Films About Yoga And Breathwork
Yoga documentary reviews: the short version
Which yoga documentary is worth a night on the couch? We watched these films and series, took notes, and wrote up each one: what it is, the stories that stay with you, the science it draws on, and where to watch it in Australia. Some are about Mr BKS Iyengar, some about meditation and the breath, and some about the science of the mind and body. Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree.
Yoga, breathwork and meditation films in short form
- Seven reviews: grouped by yoga, breath and meditation, and health.
- Best for Iyengar yoga: Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, And The Student’s Journey.
- Best on the science: My Year Of Living Mindfully.
- Free to watch: three are on YouTube.
- Honest: each review says where a film overclaims.
- New to yoga? 2 free classes and 2 free ebooks.
Stuart in Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana). Mr Iyengar’s teaching on the long side and the short side of this pose is one of the best moments in the Iyengar documentary.
Films about yoga
- Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, And The Student’s Journey (2018). Why watch: the best portrait we know of Mr Iyengar, from sickly boy to teacher in his 90s, plus yoga in a recovery centre and an orphanage. Where: Prime Video in Australia.
- Why We Breathe (on YouTube since 2015). Why watch: teachers tell why they came to yoga for the body and stayed for the mind. Where: free on YouTube.
- My Dharma (2016). Why watch: personal stories from yoga teachers, including an elite swimmer who could not touch her toes. Where: free on YouTube.
Films about breathwork and meditation
- Headspace Guide To Meditation (2021). Why watch: eight gentle animated lessons, each with a short guided practice. Where: Netflix.
- Mindfulness Manual (2024). Why watch: how Korea uses breath meditation in schools and workplaces, and a seven week experiment. Where: Netflix.
Films about health and the science of the mind
- My Year Of Living Mindfully (2020). Why watch: an Australian journalist with an autoimmune illness meditates every day for a year while six labs track her. Where: rent on YouTube Movies or Apple TV.
- The Science Behind Yoga (2016). Why watch: 20 minutes of researchers explaining how breath and attention calm the stress response. Where: free on YouTube.
How we choose and review the films
We only review a film once we have watched it and taken notes. Every science claim is the film’s own, and we say so. Where a film quotes a figure, we point to the study if we know it, and we flag claims that go further than the research.
Mindfulness and meditation films are not yoga films. In our view they still support yoga, because Iyengar poses and pranayama (yogic breathing) train the same steady attention through a different doorway. But we never present a meditation study as proof that yoga does the same thing.
Where to watch is what we found on Australian services in October 2026. Catalogues change, so check before you pay.
Try yoga with us in Darwin or LIVE online
New to Flametree? Your first 2 classes are free, and you can choose 2 free ebooks, including Cutting Stress With Yoga and Breathwork’s Original Toolkit. Get your 2 free classes and 2 free ebooks.
For the studio, check the beginner timetable and just come along. For a LIVE online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
Back to Films And Books About Yoga And Breathwork, or browse Yoga Notes From Flametree.
Questions about yoga films
What is the best documentary about Iyengar yoga?
Of the films we have watched, Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, And The Student’s Journey (2018) is the best. It mixes Mr Iyengar’s own words with long-time students and yoga used in hard lives in India.
Are there free yoga documentaries on YouTube?
Yes. Why We Breathe, My Dharma and The Science Behind Yoga can all be watched free on YouTube. All three are interview films rather than research.
Is there a good meditation series on Netflix?
Headspace Guide To Meditation (2021) and Mindfulness Manual (2024) are both on Netflix in Australia. Headspace is a gentle beginner course; Mindfulness Manual looks at the brain science and how Korea uses breath meditation.
Where can I try yoga in Darwin after watching a yoga film?
Flametree teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin at Woolner and Coolalinga, and LIVE online. New students get their first 2 classes free.
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin, at Woolner and Coolalinga, and LIVE online anywhere.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and your doctor if you wish, before changing what you do.
