The new three-part docuseries Twisted Yoga explores the darker side of a spiritual movement that promised empowerment but left many women questioning their autonomy.
The Apple TV series examines how a community built around tantric yoga teachings gradually became something far more complicated for its members.
For the filmmakers behind the project, the goal was never to sensationalize the story. Instead, director Rowan Deacon and executive producer Suzanne Lavery focused on telling the story through the voices of the women who lived it.
“We felt that the question at the heart of this was not necessarily how the guru was hunted down or how the police investigated,” Deacon explained. “The question was: why do these intelligent, thoughtful people find themselves in this situation?”
That guiding philosophy shaped the tone of the docuseries. Rather than centering the story on the accused leader or the criminal investigation, Twisted Yoga takes a psychological approach that focuses on the personal journeys of the women who were involved.
According to Deacon, putting their voices at the center allowed the series to move away from the type of storytelling that can reduce participants to victims.
“They’re fully rounded characters,” Deacon said. “They’re allowed to be inconsistent and contradictory and funny and flawed. That approach is the opposite of sensationalizing their experiences.”
The series explores how many of the women initially joined the community seeking connection, spiritual growth, and self-improvement. Over time, however, those motivations became entangled in a system that slowly eroded personal boundaries.
For Lavery, one of the most important aspects of the series was showing how gradual that process can be.
“We never wanted viewers sitting at home thinking, ‘That would never happen to me—I’d be straight out the door,’” Lavery said.
Instead, the filmmakers discovered that many participants shared a similar experience: they entered the movement with positive intentions, only to find their boundaries shifting little by little over time.
“There was a very gradual process that they went through,” Lavery explained. “Their boundaries were eroded, and red flags were sometimes dismissed.”
Understanding that slow shift became one of the most revealing parts of the filmmaking process. For Deacon, fully grasping the influence of the group’s teachings was key to understanding why people stayed.
“The teachings were presented as incredibly positive,” Deacon said. “But what they ultimately led to was a kind of self-abandonment.”
Within the community, spiritual growth and empowerment were heavily emphasized. Yet the series shows how those ideas sometimes created pressure for individuals to ignore their instincts or reinterpret discomfort as a personal failing.
One moment that stood out to the filmmakers involves a participant named Ash, who describes feeling ashamed that she couldn’t fully participate in a ritual that made her uncomfortable.
“There was this echo chamber pressure,” Deacon said. “She felt embarrassed that she couldn’t do it, even though something in her instincts was telling her it wasn’t right.”
Moments like that, Deacon noted, illustrate how psychologically complex these environments can become.
“You see how empowerment and self-improvement can slowly turn into losing touch with your own instincts,” she said.
The filmmakers also faced challenges in telling the story because the legal case surrounding the movement is still ongoing. According to Lavery, that meant the production had to proceed carefully throughout the filming and editing process.
“It’s a contested and ongoing case, and it may or may not go to trial,” Lavery said. “So we had to be extremely careful not to jeopardize anything for the women involved.”
The team worked closely with lawyers throughout the production to ensure the series remained responsible while still telling the story effectively.
“We spoke to our lawyers a lot through production—probably more than on any other project,” Lavery added. “We don’t want to become the story. We want to observe the story.”
Ultimately, both Lavery and Deacon hope Twisted Yoga encourages viewers to reflect on the broader themes explored in the series. Rather than offering a simple cautionary tale, the filmmakers want audiences to think critically about power, authority, and belonging.
“I hope the series raises questions,” Deacon said. “Questions about power and consent, about belief and belonging.”
Importantly, Lavery believes the dynamics explored in the series extend far beyond wellness culture.
“It’s not restricted to the wellness space,” she said. “You can see these kinds of patterns in schools, churches, marriages, friendships—many different environments.”
For that reason, the filmmakers say the most important takeaway for viewers may be learning to trust themselves.
“As soon as you give up your agency,” Lavery said, “that’s when things can start to go wrong.”
Twisted Yoga premieres globally on March 13 on Apple TV+.
