A former wellness coach died by suicide after experiencing severe pain linked to a prolonged Buddhist retreat, an inquest has heard. Claire Rodway, 52, had been fit and active before attending the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery on Holy Isle, off Scotland’s west coast, where she undertook an intensive year-long spiritual practice beginning in October 2024.

During the retreat, Rodway was required to perform 650 prostrations daily—a physical bowing exercise involving fully extending the body on the floor. Over five months, she completed approximately 100,000 of these movements. She also participated in lengthy silent periods and endured disrupted sleep, as some teachings were transmitted remotely from Nepal at 2 a.m.

Rodway left the monastery in February 2025 due to worsening health. By June, her joint pain had become so severe she needed to move in with her mother, Christine, in Dorset. She was subsequently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and fatigue. On October 2, 2025, Rodway was found drowned in the River Avon, having left notes expressing that her pain was unbearable and that she felt she had a poor quality of life.

Her family raised concerns during the Dorset inquest, with their representative stating that the monastery's practices were unsafe and that no health risk assessments had been conducted on participants prior to the retreat. They argued that the intensity of the regimen put vulnerable individuals at risk.

In contrast, representatives of the ROKPA Trust, which runs the monastery, defended the retreat’s safety record. Lama Zangmo, a senior Buddhist nun, noted that participants were advised on modifying prostrations to less strenuous postures such as kneeling or sitting. However, she said Rodway had chosen to complete the full prostrations and had done so more rapidly than most, who typically take years to reach such numbers. Helen Richardson, a trustee of the trust, added that in over 30 years of overseeing the monastery, she had not encountered cases of participants leaving early due to physical ailments.

Assistant coroner Richard Middleton recorded a verdict of suicide and concluded that Rodway’s death was not preventable. He acknowledged the potential link between the retreat’s physical demands, sleep disruption, and the onset of fibromyalgia, describing it as “common sense” that such factors might have contributed to her condition. Nonetheless, he stated he was satisfied the monastery took appropriate steps in response to issues that arose during the retreat.

The case has highlighted questions about the physical and mental risks associated with intensive spiritual retreats, particularly among those with underlying health vulnerabilities. Support organizations such as Samaritans have been cited for confidential assistance to individuals in distress.