Betsy Chasse, Author at LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health

I Chose Life: Stories of Suicide & Survival

Betsy Chasse — Wed, 20 May 2020 07:00:07 +0000

Film as Activism in Understanding Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. On May 10, filmmaker Jacqui Blue released her second documentary, I Chose Life: Stories of Suicide & Survival. This followed a virtual premiere screening event on the 7th. Jacqui Blue felt it was important to address suicide by covering multiple aspects of the issue. Her objective: to make a universal film. One that someone who never had a suicidal thought could watch and have a better understanding of or maybe even some empathy towards those who are in a mental struggle with themselves, fighting for their own life every day.

Reducing the Stigma around Conversations about Suicide

Jacqui is a single mom raising five pre-teen and teenage boys. She is concerned about the fact that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 35 in the United States. While suicide is a leading cause of death, financial loss and sudden job loss are leading causes of suicide. And…no one is really talking about it. People merely acknowledge that these are problems we’re facing–or are soon going to be facing in even greater numbers. We need to talk about it. But no one is really saying much while suicide rates are going up. The purpose of this film is to reduce the stigma, improve mental health care, inspire change, and ignite much-needed conversations.

Jared Padalecki Advocates for Mental Health in I Chose Life

Jared Padalecki, who plays Sam Winchester on Supernatural, is heavily featured throughout I Chose Life. He talks about his own losses of loved ones to suicide as well as his own personal struggles. Jared openly talks about how he triumphed by learning how to rewire his own brain. He became outspoken about his own mental health issues and launched the Always Keep Fighting campaign in March 2015, the same month production began on this documentary film.

Jared Padalecki is an advocate for mental health who is featured in the film I Chose Life.

Hip hop artist, actor and writer T.O.N.E-z, best known for his work on the show Justified and most recently his collaborations with rock’n’roll legend Tommy James, jumped on board with the documentary early on. He took part in a post-premiere livestream chat with Jacqui on the 7th, after the film was screened by viewers for the first time. T.O.N.E-z shares a story about the loss of one of his best friends to suicide and shares insight throughout the film. As an artist he talks about how writing poetry and writing songs is a great outlet for many people.

Sharing Personal Stories and Changing the Conversation around Mental Health

A narrative was created around personal stories that stemmed from deep conversations with people who lost children, siblings, parents, and friends to suicide. It includes everything from the history of suicide to the present-day coronavirus’ effect on our lives. Some issues discussed in the documentary include rates of suicide for people serving in the military and in veterans. Other topics include mental health, the effects of nutrition on the brain, suicide risk factors and warning signs. Jacqui also discusses coping mechanisms and actions we can take. It is important to note that there are many aspects to suicide. People from all walks of life, from all socioeconomic backgrounds, creeds, colors, and from every land can be affected by it.

How to Watch I Chose Life: Stories of Suicide & Survival

Check out the film on the I Chose Life website and rent the doc on Vimeo on Demand.

Betsy Chasse

Betsy Chasse is an award winning filmmaker (What The Bleep Do We Know?!, Song of the New Earth, Pregnant In America) and best selling author (Tipping Sacred Cows, It Came Out of My Vagina, Now What?! – A book on Conscious Parenting) You can learn more about her at www.betsychasse.net

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The (not so) Little Book of Surprises by Deidre Hade, William Arntz, and Endre Balogh

Betsy Chasse — Tue, 02 May 2017 23:11:38 +0000

Let’s face it. We could all use a little more beauty, inspiration, and SURPRISE in our lives (ok, good surprises that is).

That’s what The (not so) Little Book of Surprises is. In a world flooded with self-help manuals, it’s refreshing to find a book that is so full of wisdom. A book that doesn’t imply that I’ve failed miserably at life and if only I’d meditate properly, set the right affirmations, and let go of my annoyance at bad drivers I’d be rich, happy, and fulfilled.

The (not so) Little Book of Surprises isn’t quite a self-help book, it’s a magical, mystical journey into your heart and soul. It’s art, poetry and wisdom all beautifully packaged in an inspirational book you can leave out for everyone to have their own moment of surprise.

