Canadian Organizer of ‘Orgasmic’ Yoga Class Deported From Bali

In yet another case of a foreigner getting booted from Bali for angering a lot of people with a bizarre idea, Indonesian authorities have deported a Canadian man for allegedly organizing an “orgasmic” yoga class. 

Christopher Kyle Martin reportedly entered Indonesia on a tourist visa in April. But he courted the wrong kind of attention on social media for promoting a “tantric full body orgasm yoga session,” which he later argued would have solely focused on “breathing techniques,” according to authorities.

The class, which cost 20 euros to attend, was cancelled following public outcry. 

“He has been disrespecting Balinese customs and culture,” Jamaruli Manihuruk. a regional official with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said in a briefing quoted in local media reports on Sunday.

“Martin explained that the class didn’t involve any sexual activity. He said it is different from genital orgasm,” the official clarified.

In pictures that circulated over the weekend, Martin was seen wearing a mask and white top hat while surrounded by immigration officials. He has since left the country and been blacklisted, Manihuruk confirmed.

But Bali’s local governor told Martin that if he wanted to come back, he had to “respect Balinese culture.”

The Hindu-majority island is world-renowned as a haven for digital nomads, influencers and restless wanderers. It has also been a refuge for many foreigners who decided to ride out the pandemic there instead of returning home to more virus-battered countries.

But many have been deported over the past year for flouting rules and general bad behaviour.

In April, a Taiwanese-American Josh Paler Lin and Russian national Leia Se staged a prank at a local supermarket where Se wore a painted face mask to fool security guards after being denied entry into the store. Both have since apologized but were deported a week later in May.

Before that in a case that made international headlines, self-proclaimed digital nomad Kristen Gray sparked a social media firestorm in January when she took to Twitter to boast about her lavish island lifestyle and encouraged others to follow suit.

Gray and her partner were accused of violating Indonesian immigration laws and have been barred from returning to the country after being deported.

Additional translation by Annisa Nurul Aziza. Follow Heather Chen and Annisa Nurul Aziza on Twitter.