Yoga Movie Reviews

I am legend, 2007 (warning: contains spoilers)

2008-01-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

The movie “I am legend” starring Will Smith is an interesting opportunity to look through the eyes of Tantra Yoga into the world of Svadhisthana Chakra, the second Chakra of the human being.

To begin with lets understand the second Chakra of the human being, Svadhisthana. When this Chakra is balanced and pure the human being will manifest harmonious imagination, sense of fantasy, creativity, social success, inner joy in any situation and vitality. Be aware that imbalance and impurity on the second Chakra makes the human being always be swayed by his or her feelings and emotions and eventually people get lost in it. This can make that the human being can not see much more than his or her own suffering, always being a

victim to depression, hysteria, confusion, guilt, stress, self absorption etc., and therefore always becoming the victim of his/her own emotional changing states of mind.

Will Smith is an actor that has a very developed

Svadhisthana Chakra and he usually is seen in roles which show the emotional world composing the psyche of the human being. We’ve seen

him in “Bad Boys 1 & 2” as the “cool” cop that always wears the tailor

made clothes and says the coolest things, in “ I Robot” as the cop suffering from a case of guilt over the death of a child while he was saved by a Robot from drowning, and mostly in “Hitch”, which was a Svadhisthana Chakra classic disaster zone.

Therefore, it is not a surprise to see Will Smith in “I am Legend” as the sole survivor of humanity, a scientist, and of course the coolest dude on earth who by the way is tormented by his guilt (again… what a surprise) for the lose of so many human beings to a deadly virus which apparently he was involved in it’s development.

In the case of the character Robert Neville, we see a man who is feeling guilty, sad, lonely and tormented by his past; by his lose of family and fellow men kind. This is a strong background for a rich emotional plethora of situations (which manifest a lot in this movie). One of the brilliant examples is the amusing relationship Dr. Neville is developing with the manikins he has arranged in the video store. Again Svashisthana in full swing.

The story line of this movie shows us the life of Robert Neville alone in virus plagued New York. His loneliness is crushing (this part was done

nicely and is visually compelling), here it is interesting to mention that Tantra Yoga says that the nightmare of the person on Svadhisthana Chakra is nothing else then: To be left alone… when we think of the great Yogis and Tantrics of man kind, like the great Milarepa of Tibet, who chose to live alone in caves in the Himalayas, completely isolated, practicing Meditation and Yoga for 30 years, without hardly seeing a living soul and reaching enlightenment, we can understand the huge difference in the level of consciousness that is evident here.

Later on, when Robert Neville, fighting the Zombie like ex-humans (those who contracted the virus and transformed to Zombie like creatures) we see the character again ridden with guilt, shouting in the last scene: “I can save you…” very touching expression on Svadhisthana Chakra. But spiritually blind.

At the end Robert Neville meets up with two more survivors who revile to him the fact that there is a whole colony of survivors out there (which he totally missed...) and at the end he sacrifices himself to save his companions and the world with an unnecessary sentimental gesture of blowing himself up when he could easily escape... this could be funny if it wasn't a sad story on the second Chakra.

To conclude, this movie presents the unbalanced aspects of the second Chakra, Svadhisthana, and is uselessly loaded with emotions. The basic idea had potential but was poorly executed.

Final score: 2.

Written by Moses.

Bliss(1997), Movie Review

2007-10-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

"Bliss" is a wonderful and inspiring movie that addresses a very important and yet sensitive issue in modern life. Joseph and Maria are the perfect young married couple or so it seems from the opening scene of the movie but very quickly they discover that unfortunately there is a problem in their relationship. It seems they are not having successful sex. Joseph is upset to learn that Maria has been faking her orgasms and this drives a wedge between them.

Joseph is trying to understand what he can do to solve the problem and save their marriage. To his astonishment Joseph discovers by chance that Maria has been visiting a local Tantric sex therapist who is well known for his frequent "meetings" with a lot of women. Carried by his emotions of jealousy and anger Joseph decides to visit this man and soon he discovers a new world which changes his life and gives a totally new and radical point of view about sexuality and his life.

The Tantric sex therapist, named Balthazar, introduces Joseph to the world of Tantra and shocks him by teaching him the secrets of Tantra and opens the door for Joseph to learn that lovemaking for men is much more than the common short sex sessions that most men know, the popularized Hollywood style, short lovemaking which ends when the man dissipates quickly his sexual energy and loses his power and vitality. All this without the woman or himself really reaching deep satisfaction. Attention here - this applies to some very important teachings in Tantra yoga that has been kept secret for centuries.

According to great Tantrics and Yogis, the process of orgasm for man is an art form really, that should be studied. The secrets of retention and conscious sexuality can lead to true pleasure and even deep psychological positive changes and eventually even spiritual evolution. This is done by learning various techniques of breathing and different postures that actually can be learned in a matter of weeks or months and thus make available for men the control over their sexual prowess and even experience multiple orgasms which will be much more sublime and beneficial for themselves and also for their sexual partner. This is just scratching the surface of the story of tantra which is unknown or sometimes even ignored by many people in modern life, and rarely presented in cinema. That is exactly what makes “Bliss” such a unique movie.

Late on in the movie “Bliss”, we find that Joseph soon starts to practice these techniques and slowly learns to discover how to make his lovemaking experiences with Maria much more rewarding and beneficial for her especially after they both find out that Maria was sexually abused as a child by her father and that lead to her present frigid and frustrating condition.

The conclusion of this movie is special and brings hope into a topic which is not addressed much in cinema today, actually "Bliss" is a rare movie in this way, since no other Hollywood movie in the last 10-15 years has tried to address the issue of Tantra so openly and furthermore it shows how so many problems in modern life could be solved wonderfully by learning the secrets of Tantra and improving the sex life and so transforming it into a spiritual path.

Final verdict: 3.5/5

Written by Udi and Moses.

Meet Joe Black (1998), Movie review

2007-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

"Meet Joe Black" is an underrated movie that deals with a very special aspect in spirituality which concerns the energy of the beginning.

Black (Brad Pitt) is none other then Death which has decided to take a form of a handsome young man who had just died in a car accident. He comes to visit Business man Bill Parish (Anthony Hopkins) and to tell him that he is about to die, further more, He asks Bill to show him around and teach him about life in the remaining days Bill has till his death. All this in order so he could learn how does it feel to be a human being.

Bill has no choice and introduces the stranger Mr. Black to his family and his daughter Suzanne (Claire Forlani) which is amazed to recognize the handsome Joe Black from a first meeting she had with him earlier in a coffee shop (only she doesn't realize that the body of the young man she met in the coffee shop and almost fell in love with – is now taken by Death itself).

Joe Black is like a child who has just been born to the world, every experience is new to him, simple actions such as eating and using his senses are experienced for the first time. At one point he sees Suzanne's boyfriend Drew kisses her and after which he asks Suzanne: "When Drew kissed you, it seemed as a frequent thing..." this is just an example of how frequent and usual actions become to human beings as they get older and especially in relationships which loose the energy of the beginning and the charm and magic of a new relationship. When later on Suzanne falls in love with Joe Black she says: "making love to you feels like making love for the first time...", and this is an important statement since when a human being experiences real Love, it is usually that unique and special experience that manifests in this specific way that the "energy of the beginning" feels like. Everyone remembers the first kiss, the first date or the first love making with a partner, because it had that special aspect which is called in spirituality "the energy of the beginning".

Later on in the movie Suzanne learns that Joe has to leave and they both don't want to part, as they confess their love to each other. This is an example of an aspect which relates to Anahata chakra which applies the issue of unfulfilled love, and it is this kind of love which truly comes from the heart as it is showed so wonderfully in the last and powerful act of this movie.

It is the real true love because this love will be eternal and will not loose it's energy as we so often see in couples (married or otherwise), which just follow the wrong formula that so many of us are brain washed with of marriage=love and happiness. According to Tantra yoga it is wrong to get attached since in such a relationship the energy of the beginning will be lost and the love that was so powerful in the beginning will slowly slowly vanish. That is why in Tantra it is always recommended to try and preserve the energy of the beginning (by using specific techniques and Yogic practices, see: Agama Yoga & Tantra School, Thailand). Some Tantrics try to solve this phenomenon by having new lovers all the time, because this maintain the feel of real love. Not that frequent kiss after 10 years of marriage but that first kiss, those first days of spending time with a new lover. In other words the special feeling of the start of love, and this is a state that should be preserved and maintained in any relationship, otherwise it will not be a true relationship which is based on love any more.

To conclude "Meet Joe Black" is a beautiful slow paced movie which will be mostly remembered for it's last powerful and emotional act. Pay special attention to the wonderful acting of Claire Forlani as Suzanne

Final verdict: 4.5/5

Written by Udi.

Gladiator(2000) Movie Review

2007-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Many people try to understand what was the reason Gladiator (click here to watch the trailer) became such a successful and effective epic compared to his wannabe look a like epic followers such as "Troy", "Alexander" and "King Arthur" (click to watch the trailers for Troy, Alexander, King Arthur). The reason from the view point of Yoga is very obvious. Gladiator had a collaboration of 2 people born in a fire astrological sign. The director-Ridley Scott, a Sagittarius and the main actor-Russel Crowe, an Aries .And also composer Hans Zimmer which is known for his fiery scores.

Starting from it's opening scene and until it's end "Gladiator" is a movie that deals with Manipura chakra. "Strength and honor" is the main idea behind the character of Maximus which is played by Oscar winning Russel Crowe. Maximus is a rare example in movies of today of a character which has a solar activation (that is a masculine emissive activation) of Manipura Chakra, He is a fearless brave and honorable leader which also think in a very Manipuristic way. Director Ridley Scott shows in his movie the transformation Maximus has to make after being tricked by Comodos and going through a personal tragedy in which he looses his wife and family, From being a general loved and honored by his soldiers he now has to face a new reality as he becomes a slave and later on a he becomes a Gladiator which might be killed in any fight, yet Maximus makes the transformation very fast and learns that not all is lost and he might still have a chance to get his revenge against Comodos and bring back freedom to Rome from it's vicious new emperor.

