Yoga is a practice of mindfulness. It extends way beyond the yoga mat and flows into every moment of life. For many, yoga is a sacred and spiritual practice. It invites the student to take a deep dive within themselves. There is a whole world within you just waiting to be discovered. Yoga is a vehicle to help navigate your way through your inner world. It brings you closer to your higher self and the divine forces of the universe. Another way to help catapult this journey is by watching some of the top spiritual movies in recent history.
Why not integrate spirituality into every aspect of your life, including the movies you watch?
Throughout history, countless people have tried to describe the divine and magical side of the universe. There are books, movies, podcasts, you name it, and someone is or has tried to describe a spiritual journey of some kind. There are 18 movies, in particular, that stands out for being superior spiritual messages. These 18 movies would be great for any yoga student to watch!
18 Spiritual Movies For Every Yoga Student
It must be noted that this list is not in any particular order! Those with new spiritual movie suggestions, please comment on them below!
The Secret (2006)
The Secret made the top of the list because of its immediate popularity after releasing under the description of a “pseudoscientific documentary film.” Since its release, it became a staple in nearly every person’s spiritual journey. Those that are aware of the spiritual side of life have most likely seen this movie. If they haven’t, they have probably heard of the universal law the movie is based off.
The idea is simple. The person utilizes one of the Twelve Universal Laws — the Law of Attraction. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with making yourself more attractive. Rather, it is the idea that one can bring all their greatest desires and wildest dreams into reality simply by the way they think.
The movie is definitely a staple for a reason. At the very least, it gets you in the headspace of positive thinking.
Let’s be real; it’s at least worth a shot!
Ram Dass: Fierce Grace (2001)
Perhaps one of the greatest spiritual-heads of all time, Ram Dass was a man of deep and insightful wisdom. He understood how to communicate with the universe. He wouldn’t stop there, though. Ram Dass is known for not his ability to communicate with the universe. Instead, he’s known for his ability to deliver his messages back into the collective.
Many still look to his quotes for guidance. His wisdom is one that will never go outdated. Ram Dass: Fierce Grace is documentary-based biography bringing the world closer to all things hippie and spiritual.
Relax with a good cup of coffee before turning this one on, R.I.P.
Waking Life (2001)
The idea of collective consciousness is basically the fundamental building block of the movie Waking Life. For those into profound conversations of meditation and lucid dreams, this is a great movie to add to your list. The movie was even created in a way that makes it look like reality is a constant dream-state.
The film’s animation was overseen by artist Bob Sabiston. It utilized a unique style of animation that is based on rotoscoping. The movie was shot with real actors and then overlaid that with an approximating animation.
If nothing else, it opens the space for conversations you won’t see in mainstream media. Waking Life is a movie for the deep thinker. It is a movie for those intrigued by the power of the mind.
Watch it — you just might challenge your thought process.
Samsara (2011)
Samsara is another unique film that is sure to have any yoga student extremely interested. There are little fun facts about this film that make it that much more interesting, including:
- It was shot over a span of five years
- Shot on five continents and twenty-five countries
- Uses 70mm film for the entire movie
Knowing these facts draws the viewer into some of the most sacred places in the world. Anyone that watches the movie is sure to feel like a kid sitting in grade school again. Samsara invites you to remember just how unique yet connected humans really are. It is a celebration of life and all of its eternal experiences.
This one is a must-watch!
Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds (2012)
The New Age Movement seems to have adopted the notion that “you create your own reality.” This may or may not loosely tie with the Buddhist teaching that you are what you think about. Inner Worlds Outer Worlds takes the discussion one step further than The Secret.
It is a continuation of sorts that pulls many of its ideas from Buddhism. Namely, the idea that we are all energetic spiritual-beings. Not only that, but we all have a frequency that constantly raises and lowers depending on different things.
Some earthly things that change a human’s frequency are:
- Stress
- Sleep
- Food
- Words
- Thoughts
- Love
- Spiritual awakening
- Meditation
Pretty much everything you do affects your frequency. Those that want to achieve their dreams can do just that. All you must do first is master the art of positive and creative thinking. Inner Worlds Outer Worlds is a great way to get started down that rabbit hole.