The hard cover, coffee table-style book is filled with gorgeous imagery by artist and photographer Endre Balogh paired with poetry and words of wisdom from mystic, poet and guide Deidre Hade. The entire experience is masterfully curated by filmmaker, physicist, and all around quirky guy William Arntz.

One of the thought-provoking moments of verse is as follows:

True thought and presence is within the silence.

It is within the pause between the syllables and the pause between the breath.

This pause is infinity. This pause is where we go to embody the mystery of fullness.

As the authors share in my interview with them (view it in the review online at layoga.com), having surprise in our lives opens our hearts and our brains to possibility, to other realms and ways of being, and is a much-needed ingredient to a happy and fulfilling life, and yes, I should probably lighten up on the freeway.

Check out the interview with William and Deidre here:

To learn more about The (not so) Little Book of Surprises please visit: bookofsurprises.com

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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The E Word, Ego, Enlightenment & Other Essentials

Betsy Chasse — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 16:09:24 +0000

The Ego gets a lot of flack. People love to hate on it. It’s got more contracts out on it then Joey from the neighborhood. Everyone wants to kill their Ego and everyone wants to be Enlightened, because that’s apparently what happens when you finally put the bullet between the eyes of the Ego. It dies and you’re enlightened.

Hmmm… maybe, maybe not. In her new book The E Word, Ego, Enlightenment & Other Essentials, Cate Montana breaks the Ego/No Ego conundrum down in a way that helps us realize we can holster our weapon, stop the shoot-out, and train our Ego to work with us, and not against us. This way we can hopefully attain the “happy place”—that place of peace, fulfillment, and abundance that we erroneously believe Enlightenment will deliver.

Life is good—all of it. Knowing how to be fully human is the trick. And it’s actually not that hard to do.

According to Montana, this process starts with a conversation with your “self.” Who are you? Are you Betsy or Cate, Harry or Joe? Black, white, brown, Buddhist, Baptist, democrat, man, woman, spiritual/ not spiritual? No! That’s your ego! That’s your “story.” And that story—the Cate or Betsy story—can never become Enlightened. What lies beneath those things? That’s the question and the quest.

When enlightenment occurs, sadly you won’t be around to enjoy it. Why? Because enlightenment is the absence of any sense of personal self. As Cate says in The E Word, “Bliss happens without “ME”. There is no one home to BE enlightened. No one home to declare victory. No one home to be liberated. You can’t be enlightened with an Ego. But without our dearly departed Ego, where would “WE” be in this world?

Don’t fret, you can still be happy, filled with love and light and joy, because you can learn to manage your Ego and have a totally awesome, aware life, taking the middle road. Cate and her book will show you the path.

Check out my interview with Cate Montana

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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Buddhist Economics

Betsy Chasse — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:23:27 +0000

Buddhist Economics author Clair Brown

Let’s face it. Most of us are still reeling from the 2016 election. Dazed and confused, we are floundering about posting furiously on our social feeds about all the craziness that is happening around us. Desperately hoping this is all just a bad dream we will soon wake up from.

We can wake up, and it’s going to take an utter paradigm shift to yank us from our deep sleep. And guess what, it’s not as hard as we think it is.

Clair Brown is a professor of economics, the Director of the Center for Work, Technology, and Society at UC Berkeley, and a practicing Buddhist. In her new book, Buddhist Economics, she explains in easily accessible terms what Buddhist Economics is and how we can achieve it.

I was honored that Claire asked me to work with her to create a short animated piece explaining our current economic model and the Buddhist economic model. With a simple shift in our choices and the awakening of our human nature we call all thrive. Check out the short video here and please share share share!

According to this approach, our path forward is based on three simple truths about human nature. These are: human nature is kind and altruistic, humans are interdependent with nature, and humans are interdependent with each other.

You know what? This isn’t a stretch. Every day I encounter humans from all walks of life living these truths. Maybe it’s because I look for it. I see people smiling at each other, helping each other and genuinely being kind.

