World of Secrets: Season 6, Episode 2 – The Technique

Release Date: December 16, 2024

Introduction

In the second episode of Season 6, titled "The Technique," BBC's investigative podcast World of Secrets delves deeper into the enigmatic world of Gregorian Bivolaru, a controversial yoga guru whose international movement has been marred by serious allegations. Hosted by Kat McShane, this episode explores the intricate mechanisms that draw individuals into Bivolaru's influence, focusing particularly on the experiences of Miranda, an English teacher from Oxfordshire.

Background: Gregorian Bivolaru and the Misa Organization

Gregorian Bivolaru, the central figure of this investigation, is portrayed as a charismatic leader whose teachings blend elements of Indian spirituality, astrology, and Christianity. Born in Romania in 1952, Bivolaru's journey from defying communist regimes to establishing a global yoga movement is both fascinating and troubling.

Quote:

"Bivalaru was a young man interested in telepathy, parapsychology, and yoga." – [15:04]

During the communist era, Bivolaru defied Nicolae Ceausescu's ban on yoga by teaching in secret, leading to his imprisonment and brutal treatment. Post-communism, he capitalized on newfound freedoms to expand his influence, founding the Misa organization and establishing the Tara Yoga Centre in London in 2001. Today, his movement spans 29 countries under the Atman Federation umbrella.

Miranda's Journey into the Yoga Movement

Miranda, a university tutor from London, becomes the focal point of this episode. Initially attracted to Tara Yoga Centre for its sense of community and spiritual growth, Miranda's involvement escalates from regular classes to immersive retreats.

Quote:

"It felt amazing in a city where it's easy to feel lost... there was this sense that these people cared." – Miranda [03:36]

Despite her mother's, Penny's, reservations about the movement, Miranda remains steadfast, drawn by the promise of spiritual enlightenment and community belonging.

The Romanian Yoga Festival: A Deep Dive

In the summer of 2018, Miranda attends a two-week yoga festival at the Black Sea resort of Ko Dinesh in Southeast Romania. The event, orchestrated by Misa, promises intense spiritual experiences but unfolds into a disturbing exploration of manipulation and exploitation.

Quote:

"Nobody joins a cult. You just get sucked in." – Penny [Time stamp not provided]

Miranda is required to hand over her passport and adhere to strict rules, including surrendering her phone. The festival's environment is artificially constructed to feel communal and spiritual, with events like the "Miss Shakti" competition blurring the lines between spirituality and sexualization.

Miss Shakti Competition: Crossing Boundaries

One of the most controversial aspects of the festival is the Miss Shakti competition, a highly sexualized event that ostensibly celebrates feminine divinity but devolves into explicit displays.

Quote:

"Of hyper sexualized Miss World." – Miranda [09:25]

Participants perform increasingly sexual acts, culminating in simulated sex and even nudity. The winner is promised a personal connection with Bivolaru, further binding participants to the movement.

Ecstatic Joy Temple: A Nexus of Exploitation

Upon returning to London, Miranda's commitment to spiritual growth leads her to the Ecstatic Joy Temple, a topless massage parlor affiliated with Tara Yoga Centre. Here, she and others are engaged in what amounts to sex work under the guise of spiritual evolution.

Quote:

"There was a kind of ecstatic sense of overcoming something..." – Miranda [28:19]

Miranda's experiences at the temple reveal a systematic pattern of exploitation, where participants are coerced into compromising their boundaries for perceived spiritual benefits.

Control and Manipulation: The Inner Workings of the Movement

The podcast sheds light on the psychological manipulation employed by the movement's leaders. By positioning themselves as spiritual guides, they create an environment where questioning becomes taboo, and dissent is met with ostracization.

Quote:

"I would become an outsider and I would stand to lose the community that I was now so heavily invested in..." – Miranda [29:04]

This control extends to monitoring participants' lives, isolating them from external support systems, and enforcing rigid adherence to the group's practices.

Misa's Denial and Official Responses

In response to these allegations, Misa, the organization running the camp, vehemently denies any wrongdoing. They claim that nude photos were never solicited and frame their practices as elevated, spiritual expressions of eroticism.

Quote:

"They promote, quote, refined, elevated, uplifting, spiritualising eroticism." – Misa Representative [Time stamp not provided]

Despite these denials, inconsistencies in testimonies and evidence suggest a different narrative, highlighting the challenges in holding such organizations accountable.

Conclusion and Implications

The Technique paints a grim picture of how spiritual movements can be weaponized to exploit vulnerable individuals. Through Miranda's story, listeners witness the gradual erosion of personal boundaries and the insidious nature of manipulation within seemingly benign communities.

As the episode concludes, it sets the stage for further investigations into the ramifications of Bivolaru's teachings and the widespread impact of his movement.

Quote:

"In less than a year, I have gone from a high street yoga studio in London to an orgy and drinking urine in a holiday resort in Romania." – Miranda [22:34]

Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• Penny (Miranda’s Mother):

  "Nobody joins a cult. You just get sucked in." [Time stamp not provided]

• Miranda on Yoga Classes:

  "It felt amazing in a city where it's easy to feel lost... there was this sense that these people cared." [03:36]

• Miranda on Boundary-Pushing Practices:

  "Doing, even if it seemed gross to me at the time and inappropriate and hypersexualized, was for some spiritual reason that I couldn't understand." [03:21]

• Bec on the Miss Shakti Competition:

  "It's super intense every day, just doing hours of rehearsal... it's just a kind of bikini stage show... stand there with a fan." [10:11]

• Harriet on Ecstatic Joy Temple:

  "It's down here." [24:35] "You'd go topless and there wouldn't be any negotiating on that." [24:18]

• Miranda on Spiritual Practices:

  "Liquid has a memory and that after a certain amount of time of making love in a tantric way, the liquid in your body gets transformed..." [19:05]

• Miranda on Community and Isolation:

  "I was seeing my friends less and less frequently... I wasn't seeing friends in other parts of the country or my family as frequently." [22:34]

Final Thoughts

This episode of World of Secrets serves as a compelling exposé on the dark underbelly of spiritual movements. It raises critical questions about the vulnerability of individuals seeking meaning and the ethical responsibilities of those in positions of influence. As the investigation unfolds, it promises to uncover more layers of manipulation and control within Gregorian Bivolaru's international yoga movement.

Note: This summary is crafted to provide an in-depth understanding of the episode for those who haven't listened to it, highlighting the key narratives, evidence, and testimonies that shed light on the complexities of the situation surrounding the Bad Guru.