Honouring Our Journey

A Warning to Others: Abuse Disguised as Healing in Sri Lanka

In January this year, we set off as a family to explore the world with our two daughters. We were seeking a slower, simpler life filled with meaningful experiences. Our travels took us through several countries, and we spent a couple of months in Sri Lanka, drawn in by its beauty, warmth, and cultural richness.

While there, our daughters joined a World-schooling community, and I took the opportunity to explore yoga and alternative healing practices—something I’ve been passionate about for years.

Unfortunately, what started as a dream experience turned into a traumatic one.

During a Marma therapy session at One Bhakthi in Ahangama, I was sexually assaulted by Nizar Mohamed, who goes by @Yogi.Nizar on Instagram.

Marma therapy is a traditional Ayurvedic bodywork practice, intended to stimulate energy points to support healing. I booked this session seeking support for hormonal issues and emotional balance. At first, the session followed a typical body treatment format. However, it quickly escalated into something else entirely.

Without consent and under the guise of “releasing blocked energy,” Nizar digitally penetrated me vaginally and anally, and touched my breasts. I was alone in the room. It was not a boundary being pushed—it was a clear and violent sexual violation. At no point did I give permission for any intimate or internal contact, nor was it mentioned as part of the treatment beforehand.

This experience left me shocked, frozen, and deeply shaken.

After reporting the assault to the Sri Lankan police, I also posted a warning in a few local WhatsApp groups. Within days, over a dozen women reached out—some sharing eerily similar experiences, others knowing someone who had been harmed. Three of us have given formal police statements.

Despite this, Nizar Mohamed continues to operate and hold yoga trainings at One Bhakthi, a business he co-owns. He remains active on social media, advertising treatments and spiritual retreats.

We have since faced:

• Threats and intimidation

• Disappearing evidence and altered police records

• A lack of communication from local authorities

• Clear signs of corruption within the justice system

The British Embassy is now involved at the highest level, and the next court date is scheduled for May 30th, 2025. But the process remains slow and uncertain.

I am speaking publicly because the official systems have not protected us. I feel a deep responsibility to warn others so no one else has to experience what I did.

If you are travelling or living in Sri Lanka, please avoid One Bhakthi in Ahangama, and warn others.

Red flags to watch for in alternative healing settings:

• Vague or mystical language used to justify physical contact

• No clear explanation of treatment boundaries beforehand

• Being left alone with the practitioner without support

• Pressure to stay silent or doubts dismissed as “resistance to healing”

It’s important to know that real healing never requires non-consensual touch. No one has the right to override your body’s boundaries or your intuition.

To anyone who has been through something similar:

You are not alone.

It was not your fault.

There is help, and your voice matters.

To the many kind people—strangers, friends, and professionals—who’ve shown us care and support, thank you. You’ve reminded me that even in dark times, there are good people who stand up for what’s right.

This post is not about sympathy—it’s about truth, prevention, and accountability.