Inspiring Film Night - AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda

Event Description

A mesmerising film about a very special being...  

(plus FREE YOGA in the park)

AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda is an unconventional biography about the Hindu Swami who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s. Paramahansa Yogananda authored the spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi,” which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is a go-to book for seekers, philosophers and yoga enthusiasts today. (Apparently, it was the only book that Steve Jobs had on his iPad.) By personalising his own quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path, Yogananda made ancient Vedic teachings accessible to a modern audience, attracting many followers and inspiring the millions who practice yoga today.

Filmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, east and west and explores why millions today have turned their attention inwards, bucking the limitations of the material world in pursuit of self-realisation.

AWAKE is ultimately the story of humanity itself: the universal struggle of all beings to free themselves from suffering and to seek lasting happiness.

 "Using a seamless mix of re-creations and fascinating true footage, this very even-tempered documentary takes its audience all the way through a saint's life, from his first sensations in the womb to that moment in 1952 when, having recited a poem to a large crowd at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, he exited his body just like that....In between those events he changed the Western world." 
– From the Maui Film Festival website

Click here to watch the trailer.

ABOUT THE EVENT

This special evening will be a celebration of all things yoga, starting with a FREE YOGA CLASS at 5pm in Captain Burke Park (5 minutes walk from the theatre). The class will be led by Celia Roberts, accredited yoga teacher and co-founder of YIMI - the Yoga and Integrative Medicine Institute.

(Please let us know if you’re coming to the class by selecting the free yoga ticket option as well as your general admission ticket. You will need to bring your own mat).

Back at the venue we’ll have organic meals and local exhibits from 5.45pm and a guided meditation before the film. After the film we’ll be joined by some of our own local yoga gurus who’ll share their inspiring stories. They’ll also be some great prizes up for grabs.

Active wear is entirely suitable (and encouraged!) for the duration of the event.

Children are welcome and free.

Program for the evening:

• 5pm - FREE YOGA CLASS in Captain Burke Park (at the end of Main Street, under the Story Bridge). Please bring your own mat.
• 5.45pm - doors to the venue open, organic meals available for purchase, chat to our local exhibitors
• 6.50pm - meditation in the theatre (please be seated in the theatre by this time)
• 7pm - film commences
• 8.30pm - guest speakers
• 9pm - event concludes.

FAQs

Where can I park?

There is parking behind the Multicultural Centre, just use the driveway beside the building. There is also plenty of on-street parking if the car park fills up.

Can I buy tickets at the door?

Yes you can buy tickets at the door. Cash only. There is no ATM at the venue so you will need to bring cash with you.