Ridley Scott in one of his best movies shows a world which is lost today of men that had to use their bravery and courage in order to survive, at that time men didn't watch "Friends" on television and cried every time their girlfriend said something offensive :-) These men were totally on Manipura Chakra, and the perfect example in this movie is Maximus, a leader, a warrior and a General that knows how make those around him work as a group and understand his orders in a way which makes them lunar (receptive) on Manipura chakra.

The soundtrack of this movie is one of the best I've listened to in my life. Hans Zimmer which is famous for his heroic scores (Check out "The Peacemaker" soundtrack which even outshines 'Gladiator") composed two wonderful Manipuristic themes which could be meditated upon for focusing on Manipura Chakra. "The Battle" and "The Barbarian Horde".

In the years to follow Directors such as Oliver Stone and Wolfgang Peterson tried to mimic the effect and success of "Gladiator" with movies such as "Alexander" and "Troy" but they failed simply because they didn't understand the Manipura spirit which made "Gladiator" work. Actors Brad Pitt and Colin Farrel were simply poor in their Manipura and the writers of these movies didn't quite understand how to make the formula of "Gladiator" come to life again.

To conclude,"Gladiator" is a very powerful and inspiring movie that works on the solar (emissive) aspect of Manipura Chakra. Those of you who feel they are lacking courage, strength and will power, should study the character of Maximus and even try to imagine themselves as the character Maximus, walk like him, talk like him and behave like him to become stronger and less feminine (which unfortunately is a problem today among men).

Final verdict: 4 stars out of 5

Written by Udi

Yoga movie review will bring you more reviews on movies in the eyes of Tantra Yoga in the next post.

The Chakras in Tantra, in order to understand our movie reviews

2007-10-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

According to the Tantric teachings the human being has 7 chakras. The Chakra is like a gateway by which the human being can receive or emit energy and also experience emotional and mental states.

Actually in tantra we define different personalities of human beings according to their Chakras. Most average human beings have one or maximum two Chakras predominantly active. That is why many times you will see that we refer in this blog to an actor/actress, a director, a music composer etc. as a person who is predominantly manifesting the energy of one Chakra mostly (this can be any one of the 7 Chakras as they will be explained shortly).

The 7 Chakras and a short explanation:

Muladhara Chakra: This is the root Chakra, situated in the bottom of the spine.
Svadhisthana Chakra: The so called sex Chakra situated at the area of the genitals.
Manipura Chakra: The equivalent to the Japanese Hara, situated at the naval.
Anahata Chakra: The heart Chakra, situated in the middle of the chest area.
Vishuddha Chakra: The throat Chakra, situated at the pit of the throat.
Ajna Chakra: The famous third eye, situated in the middle of the forehead.
Sahasrara Chakra: The crown Chakra, just above the top of the head.

To each of the Chakras there are specific energetic, emotional and mental states which are relevant:

Muladhara: pure energy, basic grounding, strong connection to the earth, basic needs and raw power.
Svadhisthana: Instincts, sexuality, imagination and fantasy, living life blindly like in a soap opera, social success, creativity.
Manipura: Strength, self confidence, power, dynamism, ego, fire, courage, heroism, sometimes violence.
Anahata: Pure love, selflessness, devotion, giving to others, harmony, compassion.
Vishuddha: Extremely pure, purity and cleanliness, space and time, vastness, high art, uniqueness.
Ajna: Mind power, focusing, genius, paranormal possibilities, high intelligence, control.
Sahasrara: Enlightenment, divine energy and divine grace, being like a saint, beyond the mind, Nirvana.

Now that we understand what "tools" the Tantrics are using in order to understand the human psychology and personality structure. We are ready to look at some movie reviews. Get ready to gain a unique insight into Movies and Tantra.

Movies in the eyes of Tantra Yoga

2007-09-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Modern yogis have notices that through the medium of cinema it is possible to transmit spiritual messages in a very effective and deep way. Off course, not all Yogis will agree with that, I'm referring here mostly to the Tantrics (the Yoga adepts of Tantra). Since in Tantra the yogi is working with the feminine aspect, shakti, which is the manifestation of the universe (maya in Yoga) in it's totality. Therefore, in the tantric path you find the yogi is not trying to escape the world but rather experience it, learn from it and mostly - to control it. The world being Shakti - energy - the yogi wishes to control the energy and use it to reach enlightenment.

What does this has to do with cinema? well, a lot. Because cinema is part of reality, manifestation. And it is an excellent tool to experience emotions which are high and powerful, that the tantric yogi can use to channel to his higher centers and transform into pure consciousness.

The big question is how would you know, which movies are having a spiritual message or transmit a specific beneficial state? and which are not. Also, on what exactly should a tantric yogi focus on and in which movie?

Well, the answer to those questions is this blog! here I aim to give you a clear yogic review of movies and a wonderful insight into the world of Tantra and it's view of reality.

In the following posts I will start the movies review. Stay tuned.