The other day I was in the grocery store with my daughter buying food and a bottle of wine for a dinner party that evening, when along comes a sweet older woman. As she stared blankly at the wall of wine bottles, she turns to me and says, “You’re buying wine, I need a bottle of red for an event, and I have no idea what to buy”. Yes, it’s true the wine aisle, like most aisles in our grocery stores can be daunting. (Ahh, choices and consumption, but hey, there can’t ever be too much wine, right?)

Anyway, I asked her how much she wanted to spend and then offered her up one of my favorite reasonably priced local choices, and she smiled from ear to ear. Then she asked me, “Can I give you a hug?!” “Of course!” I said and she proceeded to hug and kiss not only me, but my daughter! It was so sweet and set us all up for a beautiful day. One moment, three people sharing kindness, support, and love. It’s really that easy.

Buddhist Economics Book Cover

This book is practical and hopeful—and an important read for all of us if we’re going to get off the materialistic treadmill and focus on the things that are important to us—which are living mindfully, engaging in relationships that give our life meaning, and caring for Mother Earth.

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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Rediscover your Creativity with Barnet Bain

Betsy Chasse — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:54:29 +0000

I’ve spent some time naked in a hot tub with a few men in my life, but I have to admit, one of the most interesting of those men was Barnet Bain. Ok, the hot tub was at Esalen and we weren’t alone (that’s how it rolls in a hot tub at Esalen.)

Barnet was completely himself, honest and open, willing to share any bit of insight he has about filmmaking, storytelling, and the creative process. I was humbled to sit with one of my favorite filmmakers; Barnet’s resume is filled with films that explore the human condition, our quest for peace and understanding (What Dreams May Come, The Celestine Prophecy). On this occasion, he was sharing about the process of bringing a film to live and a bit about his next project, titled Milton’s Secret, which begins production this month and will star Donald Sutherland.

I was frustrated with the trajectory one of my films was taking, and he smiled, nodded, took a deep breath and said, “It will happen, you just have to walk the path, you just have to trust your own ability. This is the moment to not give in; in this space you’re in lies an answer.” He was right. The creative process is rife with opportunity for one to get to know themselves, what they are capable of, and what’s stopping them from going all the way.

This is the theme of his new book The Book of Doing and Being – Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love and Work. The human capacity for creation is immense. We create each and every aspect of our lives from our hearts. Being creative isn’t just about being an artist or a writer, creativity is our essence and once we get out of our own way, let go of our past and clear the path we can create anything.

As Barnet says, “In the world of entertainment, where I have spent my professional life as a writer, director, and producer, creativity is expected. But in reality, every job and vocation is a creative endeavor. In fact, every act is a creative act. A relationship, a business, a screenplay, a dance, an art form, a reality—everything we know and love is a constellation of creative acts. For people today, work and business are the primary channels of creative expression. Work is one of our greatest art forms. And, what we are discovering is that creativity and stress don’t mix. A little creative chaos and tension, yes. But cortisol-inducing stress diminishes the pleasure and productivity that make our workdays feel worthwhile.”

Just how do you actually accomplish this? Fortunately, there are some tangible techniques that allow each on of us to rediscover our creativity. Barnet offers the following suggestions with these two exercises which will clear the path for inspiration, intuition, relaxation, and flow—all integral parts of your creativity toolkit.

Stop the Function of Your Reality

Even though work and financial responsibilities can feel like a pressure cooker sometimes, we have far more dominion over our emotional and mental states than we realize. This exercise is good for interrupting old habits of thought and feeling and shifting negative moods. It offers an attitude reset whenever you need one, such as when preparing for a presentation or meeting.

Take three slow, deep breaths to relax.

Imagine you are slowing everything down. Imagine you are slowing down your brainwaves. Slowing down your blood flow. Slowing down your heartbeat. Slowing down the world.

Now, imagine that everything has come to a stop. Your brainwaves. Your blood flow. Your heartbeat. Your breathing. Everything has come to a gentle stop.

After about one minute, slowly come back to your normal pace and rhythm. Refreshed, you will be ready to go about your business…more relaxed, open, and creatively receptive.

In addition to this exercise, you can promote creative relaxation every time you step away from your desk, daydream, have a 10-20 minute nap, or take a walk down a tree-lined street.