Plus, it’s all information that can be brought back to your yoga practice later on.
Awake: The Life of Yogananda (2014)
Spirituality is named a pseudoscience by mainstream media. For whatever reason, the mainstream doesn’t want people to believe there is more to life than just the physical world. However, this simply isn’t true or realistic anymore.
Awake: The Life of Yogananda is a powerfully true story of the Hindu Mystic Paramahansa Yogananda and his quest for enlightenment. He came to America after his book, The Autobiography of a Yogi, became popular. Many celebrities read his book, which is how he got his name, “The First Superstar Guru of the 20th Century”.
The film showcases how the media directly tried to suppress the spread of information about the spiritual practice of Yoga. Needless to say, it is absolutely a movie every yoga student needs to watch.
Let’s be real. The book is a must-read as well.
I AM (2010)
Admittedly, diving deep into the wormhole that is spirituality can be exhausting. That said, there are ways to bring your head back down to the physical world without losing your spiritual practice in the process. The movie I AM focuses on humanity’s impact on the Earth. This movie is great for yoga students to watch because it teaches the students different ways to live consciously and help the planet in the process.
Every yoga student is a planet lover at heart. Honestly, it’s hard not to be when it is the only planet that can sustain human life.
This movie will have you reevaluating how sustainable you live life!
The Celestine Prophecy (2006)
Given that the movie was released in 2006, The Celestine Prophecy has surprisingly good animation and cinematography. The director, Armand Mastroianni, does a great job of portraying what it is like for the secrets of the universe to unlock for someone. These secrets are oftentimes referred to as a spiritual awakening.
The movie is quite literally a journey through the search for a prophecy. Metaphorically it’s the journey of a soul’s awakening.
If you don’t have chills yet, you will.
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Cloud Atlas is a severely underrated movie. The concepts within the writing are profoundly deep. So much so that it can easily flow right over your head if you aren’t paying attention—the kind of movie you have to watch with an open mind. The movie is a creation based on the book of the same title by author David Mitchell.
For some, life seems like random acts of chaos intermingled together. Others feel they are destined with a particular life purpose. The movie Cloud Atlas portrays this idea of a life purpose masterfully.
Oh and Halle Berry, hello!
Peaceful Warrior (2006)
Based on the best-selling novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, the movie is an invigorating tale of perseverance for the soul. Those that are familiar with the phrase “mind over matter” can heavily relate to this tale.
Yoga students need to watch Peaceful Warrior because of its insightful dialogue. Oftentimes the wisest words are spoken by those who have overcome deep pain. This film is a confirmation of that fact.
Not to mention it is a story about a cute male gymnast, hello!
Life of Pi (2012)
Has the collective seen this movie yet? Life of Pi hit the scene in 2012, and the world was instantly mesmerized. Academy Award-Winning Director Ang Lee overcame many obstacles during filming. In the end, the film truly became an example for cinema — a revolutionary.
Yet another story first told in a novel, Life of Pi, calls to the deepest part of the soul. Any yoga student that watches this film is sure to be left full of inspiration. It’s a battle of strength, both physically and mentally. The protagonist, Pi Patel, is lost at sea. He takes the viewer through an emotional and enlightening journey through the psyche.
At this point, there’s really no reason not to watch it.
Avatar (2009)
Avatar definitely deserves to be in the top 18 best spiritual movies list for yoga students. The story is symbolic of indigenous ancestors in America. It also speaks heavily to spirituality and freeing your mind.
Perhaps the single greatest part about the movie is that you get to experience life as an avatar for nearly three hours! There have been talks of other Avatar movies in the future. For now, the collective seems to be okay with this one. Rightfully so, too!
The movie showcases cinematic technology that was ahead of its time. In fact, filming the first Avatar was delayed because James Cameron was waiting for the technology to match his vision. Cameron has also mentioned this being the same reason for the delay on the sequels.
