Awake: The Life of Yogananda

Awake: The Life of Yogananda is an engaging, inspiring and visually stunning 2014 documentary that delves into the life and teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. Often credited as the man who brought meditation and yoga to the Western hemisphere, Yogananda is a profoundly influential figure spanning many parts of the globe with his philosophy. The movie unfolds with eloquence, capturing the essence of this unique teacher, thinker, and yogi.

The film features an array of passionate and heartfelt interviews from a diverse pool of key figures such as Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra, and Yogananda's devoted disciple, Brother Chidananda. Through their narratives, the viewer gets to understand Yogananda's remarkable journey, his evolution as a spiritual leader, and the impact he has had on millions of lives around the world.

Awake does a brilliant job of tracing Yogananda's life from his early years in India, experiencing mystical visions and spiritual awakenings, to his arrival in America in 1920. The film provides an insightful portrait of Yogananda's tireless efforts to share his spiritual wisdom with the Western world. This includes Yogananda's founding of the Self-Realization Fellowship and his spreading of the practice of Kriya Yoga, a meditation technique aiming to foster a direct personal experience with the divine.

The film invites viewers to not just observe Yogananda's teachings, but also his personal journey - his private struggles, his public controversies, and his determination to affirm his Indian spiritual heritage in the face of Western skepticism. Throughout the movie, filmmakers Paola di Florio and Lisa Leeman also incorporate Yogananda's own words from his best-selling spiritual guidebook "The Autobiography of a Yogi".

In Awake: The Life of Yogananda, the filmmakers succeeded in creating a poignant, beautiful visual narrative that helps to portray Yogananda's spiritual offerings. The absorbing cinematography only adds layers to the dialogues and ideas throughout the film, often portraying Yogananda in strikingly intimate moments of prayer and meditation, as well as his extensive travels across oceans and continents.

The heart of the film is in its testimonial interviews. It features short testimonials from adherents of Yogananda's teachings, disclosing not just the depth of their faith, but also how these teachings have tangibly impacted their lives for the better. Present day Indian and American followers share touching personal accounts of transformation and redemption, attesting to the enduring power of Yogananda's spiritual legacy.

Deepak Chopra, a well-known advocate of holistic health and spirituality, provides an insightful interpretation of Yogananda's teachings and their alignment to the principles of quantum physics. Meanwhile, Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce and a student of Yogananda’s teachings, talks about how these ideologies have influenced his leadership style and approach to business.

From a historical perspective, Awake provides a sweeping look at the religious and cultural trends of the 20th century. The film portrays the surge of interest in Eastern spirituality among Western societies and the simultaneous suspicion and resistance these ideas were met with. Yogananda's role as an early ambassador of Hindu spiritual teachings in the United States is given sharp focus, providing a fascinating cultural context to the narrative.

While providing insight and perspective, Awake does not fall into the trap of becoming didactic or preachy. The filmmakers approach Yogananda's life and teachings with a clear-eyed and balanced objectivity. While celebrating his profound contributions, the film does not shy away from addressing the criticisms and controversies he encountered during his lifetime.

Awake: The Life of Yogananda is as much about the timeless human quest for spiritual fulfillment as it is a biopic of one man's spiritual path. It is a movie that offers insight and inspiration, with the potential to engage even those who might otherwise have little interest in the subject matter. As it traces the journey of a pioneering spiritual figure, it also delicately weaves a discourse on the universal yearning for meaning, connection, and transcendence. It is a film that reverberates with a quiet intensity, inviting the viewer to self-reflect and explore their own spiritual dimensions.