Twisted Yoga Review: Survivors of Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) discuss their time around its leader, Gregorian Bivolaru, and the ordeal they had to go through in the name of learning tantric yoga.
Twisted Yoga Apple TV+ Director
Rowan Deacon
The documentary series has 3 episodes, each with a runtime of around 45 minutes.
Twisted Yoga Review
In Twisted Yoga, we dive into the world of an alleged cult that lured people in with the promise to believers of providing enlightenment and, instead, pushed them into sexual slavery and worse. The series, with only three episodes, dives deep into this maddening spiral with the help of survivors who either fled the cult or got out years later. It’s a shocking documentary that makes you feel extremely uncomfortable, and the psychological manipulation that we see in front of our eyes is nothing short of baffling.
The series is extremely heavy, which is obvious thanks to the real stories of the victims being portrayed so rawly and intensely. Its focus on the voices of the survivors is possibly its strongest suit – they are emotional and unsettling, and no one beats around the bush. These are people from all walks of life who are left destroyed by a power-hungry person’s twisted fetishes, but their fight to get justice is what stays with us when the episodes come to an end.
The series takes a slow-burning investigative approach, gradually increasing the intensity as the process of indoctrination also gets more and more intense. I was left speechless after realising that these ordinary people were just out there to find a yoga studio for some good workout and maybe some deeper understanding. But, to eventually find themselves being abused, mistreated and forced into sex work is such a horrifying escalation that it almost feels like it comes out of nowhere.
The extent to which Gregorian Bivolaru took his sick fantasies is honestly mind-boggling. You constantly ask yourself what kind of sick person would even come up with such a shockingly exploitative “business” as the victims continue to tell us one harrowing story after another. But then again, Jonestown existed, so you know, human beings can truly be horrible.
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The series discusses how promises of giving women a deeper understanding of their bodies, peace and spirituality resulted in hundreds of women getting abused, and the stories just don’t stop at one or two. The brave victims, including Agnes, Bonnie, Miranda, Andrea, Ash and others, bring forth one shocking fact after another, leaving us to grapple with our emotions as the suffering doesn’t seem to end. There’s depth to the investigation, as the series talks to detectives, lawyers and journalists to piece together different aspects of the case and how justice can be delivered.
Final Thoughts
Twisted Yoga is intense, as it highlights how easily a random, charismatic man can just bring vulnerable people under his control with the promise of showing them something beyond this world. The series is a harrowing watch and isn’t for the faint of heart, as the ordeals that are depicted here are straight out of a nightmare. The isolating and dangerous situations that the women found themselves in are terrifying, and further reading into the matter will shed light on just what the documentary might have missed.
What are your thoughts on Twisted Yoga? Let us know in the comments below!
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“You constantly ask yourself what kind of sick person would even come up with such a shockingly exploitative “business” as the victims continue to tell us one harrowing story after another.”
If this was an exploitative business, this “business” would have been stopped long time ago by the law.
You have a few “victims”, but there are tens of thousands of men and women that continue to practice hatha and tantra yoga at this school.
So maybe it’s the other way around: these people are suffering from attacks in the media or internet, like from this stupid documentary, and the few people in the documentary completely misunderstood this practice.
Real spiritual paths are testing you in many ways. Some fall, others succeed.
Amongst those who fall, some blame the path and the master for their own failure.
This is the case here.
Remember what Jesus said:
“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it”.
This is a typical response from a cult member, who can’t see beyond their tiny sick world.
@Anonymous March 14, 2026 At 3:59 am
Come on, you ridiculous caricature, do you really want to bring up those old, worn-out arguments again?
We’re talking about serious crimes here: rape, psychological manipulation, kidnapping, etc.
“Real spiritual paths are testing you in many ways”
Sure, the cult and its leaders test you to see if you drink urine in a group, if you have sex with as many people as possible, and how much money you make on porn video chats.
Leave Jesus alone.
Just remember how many lives were lost in that wretched cult, how many cases of cancer blossomed—especially among the exploited women who were forced into bed with that monster Bivolaru.
“We’re talking about serious crimes here: rape, psychological manipulation, kidnapping, etc.”
This is your opinion, not necessarily the truth.
The states people have in these situations are highly subjective
and can differ from one extreme to another. Ask the other girls…
“Sure, the cult and its leaders test you to see if you drink urine in a group, if you have sex with as many people as possible, and how much money you make on porn video chats.”
Now who’s the caricature? 😀
“Leave Jesus alone.
Just remember how many lives were lost in that wretched cult, how many cases of cancer blossomed—especially among the exploited women who were forced into bed with that monster Bivolaru.”
His recommendations saved hundreds of lives. What do you want, to save them all?
Typical MISA/ATMAN stupid argument: “Ask the other girls..”
If someone rapes a woman, can he be excused because 100 other women haven’t been raped by him and have a good opinion of him?
I was also a MISA student and teacher for many many years until I realised that under the surface it’s an orginazed criminal cult. Many of us who realised this fact have left.
Nowadays only the most brainwashed, blind and hopeless people remained who are still worshipping Grieg until their whole lives are ruined.
If you still could not wake up after all this, then I’m sorry for you. You’re doomed.
Let justice decide upon the rape accusation. Or maybe you don’t know what rape is.
Thing is, I already woke up, with the help of his teachings and his support.
I feel sorry for you and others who didn’t.