This morning I got news that Pattahbi Jois, the grandfather of the demanding yoga practice known today as Ashtanga, passed away in India hours earlier. I have many acquaintances from the years I’ve practiced and taught that studied with him in Mysore, so I know this piece of news will sadden many in the yoga world.
Pattahbi Jois led the Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore for many years, where many people went to immerse themselves in the demanding Ashantaga series. He inherited the practice itself from Krishnamacharya, who considered yoga India’s gift to the world and taught the physically demanding series to other influential teachers like Iyengar.
I’ve only seen Pattahbi Jois in an interview. Because his practice is so rigorous and takes on an almost cult-like following in some circles, I expected a fierce, self-righteous man. But behind the camera what appeared was a kind and humble being encouraging one to practice and seek their own answers.
Hearing him speak was one of the highlights in the recent movie now playing around theatres in the country, Enlighten Up. Others were interviews with Iyengar, footage of India, glimpses of Laughter yoga, and cameos of Shannon Gannon and David Life at their Jivamukti center upstate NY.
But in its search to define “transformation through yoga,” I felt the movie really missed the point. Director Kate follows Nick, who hasn’t done much yoga, from snobby classes around NYC to the most superficial scenes in LA and further on to India. Interviewing him along the way, she poses him questions about the changes he’s experiencing. Watching close-ups of him scramble for answers, interposed with amazing footage featuring Indian landscapes, I was left wondering whether the film was an indeed a documentary or just a mainstream comedy banking on a popular trend.
And isn’t the point of yoga to silence the busy mind? Pattabhi Jois himself mentions this in the film. It’s about grabbing hold and freeing oneself of that constant mental chatter. Kate’s questions push Nick to offer black-and-white conclusions on his new practice, and as all things spiritual, should not be posed so cut and dry. Even Iyengar himself explains in the film that he developed his yoga practice as a way to first and foremost gain physical health, and not until many years later did any hint of ’spiritual transformation’ awake in him.
I wonder why Kate, who apparently admires the practice, would almost demean it to an instant formula of backbends, trips to ashrams, and sweaty chanting with yogi superstars like she does in this film. I have no doubt her intentions were good, so the result was truly disappointing.
The movie fails to shed light on the many important aspects of yoga besides the asanas: non-violence, for example, or more importantly, meditation. The practice helps me gain clarity, let go, and gain perspective, while getting physically stronger, as it does for so many people. It’s a vehicle to mental peace, and like any practice – whether tai chi, chi gong, martial arts, or mindfulness meditation – takes time to understand.
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