According to this article, there is a plan for Avatar 2-5 as well. He doesn’t want to get started filming the second one, though. At least not until a majority of the other scripts are written.
Who’s ready to fly as an Avatar in real life?!
The Man From Earth (2007)
For millennia, man has wanted to get in touch with the life force of nature. You can walk into any room in the world, and a mention of the word “God” can get anyone’s attention. The Man From Earth is a great depiction of a man that seemingly has access to this lifeforce God energy. He doesn’t age. He’s lived on Earth for thousands of years and only decides to tell his colleagues after an impromptu party.
The special effects might seem a little dated, as this movie is a little older. That said, for a small budget film, The Man From Earth really takes the cake. Yoga students can benefit from watching this movie because, if nothing else, it gets you thinking about that deeper connection within us all.
He’s thousands of years old and hasn’t aged a day? Sign me up!
What the Bleep Do We Know?! (2004)
A lot of those in the spiritual community can appreciate a good documentary about the spiritual community. That is to say, a lot of movies that describe the spiritual side of life tend to be science-fiction movies. When a documentary comes along, that seems to shine a light on all the divine possibilities in the universe. You bet people are going to pay attention.
What the Bleep Do We Know?! is a documentary drama that sets out to explain the connection between quantum physics and consciousness. This movie may be from 2004, but the questions are still relevant today. There is still so much that the world doesn’t know about consciousness and how the story of humans and Earth began.
This movie is great information about consciousness that is backed by scientific evidence.
That’s right, yogis! This is a must-watch!
I Origins (2014)
“The eyes are the windows to the soul.” If you are a yoga student, chances are you’ve heard this a time or two. I Origins is a that brings together the scientific world and the spiritual world. In an effort to gain some closure after his one true love passes, the main character is informed of a girl in India with the exact same iris pattern as his former lover.
Convinced this isn’t possible, he sets out on his journey to find the person with these eyes. For him, it ends up being a search for faith in God.
The movie’s unique storyline is sure to captivate you!
The Shift (2009)
The film is shot as if it’s a documentary, but it is classed under indie films and drama. The Shift speaks on the moment in all of our lives when we shift from the morning to the afternoon of our life. At least, that’s how they describe it in the movie. In other words, it is what happens after you have your spiritual awakening. It is was happens after you step into your own and find your life’s purpose.
Everyone has a life purpose, and chances are, it looks a lot like your wildest dreams. Whether you are a yoga student or not, your wildest dreams are a mere thought away. And The Shift does a great job of portraying this to viewers.
This film is definitely classified under “oldie but goodie”!
Kumaré (2011)
In short, Kumaré is a story about a false prophet that made his way to Arizona, where he gained popularity. For as long as time has existed, many have been accused of false prophecy. In the same sense, people have always wanted to believe in prophets as well. Kumaré is a documentary that shines a light on just how many people so desperately want to believe universal wisdom when it comes from someone with Eastern religious background.
As the investigator personifies this character known as Kumaré, people in Arizona are quick to wholeheartedly believe in him. They believe in him so much that by the end of the documentary, he admits it is hard for him to remember who he truly is. He becomes engulfed in this character. Kumaré is a great lesson for yoga students to stay true to themselves.
Remember, everything you need is already located within you. A guru is just a showman.
On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace (2017)
To finish the list is by far one of the greatest things for yoga students and aspiring yoga students to watch, On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace. It magnificently depicts what yoga is for those in the East as well as the Western parts of the world. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what your background is. Yoga is an exercise for the mind, body, and soul. It’s a way to connect with the divine energy of the universe and to live in flow with your Darhma or life’s purpose.
Not to mention you get to see some truly incredible photographs of yogis from around the world.
All in all, these top 18 spiritual movies are perfect for yoga students. It gets the mind going. It puts you in the mindset you need to be in while you are practicing yoga! It nothing else, it gets you thinking about the universe. In turn, this gets you connected with the inner workings of the universe as well.
Go ahead, turn one on! You won’t be disappointed.
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