SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A federal court has ruled in favor of yoga instructors using public parks for private lessons in San Diego, citing First Amendment rights.

Steve Hubbard, known as NamaSteve, and another yoga instructor have been conducting yoga classes in public parks, which attracted up to 150 participants on weekends.

Despite the city's enforcement of vending laws requiring permits for commercial activities on public land, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that yoga falls under freedom of expression.

The city of San Diego had renewed its vending laws, classifying yoga under the category of vending, which led to the issuance of tickets to instructors like Hubbard. However, the court's decision emphasized that yoga is a form of expression protected by the First Amendment.

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