Friday Fixations
Happy Friday, my fellow suffering beings. Each week, I share two things I’m digging right now—books, TV shows, movies, music, and the like—plus one online video of nearly zero cultural merit.
Breath of Fire (HBO). A high-gloss docu-series about an alleged yoga cult? Sign me all the way up. I’m only one episode into this show about Guru Jagat, a controversial Kundalini yoga teacher. While flawed, it’s super interesting.
One general beef I have with these kinds of shows, including the superb Wild Wild Country, is that they almost never take the actual teachings of the cult leader seriously. Often these gurus-gone-wrong have genuine spiritual attainments under their belt. And to me, that’s the core mystery: how do apparently enlightened people behave so badly? Someday, I might make that show myself.
While I’m at it, some also-rans in the true crime doc space. Neither of these is amazing, but they’ll do the trick if you’re bored: First, there’s This is the Zodiac Speaking, on Netflix, an interesting companion to David Fincher’s classic film, Zodiac. Then, on HBO, there’s I am Not a Monster, about a killer grandma. (IMHO, the problem with both of these docs is one I’ve encountered in my own storytelling career; the filmmakers seem to have fallen in love with their material and decided to include all of it instead of making a stronger product at half the length.)
Mat Kerekes, To Dream of Something Wicked. I really enjoy this dude’s primary band, Citizen, so I was excited to check out his solo album. Some of the slower songs aren’t for me, but when the drums kick in and Kerekes takes up his signature shout-sing, I’m all in.
Lastly, some housekeeping: many of you have heard me yammer on about one of my favorite mottos: never worry alone. Election Day is coming up, and the aftermath is likely to be tense, tumultuous, and protracted. So I’ve come up with a way to turn my anxiety into a team sport.
I’ll be leading live, guided meditations followed by a Q&A at 11am EST every day next week. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned meditator, everyone is welcome. All subscribers (free or paid) can participate, but you do need to download the Substack app. I’ll send an email with full details this Sunday.
My wife told me yesterday that all of her friends are coming over on Election Day to do crafts. Yes don’t worry alone.
Dan, I "discovered" you on a trip to Chicago staying at an AirBnB. I had finished my book and was looking for something to read. Tah Dah...there on the table was "10% Happier". That was almost 10 years ago. I have followed your journey ever since; although I very seldom comment. You have helped me in so many ways I could never sit here and type them all. Briefly, you have helped me lately get through the two most challenging, "scary", emotional years of my life. Now, TODAY (with all the politics), even more so. The world is so crazy. My life is so stressful. And yet because of you, I can keep walking forward. Thank you!