Is ‘Twisted Yoga’ based on a true story? Inside the creepy cult case that inspired Apple TV+’s new docuseries
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
A yoga class usually promises calm breathing, and maybe a stretch that fixes your stubborn back pain. Not exactly the place you expect a story about crime, manipulation, and a globe-spanning scandal to begin. And yet, here we are. The new docuseries ‘Twisted Yoga’ has many viewers typing into search bars: is the story actually real? The uncomfortable answer is yes. Yoga itself, of course, is widely praised for its benefits. A lot of practitioners describe it as a path toward calm awareness. But within certain tantric circles, the practice can shift into something much more intense, where spiritual beliefs mix with s*xuality and followers are told that physical intimacy can unlock higher states of consciousness. That idea sits at the center of the story told in ‘Twisted Yoga’. The three-episode documentary premiered on Apple TV+ on March 13.
It explores the experiences of former members connected to a controversial spiritual organization called ‘Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute’, often shortened to ‘MISA’. One of the people whose experiences inspired parts of the documentary is a former follower named Miranda. She had previously spoken publicly about her time inside the cult, including an interview with The Guardian. She revealed that her involvement began simply enough. She joined schools linked to the group in cities like London or Paris. At first, she said, it all felt ordinary. But slowly, bit by bit, the environment changed. She described how their sense of belonging grew stronger while their independence shrank. And before long she said they were being taken to hidden retreat locations where normal routines disappeared entirely.
Phones? Gone. SIM cards and identification? Handed over. Outside contact became limited. And at that stage, she claimed they were pressured into participating in s*xual rituals or explicit webcam work that they did not fully understand at first. Miranda explains in the docuseries that for a long time she did not think of herself as someone being exploited. The language of crime, words like assault or trafficking, simply never crossed her mind. She believed she had joined a supportive spiritual community and accepted the teachings about tantric practice without questioning the authority behind them. Even when those teachings led to s*xual encounters framed as sacred rituals. The figure at the center of these accusations is Gregorian Bivolaru, the Romanian spiritual leader who founded the ‘MISA’ movement decades ago.
Within the group he was viewed by followers as a teacher with rare insight into tantric energy and higher consciousness. To critics and investigators, though, the picture looks very different. Authorities had already been looking for Bivolaru for years. In fact, Interpol had issued alerts connected to allegations of s*xual exploitation dating back to 2016 in Romania. Eventually, in 2023, French police arrested him in France, where prosecutors later brought a long list of charges including organized kidnapping, trafficking, r*pe, and ab*se carried out within a sect-like environment. He remains in custody while awaiting trial. So yes, the events that shape ‘Twisted Yoga’ come straight from real investigations and testimony.
