text: The yoga being taught in a San Diego County school system is not a gateway to Hinduism and doesn't violate the religious rights of students or their parents, a California appeals court ruled Friday. The 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego upheld a lower court ruling that tossed out a family's lawsuit trying to block the Encinitas Union School District from teaching yoga as an alternative to traditional gym classes. The lawsuit brought by Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock and their two children claimed the school district's yoga classes promoted Hinduism and inhibited Christianity. Scroll down for video . Students hold their positions during a yoga class at Capri Elementary School in Encinitas, California, in 2012 . A California appeals court ruled yoga classes taught at Capri do not violate students' right to religious freedom . The court upheld the previous ruling in a 3-0 opinion. The district court wrote: 'While the practice of yoga may be religious in some contexts, yoga classes as taught in the district are, as the trial court determined, "devoid of any religious, mystical, or spiritual trappings." 'We conclude that the program is secular in purpose, does not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion and does not excessively entangle the school district in religion. 'The district's yoga program does not violate our state constitution.' The First Amendment bans school-sponsored religious promotion and prayer. Yoga instructor Kristen McCloskey (right) leads third graders at Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School in 2012 . The Sedlocks were disappointed with the ruling and are considering their options. Attorney Dean Broyles said: 'No other court in the past 50 years has allowed public school officials to lead children in formal religious rituals like the Hindu liturgy of praying to, bowing to, and worshipping the sun god.' A school distort lawyer said there were no rituals occurring in the classroom and no one was worshipping the sun or leading Hindu rites. The district said the practice is taught in a secular way to promote strength, flexibility and balance. Yoga is now taught at schools across the country, but the district is believed to be the first with full-time yoga teachers at all schools. A three-year grant from the K.P. Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Ashtanga yoga, provides twice-weekly, 30-minute classes to the district's 5,600 students. About 30 families have opted out of the classes since they began in 2011.
target: Lawsuit tried to block Encinitas Union School District from teaching yoga .
  Family's lawsuit said yoga promoted Hinduism and inhibited Christianity .
  4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego upheld court ruling against suit .
  District said yoga taught in secular way to promote  flexibility and balance .
  Yoga taught to district's 5,600 students at twice-weekly, 30-minute classes .