“My mind went blank…” Dozens of Victims: “Sudden Cancellation of Retreat & Refund Dispute” at Popular Yoga School

Sudden Cancellation of Retreat and Financial Disputes

“Bring order to your life through yoga”—under this slogan, a yoga organization that has built a client base of women across Japan is now embroiled in a financial dispute involving its customers.

At the center of the controversy is “Michiyoga,” a yoga school headquartered in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. The school offers a combination of online courses, overseas retreats, and study abroad programs, claiming to help students obtain certifications such as RYT200 and RYT500, which are recognized by the Yoga Alliance.

On Michi Yoga’s official social media accounts, alongside photos of people meditating under blue skies, the phrase “We have produced over 700 graduates” is prominently displayed. At first glance, it appears to be a legitimate yoga school, but reports indicate that numerous issues have arisen, including sudden cancellations of retreats and failure to process refunds.

Ms. A, who applied for Michi Yoga’s study abroad program in India, is outraged.

“I’d always wanted to get a yoga certification, so when I was searching online for a good school, Michi Yoga’s India program appeared at the top of the search results. It was cheaper than other schools in the same field, and the appeal of earning a certification in India—the birthplace of yoga—was too good to pass up, so I applied in November 2024 and transferred the 248,000 yen tuition fee.However… I haven’t heard a single word from them since I made the payment. I’m starting to get increasingly anxious about whether the program will actually take place as scheduled.”

One day in mid-March of last year, just a few days before her study abroad program in India was set to begin, Ms. A received an email. The sender was a man identified as “Y, Representative of Michi Yoga” (using his real name in the email). The email contained the following message.

A LINE group for victims was created

“Regarding the ‘India Trip’ scheduled for March 15, we have no choice but to cancel the event.Although preparations for the venue, accommodations, the instructor (RYT certification course), and transportation have been completed, we are unable to provide the “free airline tickets” you were looking forward to. It is with a heavy heart that we offer our deepest, deepest apologies.”

Ms. A was confused by the sudden cancellation notice. A few days later, she received the following email:

《Please allow us to refund the full amount received by March 31, 2025.》

However, no refund was received. After receiving an email stating, “We had promised a refund, but as of today, we have not been able to fulfill that promise. We will sell our facility in Ubud, Bali, and use those funds to secure the money for the refund,” all contact with the sender was lost.

“My mind went completely blank. I frantically searched online and discovered there were many people who had suffered similar losses. A LINE group for victims had even been created, with about 60 members sharing details of their respective situations. I still haven’t received a refund. I want a proper apology from the operators.”

Is there a plan for a refund, and how are they responding to the victims’ concerns? We sent a list of questions to the email address of Mr. Y, the representative of Michi Yoga, to clarify the facts, but the email was returned as a “delivery error” and never reached him. We called Mr. Y’s cell phone, but all we heard was an automated message stating, “This number is no longer in service.”

Will the day ever come when Ms. A and the other victims receive refunds for their course fees?