It starts with a sunrise flow. Maybe a turmeric latte after class. Your yoga teacher glows, radiates peace — and casually mentions how she’s “manifesting abundance” with a side biz.

By the end of the week, she’s DMing you about “aligning your energy”… and joining her essential oil team.

Welcome to the fusion nobody asked for: yoga teachers turned MLM recruiters, blending spirituality, pseudoscience, and starter kits.

From doTERRA to Arbonne, Beachbody, Isagenix, and Monat, more wellness influencers are sliding from savasana into full sales mode — bringing their students with them.

In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice cracked down on several high-ranking doTERRA sellers for falsely claiming their essential oils could treat or prevent COVID-19. One of them? A nurse practitioner named Eliza Johnson Bacot, who promoted these claims via social media and online webinars. Yes, actual legal action. Not vibes.

And in 2017, Arbonne faced a class-action lawsuit alleging the company operated like a pyramid scheme. The suit claimed most consultants lost money while being pressured to recruit others and overspend on starter kits and rank-boosting inventory. The case was dismissed later — but not before internal numbers showed 86% of reps reportedly made nothing or lost money.

Instagram tells the tale:

“I used to teach 10 classes a week just to pay rent… now I make six figures from home.”

“This opportunity aligned with my soul purpose.”

“I only promote what I believe in — and it happens to come with commission.”

But here’s where it gets messier — and legally confirmed.

CorePower Yoga (2018)

More than 1,500 yoga instructors joined a class-action lawsuit in 2018 against studio giant CorePower Yoga, claiming they were underpaid and pressured to “groom” students into $3,000 teacher trainings using scripted sales pitches—right after savasana. The case was settled, spotlighting the high-pressure upselling tactics inside a yoga environment.

ALO Yoga & Influencer Lawsuits (2025)

In May 2025, ALO Yoga—a major athleisure brand—faced a $150 million class-action lawsuit claiming they paid influencers to promote products without disclosing it was paid sponsorship. While this isn’t a classic MLM, it shows how influential yoga figures can be quietly monetized—and how those endorsements can become grounds for legal trouble.

Industry insiders and yoga teachers have long criticized how essential-oil MLMs infiltrated yoga studios—pitching “healing blends” post-class and pressuring students to join sales downlines.

Young Living Class Action (2019)

In 2019, a federal class-action suit accused Young Living Essential Oils of running a “cult-like pyramid scheme.” The lawsuit detailed practices like mandatory auto-ship purchases, heavy recruitment pressure, and claims that most members lost money. A 2016 income disclosure showed 94% of distributors made less than $1 per year, while only top-tier “Royal Crown Diamonds” earned substantial income.

Still, some yoga instructors continue to use their role as trusted guides to funnel students into these “abundance opportunities.”

“I came for peace and flexibility… I left with auto-ship orders and guilt for not ‘manifesting hard enough.'”

The sales pitch is subtle, spiritual, and wrapped in affirmation memes. But in the end, the intention isn’t always enlightenment — it’s enrollment.

So next time your favorite yoga teacher invites you to “step into your highest timeline” — just check if there’s a shopping cart behind the mantra.