Beach Yoga Returns to San Diego as Court Overturns Ban
A federal appeals court has overturned a ban on yoga in public parks and on public beaches in San Diego, meaning that beach yoga is officially back in the city.
In May 2024, the City of San Diego banned free yoga classes on beaches and in parks, claiming that donation-based classes throughout the city constituted “commercial activities” and required permitting. For their part, local yoga instructors said that the classes were free to attend and donation-based, adding that the ban violates their First Amendment rights.
Last year, several San Diego yoga instructors filed a lawsuit against the City, claiming that the ban on free wellness classes was a violation of their First Amendment rights to free speech. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court agreed with that position.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and issued an injunction that would block enforcement of the San Diego ordinance banning yoga in San Diego public parks and beaches.
All of this is to say that free yoga can now return to public parks and beaches in America’s Finest City, CBS 8 has reported.
In its decision, the federal appeals court found that the city’s ban on public yoga was a violation of free speech. It also noted that the ordinance was not content-neutral, since it singled out yoga while allowing similar group activities like tai chi or poetry readings.
The court concluded that San Diego failed to show that beach yoga was a legitimate threat to public safety or enjoyment.
While yoga teachers can now lead classes on San Diego beaches and in area parks, the case is still ongoing and other disputes between the city and local yoga teachers may continue.
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Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
