How Midsommar’s Group Crying Scene Explains the Teachings of Yoga
Movie night: January 2020. Unaware of the real-life horror show about to overtake the world in mere weeks, my friends and I decided to watch a scary movie. We settled on Midsommar, a folk-horror film with a unique twist: It takes place entirely in a daytime environment.
Weeks after the movie ended, the scene etched in my mind had nothing to do with stomach-turning gore nor a psychologically disturbing plot twist.
What stood out most to the yoga teacher in me was the group crying scene.
The protagonist, Dani, had just walked in on her drugged-out boyfriend having ritualistic sex with a young cult member, surrounded by naked pagan women chanting and singing in support.
Don’t you hate it when that happens?
Overwhelmed by grief and also under the influence of psychedelic drugs, Dani breaks down in front of the hut where the ceremony is taking place.
But she isn’t alone. Young women from the commune encircle her and sweep her up into their arms. They bring her to a neighboring dormitory, where they surround her and hold her upright, mimicking the sounds of her wails, the shape of her facial expressions, and the rhythm of her grieving movements.
