A yoga leader promised followers enlightenment. But he’s now accused of sexual abuse

PARIS — To his followers, he was “Grieg,” their guide through tantra yoga toward enlightenment and a higher state of consciousness. Bivolaru’s group, initially known as MISA and later as the Atman yoga federation, allegedly engaged in non-consensual sexual activities under the facade of tantra yoga teachings, according to a French judicial official who spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn’t authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Despite expulsion from international yoga federations and legal scrutiny for prostitution, sexual slavery and human trafficking, the group’s “ashrams” were centers for indoctrination and sexual exploitation disguised as spiritual enlightenment, according to the official. Finnish media reported systematic sexual exploitation at Bivolaru’s Helsinki yoga school, and in 2017, Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation issued an international arrest warrant for him for alleged aggravated human trafficking. In France, similar yoga retreats held in and around Paris and in southern France’s Alpes-Maritimes region sought to make followers take part in sexual activities, the French judicial official said.