Court Rules in Favor of San Diego Beach Yoga
Jack UtermoehlTeaching Yoga on Beach Deemed Protected Speech
June 6, 2025 – San Diego, CA
Yoga classes have resumed at Pacific Beach after a federal appeals court ruled that San Diego’s ordinance banning group instruction in shoreline parks is unconstitutional.
The decision, issued Wednesday by a three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, determined that teaching yoga constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by instructors Steven Hubbard and Amy Baack, who challenged a 2024 law prohibiting classes with four or more people on beaches and in shoreline parks without a permit.
The court found no plausible link between the act of teaching yoga and any harm to public safety or enjoyment of public spaces. “Because the ordinance targets teaching yoga, it plainly implicates [the instructors'] First Amendment right to speak,” the panel wrote.
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Shop NowHubbard, also known as “NamaSteve,” resumed classes immediately following the ruling. "We’re all happy to be back,” he said, after leading a morning session under palm trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
City officials had argued the ordinance was designed to curb commercial use of public land and ensure fair access. However, the court sided with the instructors, citing a lack of evidence that the yoga gatherings interfered with park use.
Supporters of the decision say it reaffirms community access to movement, mindfulness, and nature, particularly for those unable to afford traditional studio classes. Attorney Bryan Pease, who represented the instructors, emphasized that outdoor yoga offers an inclusive alternative, especially in a beach town like San Diego.
A hearing is scheduled to clarify how the ruling will be implemented. In the meantime, yoga has returned to the shoreline, this time backed by constitutional protection.
