In recent years, British TV has - between the trash and the soaps - run well-made, thought-provoking documentaries on the broad theme of spiritual journeys.
Only last 
night, I watched the first two films in an engaging documentary series, How To Live A Simple Life.
Presenter and part-time vicar Peter Olwen Jones sets out on a 200-mile hike to the West Country, with the ambitious aim of not spending a single penny.
Instead, he relies on the generosity of passing strangers to buy him food and put him up for the night; inspired by the thirteenth century teachings of St Francis of Assisi.
Olwen Jones was inspired to take up the 'no money' challenge by a growing unease with consumerism and commercialism. He wanted to experience, first hand, the kindness of strangers, and how their generosity would effect him.
On a similar note - and still with 'spiritualism' at the heart - the YA team hears that Bedlam Productions is casting for a new documentary named The Pilgrim.
The film will travel to Tibet for a spiritual journey exploring elements of yoga that have been lost to the West, involving a pari krama around Mount Kailash, the holiest site in the Himalayas.
The pilgrimage - the highest in the world - will be physically demanding but is also being presented as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The aim is to take along five very different people, and to document their experiences.
William Emsworth, from Bedlam Productions, says: 'The Pilgrim intends to rediscover the true, spiritual elements of yoga that have been largely lost in the West, where yoga is typically viewed as a form of exercise.'
The project is the brainchild of Jonquil Cooper, a yoga teacher, who has planned a film of this nature for several years. Since the beginning of the year she has felt a strong draw to Mount Kailash, Shiva's abode and one of the holiest places in the world, where the pilgrimage will go to perform a parikrama around the mountain.
Jonquil will be leading the expedition with at least two 'pilgrims', escaping the rat race and pressures of Western life in an attempt to find time for self-reflection and a reconnection with spirituality.
Emsworth adds: 'We're hoping that the film will appeal to both newcomers to yoga, who will appreciate what they are getting into, whilst also meeting with the approval of experienced yogi - to reflect this, our 'pilgrims' will have varied levels of experience in yoga.'
However, experience and knowledge of yoga is secondary to an open mind and thirst for self-reflection - the only criteria is that prospective candidates are brave, adventurous, determined, and reasonably fit.
The trip is scheduled to last for three weeks in July and early August. If you are interested in applying to take part, please send a picture of yourself, plus a response to this simple question: Why do you want to take part in this expedition?
If you'd like to apply, please contact: will@bedlamproductions.co.uk as soon as possible.
Lucia Cockcroft, editor
_0.jpg "Dancer Pose: Nataraja")
