Totally Enlightened! ~ by Tara Stiles {Funny Yoga Video}
Totally Enlightened is a fun, and funny yoga video with a serious message: spiritual superficiality and spiritual hucksterism are both, equally silly and unhelpful. Do the real thing! Psyched to have this video on elephant—support it by sharing up—and psyched to see Tara back on the site for the second time this month. ~ ed.
From Tara, to elephants everywhere:
Totally Enlightened! is a story of two bff’s trying to find inner peace in all the wrong places. I wrote this as a short film about 10 years ago when I moved to NYC and started dipping my toes in all the different yoga and spiritual communities that were hanging around, and observing quite a few comedic moments in the process.
What fun is life if we take ourselves so seriously, and what fun is yoga and the search for enlightenment if we are tight, tense, and clenched up from the inside out? No fun at all!
The moral is what you make of it. My intention is to remind us all that the guru is within, and our intuition is always ready to guide the way, whether we are sipping expensive organic tea blessed by a monk, or not. ~ Tara Stiles.
“I wish you could namaste, but you gotta namago.”
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?
So not funny and so very adolescent.
Nice opinion. Say what you mean, specifically?
I thought it was pretty stupid too!
Yoga video spoofs are so yesterday. There are better ones out there.
You sound like you're spoofing yourself. "Yoga spoofs are sooo yesterday? Right?" Seriously, it may've been done before, but making fun of ourselves is always welcome and healthy, no?
"So yesterday"? Really? I'd be ashamed to go on record saying anything that jejune.
Such a sad example of someone whose ego far exceeds their talent.
Whoah. Well, she doesn't go around anonymously insulting folks she doesn't know…surely that must be a sign of inner peace? And she doesn't seem sad, to me, she seems comfortable making fun of herself, our "demographic"…humor is healthy, if delivered with love.
If you have constructive criticism, it's welcome–generalized insults are not helpful, friend.
~ Waylon
If you don't like something move on there is enough nasty in this world
Um, a little humor anyone? I like the video, it's poking fun at a community that based on these comments clearly needs to lighten up.
Love the staircase chair at yoga camp.
i loved this! Awesome work.
This video is hilarious!!!
I don't know why everyone is so upset, this is painfully somewhat accurate… and hilarious..
Hilarious!!! What's baffling is people taking the time to watch the video, not enjoying it, and yet devoting more time to slamming it. Oh internet, you bring out the best in everyone (said absolutely no one anywhere ever).
Hilarious!!! A great spoof on the fad culture of yogasana and the spiritual materialism that pervades said culture here in America!!
I'd like to say something encouraging, but I'm afraid I agree with the criticisms here, for the most part. Isaiah says of the Servant of God, "He will not bruise a crushed reed, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out." I can see nothing helpful about ridiculing people who are trying, however misguidedly, to better themselves.
Nobody is just shallow–people do what they do they way they do it for very powerful and compelling reasons. Nobody chooses to be crushed and smoldering. Socrates said that everyone is doing the best they know, and if they knew how to do better, they would. How does ridicule dispel avidya?
Here's something I wrote about this a while back, in case anyone's interested.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/12/woo-woo-ii…
None of which is meant to say that the shabby personal attacks on Tara are justified, of course. Far from it.
it's sort of funny. tara and heidi seem kind of fun. the yoga dude bit of molesting chicks is played out.
Carry on, Tara Stiles. Your video was a cute and silly spoof. Considering the mandate of this host site, I can't quite get why people would chose THIS medium to be harsh. HERE?? REALLY?? Honesty and kindness are not mutually exclusive. Sigh.
Well said. elephant's reach is wide enough that we get some anonymous, meanie comments. As you say, thoughtful constructive criticism is great–but ad hominem attacks are not. Worse, they're lazy–we can do better than say "awesome!" or "horrible!". Thanks for your comment!
Super funny — and I love that they ended up at Zumba!
Excellent! Loved the conclusion – Zumba!
This made me laugh…out loud. We can have a sense of humor and still practice yoga (and this is a great refresher.
chaturoonsta!
maybe marge, carrie, and jen are being funny in an ironic way… like the next level of yoga humor is to have no sense of humor at all? hipsters, is this the case?
This isn't typically my type of thing to watch, but I like how it humorously shines light on our current yoga culture. A little laughter never hurt anyone!
Thanks Tara…Love that video…there is a message here, laugh learn & love the guru that is within you…
Amy C Its nice to be important but its important to be nice
Patricia C You aren't Republican. – Does that help???
Carla C The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
Karl S done
Kathy W If what you're about to say can't be said in front of your mother/father/spouse/child/co-worker then perhaps it's best left unsaid.
Eat local – think global – do unto others…..
Annie M Is what you are about to say kind? Is it truthful? Is it necessary? (paraphrased from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Kapal N Hilarious!!! A great representation of spiritual materialism and the fad culture of yogasana!
Cherrie D A sense of humor may be the most important thing to bring to yoga class
Margaretha Finefrock Thank you for your work
You deserve no dis or smirk
Having me as a reader is your perk
Around the next corner, more appreciative folk do lurk.
Irene Luigia Done. As I said in my post: Kindness and honesty are not mutually exclusive. Odd the number of negative/unkind comments!
Adriana Palmeira I love Elephantjournal
Liam Navarro Homoki I posted this vid a couple of days ago on my page 'cause I really found it hilarious. I think they did a pretty good job representing the yoga fad. Its sad in real life but a little sense of humor lets you enjoy the video more
elephantjournal.com Margaretha Finefrock best comment ever award
a few seconds ago · Like
Lighten up everybody! I thought it was all in good fun. Does every yoga student or teacher take themselves that seriously? Are we all trying too hard to be perfect? Thanks for bringing a smile to my face!
i thought it was great- not to mention, I'd rather see this and smile than read, in disbelief, all of the hateful posts on Facebook and internet. It seems that our Country has regressed 50+ years where it's "acceptable" to post blatant bigotry against race, religion, sexual orientation etc- and not to mention all of the articles and re-posts as to why every American should carry a gun in their sock. Keep up the good work…. I love your website
Cheers!!
"wish you could namaste but ya gotta namago" – that shit;s funny.