Ask Yourself: Where Are You Coming From?

Just like characters in a movie who rarely know what is motivating their words and actions (known as the subtext running through a script), we often don’t know our deepest selves or who our colleagues are beneath their social personas. When we bring heightened awareness to conditioned modes of thinking and responding, we are better able to break patterns of inflexibility, which allows creativity to emerge and surge.

Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, especially in times of stress.
Ask yourself: “Where am I coming from?” or “Where am I going with this?”
Repeat the question that resonates for you over and over until you sense a bottom line. Write that down.

Even subtle insights into what is operating beneath the surface can create positive changes in our ability to work, create, and collaborate.

The Book of Doing and Being is not a fluffy woo-woo filled with rainbows and unicorns kind of book, it’s about doing the work inside and out. Hence the title doing and being. In his words, has a knack for lifting you up while lovingly giving you a bit of a kick in the rump. He offers practical advice and processes to stretch your mind and move you to places you probably haven’t visited since you were five, places we should all hang out in more often to allow our creativity to flow with ease. Oh, and we should all spend more time in hot tubs where the creative people hang out.

Betsy Chasse is a mom, author, and filmmaker. Her most notable film is What The Bleep Do We Know and her book is Tipping Sacred Cows, visit her website to learn about her other films and books. betsychasse.com

Barnet Bain’s film credits include the Oscar-winner What Dreams May Come; he is currently directing the family drama Milton’s Secret, based on the novel by Eckhart Tolle. He is the author of The Book of Doing and Being: Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love and Work. barnetbain.com

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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Life Unscripted: Zhena Muzyka

Betsy Chasse — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 16:27:46 +0000

Zhena Muzyka shares her story rising from a single mother to entrepreneur, author, and publisher.

When I first met Zhena, I have to be honest, I was intimidated and a bit jealous. Here was a woman who had everything I wanted and everything “my lizard brain” (as she calls it) was programmed to resent. But within five minutes of meeting her, she had successfully—and with love—helped me see through to my higher self and understand that what she was about was so much better than the petty, competitive patriarchal paradigm so many of us women have been living in. She is, to me at least, what a modern-day woman living from her feminine without giving up her powerful self looks like.

She is an entrepreneur, an author, a publisher, a mom, and most decidedly a woman in all her glory and an inspiration to women all over the world as to what is possible. I read her book Life By The Cup: Inspiration for a Purpose-filled Life and was simply blown away by her story.

It was 1999 and she was broke, with a very sick baby and no health insurance, a time when many of us would have given up hope. But Zhena dug deep into her soul and started a Tea Company (Zhena’s Gypsy Tea) literally out of thin air and few herbs from her garden. That tea company went on to become not only a multi-million dollar success story, but a company that revolutionized the tea industry. That’s not bad for a single mom without a college degree. When she began selling her teas to major companies she decided this wasn’t going to be just another company, this was going to be a fully fair trade company that approached business from a holistic perspective. Against all odds, that is what she did. That approach, that we should create businesses and communities that support each other’s health and well-being, wasn’t as popular—or as marketable—when she started as it is today. So what she did was downright amazing.

For Zhena, there wasn’t any other way and that was how she was the moment I met her. I appreciated her spunk and the fire in her heart and her warmth and honesty. She wasn’t a woo woo mama, nor was she a hard ass, she was both, beautifully combined into what I think the world needs right now. Women who stand for Women and for Men, Women who stand for humanity and the planet. A woman who is standing firmly in what it truly means to be feminine.

It’s a big paradigm shift for me, this idea of being in service, not that I don’t want to help people and care about the planet, but what Zhena embodies is more than that, it’s an unshakable commitment to refusing to live any other way, moment by moment, in every aspect of her life. As she calls it, living love in detail. This is why we are here, to experience love in the fullest of glories, in Technicolor and 3D in service to each other. I can’t imagine another way to be.

Check out my video interview with Zhena to hear more about Changing competition into Curiosity, Living life in detail, and The Heroine’s journey. lifeunscripted.tv

Betsy Chasse is an author (Tipping Sacred Cows) and film maker (What The Bleep Do We Know?!, Song of the New Earth). Find out more at: betsychasse.net.

