing empowering solutions, alternative choices, comfort, encouragement and tools to go within so they can escape the rat race of capitalism. 

 It seems like the fear vibration of the movie surfaces around the self-hate notion of “I am going to resist slowing down, closing my eyes, tuning into how I feel- (without my eyes), ask myself how I am doing…”—all for what? To continue to share disempowering messages with you:  keep up with what that person is doing over there because I care more about what that person thinks that I do about my own personal happiness. Fear, fear, fear and blah, blah, blah!

Yoga helps eradicate the obsessive nature to fixate on the external world as reason to not believe in the safety and sacredness of the self. Yoga is simply feeling the body and doing a physical moving practice using the breath and body in such a way that feels liberating for the individual. And moving the body is one method to express creativity, which is in all of us and needs a platform to release.

This movie is probably the best excuse in the world for me to dedicate my time to sharing the “ah ha” moments of life, both through movie and music. Because YES there are tools to help calm the mind and focus on peace. YES there are ways to physically open the heart to feel a natural sensation of euphoria. YES there is a way to explain the benefits of yoga by shinning the light of truth. YES the spiritual journey is a rewarding one, and it is not too hard to explain enlightenment.

All of if can be taught, and thus all of it can be learned. What it boils down to is the category of readiness of the person. I see that there are three levels: 1) You’re ready and willing to try anything to see the results and have the experience 2) You’re interested, so you start asking questions of how to begin the journey 3) You are a skeptical (the film maker and guinea pig) and are not interested. These types of people are the ones that do for the wrong reasons- trying to please someone outside you, a virtue trap or doing it purely for monetary reward.

In the case of the movie, Enlighten UP! Nick Rosen- the chosen subject to be a “guinea pig” for the different modes to increase awareness had a negative attitude from the start, and it was obvious he had no conscious, heart-driven desire to learn. Motivated to make money and through the virtue trap of, “I gotta finish what I’ve started” the movie drags on and the low moments get lower as one sinks in a pool of hopelessness.

So, unless you’re wanting confirmation to not have faith that life is a fulfilling process of getting to know yourself, your connection to your body, others and the planet, than this movie will leave you disturbed.

Nick Rosen, the main character, is a tragic and classic example of how yoga in the mainstream representation is poorly misunderstood, displayed as esoteric and under represented.  Now, more than ever yoga is a practice to be regarded with great respect because it is a highly relevant practice to further human evolution/enlightment .

I know my purpose for watching this film was to figure out what not to do for a documentary regarding consciousness raising. I am going to create a very easy to understand and practical movie that explores teaching the individual to realize it’s own glory, beauty and purpose on the planet. Because we’re all needing that download more than anything.

Say Good-bye to denial and hello to empowering information!