Dance teacher sues yoga retreat over ‘traumatising' exercise
Melissa Revell, 35, claimed that she has been left unable to work or look after herself because of the emotional toll of self-exploration exercises on a £2,250 yoga teacher training course in 2019.
She said the course involved unadvertised psychological exercises that led to her being 'retraumatised' over incidents in her childhood.
The dance teacher is now suing The Yoga People International Ltd – run by Jamie Clarke, 59, and Dulce Aguilar, 43 – for over £200,000 in compensation.
Ms Revell, from Richmond, London, said she has become unable 'to care for herself' and leads 'an extremely reclusive, impoverished and dysfunctional life'.
Lawyers for the yoga company denied there was any 'psychological' element to the training and say the emotional collapse Ms Revell said she suffered was not a foreseeable risk of a yoga course.
Marcus Grant, representing Ms Revell, said in documents to London's High Court that she began a 200-hour teacher training course in Goa, the western state of India, in September and October 2019.
However, her barrister said she left the country early after having a meltdown triggered by an exercise led by Ms Aguilar that asked participants to 'explore their childhood memories and their relationship with their parents'.
The barrister said that 'following the session the claimant started shaking and feeling ill' and was gripped with 'overwhelming anxiety'.
The company denied there was any such exercise led by Ms Aguilar.
Ms Revell was diagnosed with 'significant and severe complex PTSD', 'comorbid depersonalisation/derealisation disorder' and 'functional neurological disorder'.
Mr Grant said her 'injuries' have led her to not be able to care for herself, keep her house tidy or exercise'.
Although she had a history of mental health problems, she had been in good mental and physical health since 2013.
Lawyers for the company said Ms Revell signed a waiver to confirm she had 'no pre-existing conditions, both physical and mental, which may affect her performance'.
No 'complaint or distress'
Mr Grant criticised the fact there was no warning of psychology-based exercises, and said Ms Revell 'would never have signed up for the course' if she knew she would have to engage in 'traumatic or distressing childhood memories'.
They said Ms Aguilar had led an exercise of which the purpose 'was purely to feel love and develop forgiveness for anyone who had wronged you'.
Ms Revell reportedly 'completed the exercise without complaint or distress' and told Ms Aguilar that 'she had loved' it.
The lawyers denied that there was any mention of trauma or that there was any pressure to engage in all sessions, adding: 'She could have refused to participate if she so wished.'
The case reached court for a brief pre-trial hearing before Master Gary Thornett, who heard the trial, will receive evidence from a yoga expert.
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