Zhena and I co-host a new weekly talk show with Natalie Ledwell and Cindy Ertman called Wake Up! You can find it on Poptv which is available on most cable carriers. For more information, visit: wakeuptv.com.

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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Life Unscripted: Daniel Ladinsky

Betsy Chasse — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 02:25:28 +0000

Life Unscripted: Daniel Ladinsky sits down with Betsy Chasse to talk about Rumi, Hafiz, and his journey as a book author

I was first introduced to the Sufi poet Hafiz in a yoga class. I can’t even remember to poem the teacher read, but it spoke to me, and I immediately sought out this Hafiz guy. I came across The Gift by Hafiz and someone named Daniel Ladinsky. Of the many wonderful poems in the book, one grabbed me:

What do sad people have in common?

It seems that have all built a shrine to the past

And often go there and do a strange wail

and worship

What is the beginning of happiness?

To stop being so religious like that.

Brilliant, straightforward and spot on . . . I mean, doesn’t that just sum up the whole spiritual journey? Stop living in the past, let go of your beliefs about what you think IS and live in the moment? It was both stern and a little bit cheeky, but could a guy living in the 1300s really write that? I expected something much more esoteric and flowery, and well, you know, 1300s-like.

Hafiz is a 14th century Persian poet whose works are highly regarded in Persian literature, used in songs, and portrayed in art. He is a legend. His poems are memorized by Persians in most Iranian homes, even today.

Hafiz was also a rebel, wanting his people to be lifted up from ignorance and tyranny. At one point, the powers that be wanted to erase him from history, but his words so profoundly touched and inspired the people, that his legacy has lived on for centuries.

The Gift was translated by Daniel Ladinsky, and I reached out to him to obtain permission to use the poem in my book. Daniel, like Hafiz, has a rebellious side, mixed in with a knack for making you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. He agreed to let me use the poem, and I invited him to LA to get to know the man behind some of the world’s most beloved poems and poets.

My first impression of Daniel is of a rugged mountain man with a twinkle in his eye that says, “Maybe don’t take everything I say so seriously, but then again maybe you should.” Daniel is every bit of what I expected who brings Rumi and Hafiz to life, all three can leave you breathless and on your knees with a giggle in your heart.

I learned that he was inspired by the mystery of God and mysticism at an early age, having had his first mystical experience by the time he was five. He suffered with severe stuttering as a child, which sent him deep within, shying away from the outer world. Daniel made his way through a special school and eventually to college where he spent most of his time alone in the desert in search of that God he once met as a child.

On one of his adventures, he came across the book God Speaks by Meher Baba, who would eventually lead him to Rumi and Hafiz. That book, which, at first, left him more baffled than enlightened, sent him on a quest that started a the Mexican border, landed him in South Carolina, then to India (with the intimate disciples and family of Avatar Meher Baba), and into our hearts through his translations of Rumi and Hafiz and other poet-saints. Watch our interview to discover what caused Daniel to make a left turn at the border.

Daniel Ladinsky is one of the most successful writers in the world who works with poetry. Ladinsky’s six books are all in print with Penguin: A Year With Hafiz, The Gift, Love Poems From God, The Subject Tonight Is Love, I Heard God Laughing and his most recent Rumi collection, The Purity of Desire.

Follow Daniel Ladinsky on Twitter @cowgirlhaiku and watch for his YouTube Channel.

Betsy is an author (Tipping Sacred Cows, Metanoia- A Transformative Change of Heart, and books related to her film What The Bleep Do We Know?. She has produced other award-winning documentaries, including Song of the New Earth and Pregnant In America. She is currently in production on a new film, The Empty Womb — An exploration in the creative potential of the masculine and feminine. Betsychasse.net

Betsy Chasse

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Betsy Chasse Shares A Selection of Spiritual Reading

Betsy Chasse — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 03:11:29 +0000

Betsy Chasse Reflects on her Nightstand Reading

My nightstand is a sacred place to me. It hold my favorite picture of my kids (Max and Elora), my favorite scented candle (jasmine), the perfect reading lamp, and of course a pile of books. My nightstand is often the last thing I see at night as well as the first image I see upon awakening, so whatever is there must bring a smile to my face or send me off to sleep with inspiration for evocative dreams. I currently have six books stacked there, some of which I have either already read and loved, while other are on my to-do list!

Paulo Coelho, Adultery

My expectations with Paolo are really high; I mean, he did right The Alchemist Adultery is a modern tale of a woman in search of meaning in her life, she’s a mother, a wife, a journalist, seemingly has it all, but something is missing (sounds familiar …) and boy does she go looking for it! But all the time spent listening to this woman yammer on about her unhappiness, I would have preferred more time spent on the juicy bits.

Vera Stanly Alder, The Fifth Dimension

This is one of the first books I read before I made What the Bleep Do We Know? The Fifth Dimension is currently out of print … but can be found around on the web. Read any of her books, and you’ll be blown away. I love reading books written long before my time; it reminds me that so much that what we call the New Age isn’t so new after all.

Jack Kerouac, Good Blonde and & Others

I am madly in love with both Kerouac and Bukowski. (I’m suddenly wondering where my Bukowski book is!) I firmly believe that if I were alive when these men were, I would have definitely been one of their lovers. It may be a fantasy, but hey a girl can dream. I sometimes imagine a wild poem or story about our crazy nights together.

Chris Grosso, The Indie Spiritualist

The Indie Spiritualist is simply brilliant. I love his honesty, his gritty style, and his simply stated wisdom. He’s the real deal that is a new and important voice for our times.

Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

I have heard a lot about this book and have been searching for something to speak to my heart more than my mind. So often we get caught up in how things work. Why things are and the manic quest for happiness, I’ve begun to wonder, “Where is the meaning in my life?” I’ve been told this is the book to read. I’ll keep you posted!

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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Films with Spirit

Betsy Chasse — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 04:59:18 +0000

Consciousness takes top billing on the Cinema Marquee

When we think about the previous year in review from the perspective of films focused on the spiritual themes, it feels as though 2014 was the year Conscious Cinema expanded beyond its usual niche. By the way, Conscious Cinema is not my term, it’s a phrase coined to capture the amazing films and documentaries that hit the big screen exploring spirituality, metaphysics, and our search for meaning. Some examples of this genre include films like AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda, (Paola di Florio, Lisa Leeman, and Peter Rader), Finding Joe, (Pat Solomon), Walking the Camino, (Lydia Smith), Song of the New Earth, (Betsy Chasse, Ward Serrill, Sophie Jane Mortimer), and Monk with a Camera, (Guido Santi, Tina Mascara).

Films like these were previously relegated to fringe festivals, special screenings, obscure spiritually-oriented websites, and evenings in yoga studios, have found their way into the more mainstream world of theaters! I mean, actual theaters, with sticky seats and popcorn (and yes, even some theaters are now selling organic, non-GMO popcorn!).

It was nearly 11 years ago now that my film, What The Bleep Do We Know?!, was able to break out and enjoy a theatrical run, but even that film, with its huge success, never really hit the mainstream. But it did well enough to demonstrate that there were a lot of people (and I do mean a lot) that were interested in watching something that explored metaphysics more than Batman and anything Will Farrell.

So what’s going on? LA YOGA Editor Felicia Tomasko and I sat down with Lisa Leeman (Awake) and Pat Solomon (Finding Joe) to discuss the trend.

“People are looking for meaning in their lives,” says Leeman. It’s true that we’ve lived through decades of decadence, and statistics show that more and more people every day are asking the question,“Is this it, or is there more to life than big houses and big cars?” I asked distributor and publisher Richard Cohn of Beyond Words publishing if he has seen an increase in demand for films that tackle the big questions. His reply, “Yes, for sure. There is now New Age water in grocery stores, corporate leaders who use intuition for decision-making and long-term forecasting. Yoga studios are accessible. The audience for self-help and spirituality books and films has grown as people have begun looking for a more meaningful life experience.”

