Ashley Freckleton

I'd just moved overseas, I was 25, I was exploring my spirituality, my identity, what I believe in.

I was in a new city, going through a breakup.

And I also really enjoyed yoga.

And I was just looking for a really good yoga practice to start with.

I wasn't looking for a spiritual yoga school.

The online branch that I first joined is called Atman Yoga Federation.

Then I eventually joined the London branch, which is Tara Yoga Center.

And they go by a whole list of different names, depending on where you are in the world.

I became aware of him fairly early.

I was doing the online classes and I was talking to this friend that had kind of drawn me into the school.

And he was based in Romania at the time and we were talking online and he started to talk about his spiritual master or his spiritual guide.

And then he sent me links and gave me his name, which is Gregorian Bivalaru.

And it immediately raised red flags for me because he said he's in hiding.

He's wanted by Interpol.

But, you know, look what happened to Jesus.

So I went to Romania for this one month camp and ended up getting into this secret women's ashram while I was there.

So there's a men's one.

There's a women's one.

That kind of catapulted me towards the center very quickly.

I was a bit of an anomaly in that sense.