Getting in a morning yoga sesh against a backdrop of ocean waves may become more difficult for those in Newport Beach.
Last night, the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission approved a recommendation to require fitness instructors and others to obtain permission from the city if they want to hold for-profit classes on beaches or parks.
The city routinely finds yoga workshops, fitness boot camps and other groups on the outdoor grounds. According to a commission staff report, such “unauthorized instructional activities” interfere with the staff's ability to manage the parks and beaches, and also limit the public's access to these areas.
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These groups are “using public parks and beaches for personal gain”
while “draining the city's limited resources to maintain them,” the
report says.
One yoga instructor who wished to remain anonymous believes the rule
“may be hard to police” as there are “tons of people” who meet on the
beach. She describes her yoga class as “super small” and “more just like
a group friends doing yoga.”
The measure must now pass the City Council.
