This Southern California woman is in the running for world's worst yoga instructor


A Southern California yoga instructor who allegedly charged practitioners hundreds of dollars each before abruptly closing her studio has left her former clients — as well as Bikram Yoga International — steaming mad.
Beatrice Samson shut down Bikram Yoga Thousand Oaks at the end of February, and did not offer her clients any refunds, NBC Los Angeles reports. "It's the last place you would expect someone to do this," says Tania Stappard, who forked over $800 cash for a year's worth of classes. "The night before she shut down the studio, she was still selling packages. She not only pushed people to buy just one deal, she kept pushing to buy this deal over and over again." Upon further investigation, NBC Los Angeles also found that Samson was not actually affiliated with or licensed by Bikram Yoga International. For her part, Samson refused to comment, except to say the studio was "stolen" from her.
To avoid situations like this, the Better Business Bureau recommends that people use credit cards when purchasing goods and services, not debit cards, cash, or checks. There is some good news for the angry yogis: Bikram Yoga Thousand Oaks has been replaced with a new studio, whose owner said he is willing to "balance that wrong with something right" and is offering to honor those prepaid packages for three months. Stappard appreciates his gesture, but has no kind words for Samson. “I hope this woman never says 'namaste' again," she said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect