Art and Film

Radical Yogi Productions

“The Radical Yogi” is a new television series we are producing.

Series Background

This reality television/documentary series explores the methodologies different cultures use to interact with the sacred from a consciousness studies perspective. It will use a first person reality television format. The series will follow a well-known western consciousness studies teacher (Russ Hazard) as he undergoes various trainings and rituals from around the world. The emphasis will be on the accurate description of the subjective (including the painful, frightening or embarrassing) experiences he goes through, interspaced with subject matter expert interviews and finally his own synergistic analysis. Therefore, it seeks to give, through the experiences and reactions of one man undergoing intense training periods, a window into the pan global phenomenon of consciousness modification and transcendence. With this “as close as possible to experiencing it yourself” perspective in mind, filming will be done in a guerilla style, with small, handheld cameras to give a sense of really being in the scene.

This will be a controversial program. As well as presenting reality as a construct predominantly determined by perception, it will explore many of the taboo subjects at the heart of our current cultural conflict. These include such issues as the clash of spiritual dogmas, the ethics of violence, the ethics of sexuality, drug use in modern and ancient cultures, and the use of pain in spiritual traditions. These subjects, while controversial and sensational, will be dealt with thoughtfully and in a balanced fashion. Each episode is a stand-alone documentary that builds and interlocks on the information presented in the other episodes. With worldwide locations, exotic situations and intense commentary, it is designed to be visually, emotionally and intellectually stimulating.

Objectives

The general objectives of this series are:

1) To raise awareness regarding the existence of methodologies that transform consciousness and connect both individuals and groups to the sacred. It is hoped that by doing this more people will be inspired to pursue such studies.

2) To broaden the general public's understanding of the incredible diversity and value imbedded in traditional teachings, with the hope of fostering greater intercultural respect as well as support for traditional practices and worldviews.

3) To perform a cross cultural examination for important topics such as the relationship between the individual and the universe, the importance of respect for the environment, the various states of consciousness (waking, deep sleep, awake-dreaming, dreaming, lucid dreaming, and turiya as some examples) and the role and ramifications of perception in consciousness. This is done with the hope that it will assist the viewer in examining their own beliefs and experiences vis-à-vis these issues.

4) To highlight exceptional teachers and practices from around the world and to support them with positive exposure and discourse.

The Radical Yogi is currently in production and filming episodes. We are actively seeking financial backing. It is hoped that the series will be complete and ready for release in time for the autumn 2008 television season.

Radical Yogi Productions is also in the process of releasing a series of yoga videos, a yoga book entitled “The Radical Yogi”, a cook book entitled “The Tanglefoot Lodge Cookbook”, as well as several documentaries, books, still photo and art instillations produced independently and in concert with other artists/production companies.

Watch especially for the upcoming documentary, “Wounded Frog: On Becoming a Modern Elder”. This documentary explores what it means to become an elder in a society that has little memory of the role. This exploration weaves its way through the transformative journey of Peter Christian (Wounded Frog) as he travels the world and trains with traditional teachers in order to become all that he believes an elder should be.