The City of San Diego is continuing its fight to reinstate restrictions on beach yoga and group fitness classes, prolonging a legal battle that has already stretched on for nearly two years.
The case began in May 2024, when the City started actively enforcing a citywide ordinance prohibiting sidewalk vendors as well as group fitness instruction of four or more people without a permit. Park rangers issued citations to instructors teaching at popular coastal locations, including Sunset Cliffs and Pacific Beach, prompting backlash from the local wellness community.
On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted a preliminary injunction blocking the City from enforcing the ban, finding that the policy likely violated the First Amendment rights of instructors, including plaintiffs Steve Hubbard and Amy Baack, founder of Mind Body Badass. The ruling allowed donation-based outdoor yoga and fitness classes to resume while the case moved forward.
In September 2025, the Ninth Circuit unanimously denied the City’s petition to rehear the case, leaving the injunction in place. Despite that decision, the City is continuing to challenge the ruling, extending the legal fight. Baack, co-plaintiff in the case, confirmed that litigation is ongoing.
"We actually just had another court hearing today, and the latest is that the city will not back down. They are still continuing to push back against our win in the Ninth Circuit Court," Baack shares. "So even though that was pretty finalizing, they're continuing to argue their case that our yoga was, in fact, not part of the First Amendment."
The ongoing legal efforts mean the case is expected to remain active for at least another year, with current projections extending into mid-2027. Baack and her team have continued to fundraise to support legal expenses as the case moves forward.
"We still have plenty of funds available in our GoFundMe, so I do want to thank everybody that has contributed—that's going towards our legal fees, like filing, and serving papers, etcetera," she says. "It just shows the support and pushes back against the city for continuing to spend, who knows how many thousands of dollars of tax dollars on this fight against a yoga, as crazy as that is to say, it is still going.”
In the meantime, outdoor yoga classes remain protected under the preliminary injunction granted earlier this year, allowing instructors to continue offering donation-based sessions at popular coastal locations like Sunset Cliffs and Pacific Beach parks.
"Go out there and enjoy the sun, the ocean, and your civil rights, and your ability to gather together and enjoy life," Baack states. "That's really what we're trying to protect: the community and the culture of San Diego and of wellness.”
For now, the mats remain on the cliffs, but the fight continues.
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