Yoga Retreat Meltdown: Teacher Wins Court Payout

Melissa Revell, a dance teacher and personal trainer, has successfully won a court fight for compensation after experiencing an "emotional meltdown" during a yoga teacher training course in Goa in 2019. She paid £2,250 for the 200-hour intensive program, which she claims involved unadvertised psychological exercises. These exercises, reportedly focused on childhood memories and parental forgiveness, led to her being "re-traumatised" and subsequently diagnosed with severe complex PTSD.

The intense experience left Ms. Revell significantly incapacitated, unable to work, and struggling with daily self-care, causing her weight to increase from a size 6 to a size 14-16. Despite the yoga company's initial defence, denying any psychological elements and arguing her collapse was not a foreseeable risk, they have now dropped their defence over liability in the High Court. This decision means Ms. Revell is set to receive compensation, though the final amount is yet to be determined.

Her legal team argued that the "dismissive response" from instructors and the "coercive pressure to participate" in further exercises exacerbated her condition. The court heard she now lives an "extremely reclusive, impoverished and dysfunctional life." While she had a history of mental health issues, her condition had been stable prior to the retreat. The case highlights the potential risks of intense psychological exploration in wellness retreats.