SAN DIEGO (Diya TV) — In a major win for First Amendment rights and spiritual practice, a federal appeals court has struck down the city of San Diego’s outdoor yoga ban, calling it unconstitutional. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with yoga instructors Steven Hubbard and Amy Baack, who challenged the city’s ordinance that prohibited teaching yoga classes with four or more participants in public parks and beaches.
“It’s hard to feel like you are powerless, which is how it felt when the city began shutting everything down,” Baack said after the ruling. “But I firmly believe that you can fight back and get things overturned, which we proved.”
For Hubbard, who faced repeated citations for conducting yoga classes from his backyard, the ban was an overreach. “It’s pretty questionable if you are going to somebody’s house at the end of their driveway, and park rangers are saying, ‘Hey you got to come out of your house and sign this ticket,’” he said. “It’s a pretty egregious violation of free speech.”
The Ninth Circuit panel rejected the city’s argument that teaching yoga posed a threat to public safety, finding no “plausible connection between plaintiffs teaching yoga and any threat to public safety and enjoyment in the city’s shoreline parks.” In a direct rebuke of the lower court’s position, the justices declared, “Teaching yoga is speech protected by the First Amendment.”
Baack recalled being stopped by park rangers at Sunset Cliffs without any real explanation. “I was not given any kind of information when the rangers shut down my classes,” she said. “In fact, they couldn’t even quote or give me the name of the ordinance. They didn’t have any documentation of it.”
For Baack and Hubbard, the fight was always about more than just yoga. “It became pretty clear pretty fast through social media and responses, how devastated the community was,” Baack said. “It was clear that it was something much bigger than myself.”
Yoga, which originated as a sacred spiritual practice in Hinduism, has long been recognized for its transformative power, physically, mentally, and spiritually. While it has been embraced by communities worldwide, it remains deeply rooted in Hindu philosophy and aims to cultivate unity of mind, body, and spirit.
Hubbard, who has taught yoga for 17 years and was even recognized by a city council member for his service, said the support from the community was overwhelming. “It is a victory for the First Amendment and common sense,” said Amy Reichert.
Baack hopes the city sees yoga for what it is—a centuries-old gift from Hindu tradition that uplifts communities, rather than harms them. “Yoga classes are a gift to the city and are not taking anything from the community,” she said.
With the Ninth Circuit’s decision, both instructors are optimistic the city won’t pursue the case further. “The Ninth Circuit made it very clear that this ban is a violation of our First Amendment and that we are likely to win if we do decide to proceed further, which is not in the city’s best interest,” Baack said.
San Diego city officials did not respond to a request for comment.
