Dozens Left in Limbo After Popular Yoga School Abruptly Cancels Retreats and Fails to Issue Refunds

Sudden cancellation of retreats and financial troubles

“Transform your life through yoga”—with that kind of slogan, a yoga organization that has built a customer base of women across Japan is now embroiled in a financial dispute involving its customers.

At the center of the trouble is Michi Yoga, a yoga school based in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. The school combines online courses with overseas retreats and study programs, and claims to offer qualifications such as RYT200 and RYT500, certified by Yoga Alliance, the international yoga organization.

Michi Yoga’s official social media features photos of people meditating under blue skies, alongside the prominent statement, “We have produced more than 700 graduates.” At first glance, it appears to be a legitimate yoga school, but it has reportedly been plagued by numerous problems, including the sudden cancellation of retreats and failure to issue refunds.

A woman identified as A, who signed up for Michi Yoga’s study program in India, expressed her frustration.

“I had always wanted to get a yoga certification, so I was searching online for a good school when Michi Yoga’s India program appeared near the top of the search results. The fact that it was cheaper than other schools in the same industry and that I could obtain a certification in India, the home of yoga, was appealing. I signed up in November 2024 and transferred the ¥248,000 course fee. But then, I never heard from them after making the payment. I gradually became anxious about whether the program would actually take place as scheduled.”

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

Victims from a LINE group

“Regarding the India program scheduled for March 15, we have been left with no choice but to cancel the event. Preparations for the venue, accommodations, instructors (for the RYT course), and transportation have all been completed, but we are no longer able to arrange the free airfare we promised. With a broken heart, I sincerely, deeply apologize.”

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

“Please allow us to refund the full amount we received from you on March 31, 2025.”

However, no payment was made. After receiving another email stating, “Although we promised a refund, as of today we have been unable to fulfill that promise. We will sell the facility in Ubud, Bali, and secure the funds needed for repayment,” A reportedly lost all contact with the sender.

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

Would there be any plans to issue refunds, and how did the organization respond to the victims’ concerns? We sent a list of questions by email to Y, the representative of Michi Yoga, seeking clarification of the facts, but the email was never delivered, returning a “Delivery Error” message. We also called Y’s mobile phone, but only heard an automated message saying, “This number is not in service.”

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