I am Team Steve. And We're All In on Yoga.

If you've spent any time in San Diego's yoga community, you know Steve Hubbard. NamaSteve. The guy who has been teaching free classes by the ocean for years, and who is now on his third lawsuit against the city for the right to keep doing it. The LA Times just covered the whole saga, and it's worth your time: Battle over free public yoga classes pits NamaSteve against a SoCal city.

I've practiced with Steve many times over the years. I've met friends on those mats. I once laughed through half a class while his giant black pot-bellied pig meandered around us like he owned the place. And I walked away from those mornings a better version of myself. The fresh air, sunshine, new people, and an hour of taking genuine care of my health were better than any prescription.

While I understand the good intention around keeping our beaches safe and orderly, the city has never actually explained what it's trying to accomplish here. Kicking out the yogis seems like a stretch. Even the federal appeals courts seem to agree that they should be allowed to continue. So far, the court has stated that prohibiting these classes on the basis of the sidewalk vending ordinance is unconstitutional.

Here's what I keep coming back to. We talk constantly in this country about the healthcare crisis. About the loneliness epidemic. The Surgeon General literally issued an advisory on it. And then a city looks at a free yoga class in a public park, a gathering that is quite literally the antidote to both problems, and decides that's the thing worth citing, subpoenaing, and litigating.

I run a software company called Walla that serves almost 1,000 yoga studios, so I see the data behind this every day. Movement, community, and consistency change people's lives. Studios are where that happens at scale. But the beach class, the park class, the free community flow, is often where it starts. These free or donation events are the accessible front door to a movement practice that can change lives. Someone tries yoga for free on a Saturday morning, and a year later they're a regular at a local studio, healthier and more connected than they've been in years. Healthy people, thriving (tax paying) businesses, and stronger communities. Nobody loses in that story.

I'm not here to litigate ordinance language. Smarter people in courtrooms are handling that, and so far the courts seem to agree that teaching yoga in a public park is, in fact, speech worth protecting.

I'm just here to say out loud: if we are serious about health in this country, we need more mornings and opportunities like the ones Steve creates.

And we're all in on yoga.

💙 Laura