Comments on: Enlighten Up! (The New Yoga Movie): The Official Drishti Review

By: Joshua Dyer

Joshua Dyer — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:31:08 +0000

I hadn’t heard of this one yet, and after Mr. Rawlings’s incisive review, I suppose I should just pass. Still, Nick seems like a thoughtful and endearing fellow, and if slotting a DVD into my Mac is all I have to hear his thoughts on this lovely practice then, why the hell not? I can certainly relate to the basic tensions that occur when a fact-oriented guy sets himself adrift in the soupy metaphysics of ancient philosophies and spiritual practices. Might shake up my thinking a bit.

But most of all, can we all say: A. O. Wilson, watch out for that pink slip! Craig Rawlings is here to deliver the real deal!

By: John Doyle

John Doyle — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:39:06 +0000

I thought the movie was earnest in its approach and it had that going for it. It attempted to weave the thread that connects all these practices called deservedly or not “yoga”. As Kate found out, and as any long time practitioner has found out, defining the path is like trying to hold onto a writhing and oily fish – the second you think you have it, it slips away. The lesson being one must avoid heavy-handedness and Kate did not seem to do that from what we saw (it may have been edited out).

I assigned the movie to 22 year old college students in a Yoga 1 class – true beginners most of them. They found it very useful as they identified with Nick’s scientism and really wanted to know just what is all this yoga fuss about.

By: Felicia Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:40:41 +0000

I love this review….my feelings about the film as well. And, Craig is expressed it so articulately. More than I was able to until I read this review. Well done. I did enjoy the film (especially some of the teachers and the interactions between Nick and Norman Allen and Nick and B.K.S. Iyengar), but was left feeling a bit dissatisfied for the same reasons.

By: The Drishti Blog » Blog Archive » Interesting News Items You Might Have Missed vol. 6

Sun, 17 May 2009 20:28:22 +0000

[...] in case you missed it, we published the official Drishti review of the new yoga movie Enlighten Up! last week. We’re kind of proud of our little review, and we think you might [...]

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:09:48 +0000

This review was pretty much right on with my thoughts on the film also. It’s not the yoga movie that’s (in my opinion) going to adequately present the great philosophy, spiritual path, or just plain form of exercise that is yoga to the mainstream. I do give it credit in that it sparked some great dialogue amongst a group of yogi’s after watching though.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:58:15 +0000

P.S. Nick’s really cute!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:57:40 +0000

Very well said! I also saw the movie and was very disheartened with how yoga was portrayed. This was an opportunity to see someone delve into the yoga world with an untainted mind. Nick Rosen was a yogic clean slate. Unfortunately Kate seemed intent on CREATING Nick’s thoughts, opinions etc…or at least molding them to fit what she believed/wanted him to say. This not only turned off the viewers (I watched the movie with a handful of yogi friends), but it seemed to turn Nick off to the experience as well. So relax Kate, everyone’s yoga experience is their own. It is their road to travel, and if they feel like stepping off of the path…that’s ok.