ORF-E | 2020
1 x 35 min
English
Worldwide

What is yoga? Today, the teaching, which originated in India, takes many forms and colors. For some, yoga is a trendy sport; for others, it’s a medium of entertainment. Others still use it to alleviate physical ailments. The original philosophical teachings of yoga, which are around 5,000 years old, are much more complex and contain mysteries: practitioners claim to be able to find a connection to a higher self through breathing techniques and physical exercises. Yoga has its roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. To what extent is yoga itself a religion? What makes a real yogi a real yogini? One of the most famous faces of yoga is 93-year-old Ursula Lyon, nicknamed “Grandma Buddha” by her students. She developed the so-called Sampada Yoga, which combines physical exercise, meditation, and breathing exercises with Buddhist wisdom. But yoga is not always used for spiritual quests; it can also be used to alleviate physical suffering. Martina Sommer-Goldammer is a physiotherapist and is convinced of the healing effects of yoga. She integrates yoga into her treatment therapy. The documentary takes a look at one of the most original forms of yoga—the so-called Bhakti Yoga, also known as yoga of the heart—together with members of the Sri Sri Radha Govinda Gaudiya Math, stationed in a Hindu temple in Traiskirchen, Lower Austria. Their focus is on spiritual connection with the divine.