Ayurveda: The Art of Being

Ayurveda, the “science of life”, is one of the oldest holistic medical systems in the world. Originating in India more than 5000 years ago, and influencing medical thinking in Tibet, China and Japan, this intersection of science, medicine and mystical is only now receiving serious study in the West. Shot over three years on three continents, Pan Nalin’s AYURVEDA: THE ART OF BEING is both a breathless globetrotting travelogue that’s “fascinating to watch” (Variety) and a deeply spiritual testament to the power of Ayurvedic medicine. “Beautiful and myserious. . . you’re witnessing… the interdependent relationship between people and the earth.” – Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
Founded on the belief that human disease is cured by restoring an imbalance of individual life energies, Ayurveda supports diverse forms of treatment. Scenes of dreamlike resonance, where “the camera itself seems to be smiling beatifically” (New York Times), demonstrate both the power of Ayurveda and the commitment of its acolytes. Intuitively manipulating nerves that can either cure or kill, a healer displays amazingly intimate pressure point mastery. One wizened practitioner grinds precious stones into priceless medicinal powders while another shrugs off payment and brusquely dispenses treatment like a crusty country doctor.
Whether documenting the catastrophic loss of potentially cancer curing herbs or detailing the mounting scientific evidence supporting Ayurveda’s efficacy, AYURVEDA: THE ART OF BEING retains an affecting sense of wonder. In the end, this “thoroughly absorbing” (Time Out) film simply and persuasively observes that “Hope is nature’s way of enabling us to survive so that we can discover nature itself.”
Includes a post-screening discussion with E-RYT 500, Ayurvedic Consultant & Yoga Specialist, Kristen Rae Stevens.
English & Hindu with English Subtitles
Pan Nalin is the director of the features Samsara, last seen at the Rubin in 2006, The Valley of Flowers, and the documentary Faith Connections, an insiders look at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, which will have its New York premiere at the Rubin in September.

About the Speaker

Kristen Rae Stevens,E-RYT 500, Ayurvedic Consultant & Yoga Specialist, has been teaching healing through movement and somatic study since 1998. She is a contributing lecturer on anatomy and Ayurveda for yoga teacher trainings and regularly lectures for the Primary Care Physicans and medical students at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is currently on faculty for the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and the ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism in NYC. In addition she maintains a private practice in the greater NYC region in and is the creator/director of personal development programming and teacher training courses in yoga, Ayurveda and botanical studies in Montauk, NY. She holds diplomas in dance, movement therapy, yoga, Ayuryoga® and Ayurveda and continues her studies regularly with world class teachers in the states and abroad.www.somarae.com