I like to use small town and rural Walmart stores as my barometer of what’s moving into the mainstream. On my latest visit, I found the Buddha, all over the store. Big plastic Buddha heads filled the garden statuary section, and little Buddha statues lined the home decorating aisle, so yes, clearly the tenets of Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern Philosophies are making their way to the masses.

Is this new? Not when you consider the fact that philosophical and spiritual ideas have been making their way into films, well, since the beginning of film. For example, the 1902 George Méliès film, Trip to The Moon, is an indicator that filmmakers and audiences alike have long explored the big questions about who are we and why are we here, and use film as a means to explore those ideas. “Epic films like the Star Wars Trilogy,” relied heavily on Lucas’ infatuation with Joseph Campbell, archetypes, and the hero’s journey,” says Solomon whose documentary feature, Finding Joe, explores Campbell’s work and its impact on film and our everyday lives. “We’re all living a hero’s journey and I think that’s why films like this resonate with people; the films tell our stories and give insight into how we might be able to live a happier life.”

Storytelling is an ancient tradition of which filmmaking is simply a modern extension of sharing tales around a fire or through a live performance. Through film we have an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and experience life from a different perspective. Movies can help us transcend our own life struggles, even if for only two hours. But in today’s world, it seems that people aren’t just looking for a two-hour escape, they’re seeking guidance as they reevaluate their own lives and how they are living.

In the past five years it feels as though it has became safe to admit that, “Hey, I meditate,” and “I’m definitely a practicing Hindu,” as Julia Roberts stated to Elle and People magazines when Eat, Pray, Love stormed theaters in 2010. Oprah began featuring authors and experts and even everyday people who have transformed their lives through meditation, spiritual practices, and philosophies—with a bit of a modern twist. Instead of using the word “meditation,” many CEOs will credit mindfulness practices as to why they seem more relaxed and at ease during these stressful times. Athletes will attribute visualization techniques with the increase in their game, and even teachers are using mindfulness techniques in the classroom. All of these concepts have their foundation in Eastern philosophies.

So of course it makes sense that the films people are going to see reflect their interests and the interest these days has a strong emphasis on meaning, spirituality and quality of life.

The films represented by Conscious Cinema not only explore all of those ideas and concepts, but at their heart, they are stories about the human condition, stories told by people who are asking the same questions as their audience. “There is a genuineness about these films, a quest to seek higher meaning. I make a film because I’m curious, I’m seeking an answer and the film is reflective of my journey of discovery,” says Leeman. “And that journey is relatable.”

“We find connection, we find answers, and sometimes more questions. And when we go to a theater we find community,” says Solomon. “In today’s world where everything is available with the click of a button on a tiny screen, there is something special about the moment when the lights come up after seeing one of these films on the big screen and you look around and you see other people who share your journey. You feel connected; that’s powerful.”

While audiences today may know how the romantic comedy will end and still enjoy the time in the theater, people are also seeking a deeper exploration of meaning, and a number of films today are reflecting this depth, even so-called mainstream fare. For example, 2014 saw the release of spiritual and metaphysical films asking big questions, such as Gravity (actually released in 2013), Interstellar, Noah, and Lucy, just to name a few. And 2015 promises to be another great year for mind-expanding cinema: Legacy, Avatar 2, and Star Wars VII will be coming to theaters near you. In addition, according to Illuminate Film Festival Lead Programmer Sheron Foster, we can also look forward to independent gems like Merchants of Doubt, the star-studded Unity, and Wim Wender’s Salt of the Earth. Other strong conscious releases in the pipeline for 2015 include Power of the Heart from the director of The Secret; Mikki Willis’s Be Brave and Milton’s Secret, based on the book by Eckhart Tolle and Robert Friedman. With films like this coming up on the marquee, we can look forward to more trips to the cinema. And as the late Roger Ebert would say, “I’ll see you at the movies!”

Betsy Chasse is first and foremost a mom with two amazing kids, an author (Tipping Sacred Cows, Metanoia, and the BLEEP books) and a filmmaker (What The Bleep Do We Know?! Song of the New Earth, and Pregnant In America. You can find out more about her at: betsychasse.net

Betsy Chasse

betsychasse.net

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