Parents' Guide to Breath of Fire

TV HBO Drama 2024
A rose colored mandala design made out of repeating images of Guru Jaget. HBO original Breath of Fire is printed over the design

Common Sense Media Review

Megan Andersen By Megan Andersen , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Docu profiles cult-like yoga community; some language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Breath of Fire Trailer
  • A white woman wearing white clothing sits in prayer position with eyes closed and cascading hair. She is in front of golden background.
  • Blue letters HBO in front of a photo montage of three white women in white dresses with arms above their heads and head wraps on next to Guru Jaget
  • The back of a dark skinned man in white sitting cross legged in a white headwrap in front of a crowd. Drawn lines radiate off of the man to the crowd

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all

What's the Story?

BREATH OF FIRE is a documentary about the young, charismatic yoga star Guru Jagat (Katie Griggs), who took the Kundalini yoga movement over from Yogi Bhajan and quickly built her own empire, leaving a wake of unpaid bills and abused people behind. Her rapid rise to celebrity, yoga guru status, spiritual and business leader status, and physical health are met with a chaotic conclusion.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This docuseries can be hard to watch, but it also shares some important lessons about the draw of cults. Breath of Fire is a fascinating and sad look at how a mesmerizing personality can lead people away from their families and money with the false promise of belonging and enlightenment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Breath of Fire profiles people who sought meaning in their lives and turned toward Kundalini yoga for answers. While exercise is a great way to feel physically and emotionally better, there were red flags that this yoga movement started showing. How can you encourage your family members to trust their instincts and identify red flags?

  • In Breath of Fire, many of the people profiled were in their teens, twenties, and early thirties—but all shared a common feeling of longing that inspired them to look to alternate sources of comfort. When you and your family are feeling disconnected, who do you talk to? What do you do to feel a sense of love and community?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

A rose colored mandala design made out of repeating images of Guru Jaget. HBO original Breath of Fire is printed over the design

What to Watch Next

See all

True Crime TV for Teens

See all

Best Documentaries and Docuseries

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate