Hey there! Big news. We’ve been awarded the distinct honor of grilling politely interviewing the stars of the hit yogamentary Enlighten Up! A Skeptic’s Journey Into the World of Yoga (read the YD review). Yes they are allowing us yoyos to unleash our skills of inquiry on filmmaker Kate Churchill and Nick Rosen (the skeptic). But we can’t be the only yogadorks who want to know.
So guess what, we decided they will be answering YOUR questions! Did you see the film? What are your curiosities, burning questions, trivial pursuits? Send them to us! And we will choose as many as we can to ask Kate and Nick. Please add them in the comments below, or send your Qs via email to yogadork@gmail.com. We need them asap (or by Thursday) so take off your witch hats and put on your thinking caps.
Oh, and one more thing…the DVD release of the film is next week November 10, and WE have two copies to giveaway! By sending a question you’re automatically entered to win your very own copy which includes a boat load of extra bonus stuff.*
Whether you’ve seen the film or not, here’s the trailer to refresh your memory and/or provide you with a solid gist.
*More about the film and DVD stuff…
Featuring: B.K.S. Iyengar of Iyengar Yoga (who was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine), Pattabhi Jois of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (Ashtanga Yoga became Power Yoga in the US), Norman Allen of the Big Island of Hawaii, Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamukti Yoga, Dharma Mittra of Dharma Mittra Yoga, Diamond Dallas Page former pro wrestler turned yoga teacher, Sharath Rangaswamy (grandson of Pattabhi Jois), Dr. Madan Kataria of Laughing Yoga, Rodney Yee star yogi in Living Arts videos, Cyndi Lee of OM Yoga, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa of Golden Bridge Yoga, Alan Finger of Yogaworks, Baron Baptiste of Baptiste Power Yoga, Beryl Bender Birch of Hard and Soft Yoga and Natasha Rizopoulos of Yogaworks.
Over 50 Minutes of DVD Bonus Material including:
- Extended Interviews with Yoga Luminaries B.K.S. Iyengar, Gurusharanananda and Norman Allen
- Deleted Scenes
- Photo Montage of Northern India
- Filmmaker Biography
Earlier…Why You Should ‘Enlighten Up!’ The YogaDork Review
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Question #1: Did Kate really think that 6 months was enough to change someone?
Question #2: How did they get in to see BKS Iyengar, have heard it was really hard to do.
Question #3: Did Nick ever return to yoga? Would he recommend it to anyone?
addendum to #3: Did Nick think it was the yoga that got him to follow his path or just being away from home?
Do either Kate or Nick practice Yoga today or have they moved on to other things?
If they do practice, what do they do? If not, why not, and what do they do instead?
Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com
where is nick today and what occupies his daily time?
For Kate:
How did the gurus you and Nick interviewed surprise you? Was there someone in particular that was not how you expected him/her to be like?
How has making this film changed your personal yoga practice?
For Nick:
You became very emotional in India about your mom. Did your yoga adventure change your relationship with your mom or other people in your life?
For Nick:
What made you take up this challenge in the first place? Was it a curiosity about yoga. A chance to be in a documentary/movie? Or something else?
What did you love/hate the most about your adventure?
For Kate:
Do you have any plans for a “sequel” of some sort? Or to make any other kind of spiritual/yoga based documentaries/movies?
What was the difference between your expectations and the final result of the documentary?
Did Nick’s experiences help you understand your own concepts of spirituality more fully?
You talk a lot about being transformed… were you physically transformed? Isn’t a physical transformation enough- especially after just six months.
For Nick:
Are you single?
Now, now, Roseanne. We’re not just pieces of meat, you know!
I’d like to know if Nick gets recognized by a lot of yogis on the street and, if so, what they usually say to him. Are they jealous that he got to meet so many gurus? Frustrated that he didn’t become a full-on devotee? Or grateful that he had the adventure he did?
what was your preconceptions of the word ” transformation” before the project and revisited after?
For Nick:
Would you return to India to do some travelling?
Kate:
Did you get any feedback from the yoga teachers she interviewed at the beginning of the documentary?
Nick:
What part of this experience did you find the most rewarding?
After making this film, do you still agree with your original premise that “yoga can transform *anyone*”? By “transform”, do you mean a spiritual transformation? A physical change? A clarity in thought?
Do you think that such a transformation is a permanent change in perspective, or reverts once a yoga practice is abandoned?
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but am very excited to see it!!
To Kate,
Why was the decision made to not interview or include interviews with more North American teachers.
Was there any thought given to introducing Nick to “yoga-lite” American studios/ teachers to start? I’m just thinking that most people I know start with gym yoga for 20 minute sessions and take 6 months to a year to get to a regular practice. Did he or Kate ever feel the jump directly from yoga-newbie to traveling to India was too far a leap for lasting change? Or was the intentional all-out immersion seen as the most direct route to transformation for him?
For Kate: Were any of the teachers (especially the Americans) upset by their portrayals in the film? Some of them wound up looking less than stellar in their interviews, and I was wondering what feedback you got. Did you get any “un-yogic” reactions?
For Nick: As a result of your deep immersion in yoga, do you now read any yoga magazines or blogs, or go to class regularly? Do you meditate?
Nick, you didn’t believe in the beginning that this experiment would change you…therefore it didn’t. Willing to change your intention?
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