SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — At the sound of crashing waves, sits an empty area at Sunset Cliffs where stretching and relaxation would be in full effect at different times throughout the day. But, recent updates to the city code tightened restrictions for outdoor yoga classes.
“it's kind of absurd, like anything health and wellness based, especially free, like why would the city feel the need to shut down something like this,” Yoga Enthusiast Austin Kastenberg said.
Austin Kastenberg showed up Saturday morning with his mat on hand, when he quickly realized yoga class wasn't going to be in session.
“This isn't like a concert, this isn't a festival, it's just groups or people from the community coming together for their health and wellness so let's get this resolved quick,” Kastenberg said.
Jackie Kowalik is a yoga instructor, she has been teaching donation based classes at Sunset Cliffs on and off since 2017. She describes yoga at Sunset Cliffs as a space of belonging and peace.
“We got shut down last Wednesday and since then it's just been a full blown community effort to make it clear to anybody that will listen to us that these classes are important for more than just the yoga teachers,” Kowalik said.
San Diego officials made updates to the city code that prohibits businesses from operating beach events, they tightened the language to list "yoga, fitness classes and other activities" as a "service." The updated code took effect towards the end of March.
WATCH: Steve "NamaSteve" Hubbard has offered free oceanfront yoga classes for 17 years in Pacific Beach but was ticketed Saturday for holding a public event without a permit.
“They have these park rangers that are going out and intimidating people and ticketing people, there was just a ticket written today against one of the yoga gatherings in Pacific Beach,” attorney Bryan Pease said.
Pease is the attorney helping Jackie and other yoga instructors find a solution. He sent a cease and desist letter to city officials on Friday.
“We're gonna be filing a lawsuit against the city and then seeking a temporary restraining order,” Pease said.
In a statement, A spokesperson for the city said:
“The City of San Diego’s Municipal Code prohibits groups consisting of four or more people engaged in commercial recreational activities like yoga, fitness classes and dog training from gathering in parks without a permit and can only operate in certain designated areas. Picnics and other gatherings of 50 or more also require a permit in parks, beaches and bay. The applicable municipal code (SDMC 63.0102) has been in effect since 1993, and recent updates to the policy have clarified the activities for which necessary permitting applies.”
At the moment, the city does not provide permits for Sunset Cliffs.
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