101 Yoga Class Planning Tips and Ready-to-Use Class Plans

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Discover 101 Yoga Class Planning Tips & Ready-to-Use Class Plans…Plus, Learn my Simple 5-step Formula for Crafting Unforgettable Yoga Class Plans Using The Online Yoga Lesson Planner

In this post, you’ll discover 101 yoga class planning tips and ready-to-use class plans.

Plus, you’ll get your yogic hands on my simple 5-step formula for crafting unforgettable yoga class plans using the fabulous, time-saving Online Yoga Lesson Planner.

My name is George Watts.

I’m a BWY yoga teacher and have taught 800+ classes in the last 15 years.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the hundreds of free yoga class planning tips, ready-to-use yoga class plans, and yoga class handouts on my site. They are resources that I’ve personally used for my own yoga classes.

So, how do you go about creating memorable yoga class plans?

Let’s find out…

“How Do You Go About Creating Memorable Yoga Class Plans?”

I recently got asked this question from a fellow yoga teacher…

“How do you go about creating memorable yoga class plans?”

To answer her question, I wrote this blog post. Below is my five-step formula for creating a memorable yoga class plan…

My 5-Step Yoga Class Planning Formula

Here’s my five-step formula for creating a memorable yoga class plan.

Step 1: Create One Yoga Lesson Plan Per Course

Step 2: Look Through These Yoga Class Themes

Step 3: Yoga Theme Brainstorming Session

Step 4: Use An Online Yoga Lesson Planner

Step 5: Enlarge Your Lesson Planning Brain

Step 1: Only Create One Yoga Lesson Plan Per 6 Or 10 Week Course

Only create ONE yoga lesson plan for each 6 or 10 week course that you teach!

When I log into my Online Yoga Lesson Planner, to start a new 6-week yoga course, I only create one lesson plan. I’ll use that same lesson plan for the entire 6-week course.

The biggest mistake a newbie yoga teacher makes is to create a new yoga lesson plan for each yoga class. That means for a 6-week course, they’ll create 6 lesson plans.

Hey, I used to create 6 yoga plans for 6 week course!

Why did I do that?

Because I thought I was over-delivering value. And I thought it morphed me into being a fabulous yoga teacher.

But boy, was I wrong!

And here’s why I was so wrong…

My students didn’t like it.

Creating a new yoga lesson plan for every class means your students never get their “groove on”.

Creating a new yoga lesson plan for every class means your students don’t have time to learn anything because you’ve given them something new in every class.

If you teach from the same yoga lesson plan for 6 or 10 weeks they get to groove some of the sequence and mental-emotional teachings into their DNA.

Your students want continuity for 6 or 10 weeks.

That means resisting your A-Type Personality urge to create a new yoga lesson plan every week.

Hmmm.

If you’re A-Type Personality, please read the above section several times.

Seriously.

I’ll be here waiting for you.

Welcome back.

You’re ready for step two..

Step 2: Morph Into Existence Interesting Yoga Class Themes (e.g. Caterpillar to Butterfly)

Morph into existence an interesting yoga class theme

There is an infinity of yoga lesson plan themes you can choose from.

Below are 34 free downloadable yoga lesson plans, within 10 themes, that I’ve created for my own yoga classes using the Online Yoga Lesson Planner.

Feel free to use them for your own yoga classes, or as inspiration to come up with your own yoga class themes.

Attitude Yoga Themes

Here are 5 “attitude” themed lesson plans:

Body Part Focus Yoga Themes

Here are two “Body Part” themed lesson plans:

Chair Yoga

Here are three “Chair Yoga” themed lesson plans:

Nature Yoga Themes

Here are six “Nature” themed lesson plans:

Peak Pose Yoga Themes

Here are five “Peak Pose” themed lesson plans:

Quirky Yoga Themes

Here are two “Quirky” themed lesson plans:

Sports Yoga Themes

Here are three “Sports Yoga” themed lesson plans:

Yoga For Seniors Themes

Here is a “Yoga For Seniors” themed lesson plan:

Yoga For Seniors Yoga Lesson Plan

Yoga Style Themes

Here are three “Yoga Styles” themed lesson plans:

Yoga Therapy Themes

Here are seven “Yoga Therapy” themed lesson plans:

Step 3: Have A Theme Brainstorm Session

Have a theme brain storming session

To help with your theme brainstorming session, click here for 101 yoga lesson planning ideas where you’ll discover the following seven categories for coming up with creative yoga lesson plans: theme, peak pose, group of postures, muscle type, key point, body area, and quotes.

Another useful resource for your brainstorming is this post: 101 Perfect Poses For A Peak Pose Themed Yoga Class.

The only rule to brainstorming a themed yoga class plan is that there is no rule.

Allow your imagination to roam free!

At the end of a 6 week yoga course, I allow myself time to brainstorm a new theme for my next 6 weeks of yoga classes. Use these 101 yoga lesson planning ideas and the list of ideas below as a guide for creating your own themed plans.

Age Yoga Themes

Partner Yoga For Teens
Yoga for high school students
Yoga for kids
Yoga for kids: 7 to 11 age group
Yoga for teens
Yoga for seniors

Body Part Themes

Arm balance with crow as peak pose
Arm balance with crow and crane pose
Hip opening: seated & supine poses
Yoga for gaining arm strength: arm balances
Yoga for hips
Yoga for lower body (thighs & feet)
Yoga for spleen and stomach
Yoga for tight psoas muscle
Yoga for tight hamstrings (Uttanasana as peak pose)

Chair Yoga Themes

Chair yoga for beginners
Chair yoga for office workers
Chair yoga for seniors
Chair sun salutations

Emotional IQ Themes

I love picking up a book and flipping through for ideas. To show you what I mean, I’ve just randomly picked up a book from my bookcase and scanned for sentences and words that popped from the pages.

The book I picked was called: Journey Into Power: How to sculpt your ideal, body, free your true self, and transform your life with yoga (it didn’t have to be a yoga book though). The book is packed with emotive, rich wording. So, the theme ideas I came up with (see bullet points below) were almost all “emotional IQ themes”.

As We Think & Act, So Our World Becomes – The Dhammapadda (emotional IQ theme)
Be In The Now And You’ll Know How (emotional IQ theme)
Bumblebee: With my heavy body I shouldn’t be able to fly, but with light in my heart I find a way (bumblebee theme)
Empty Your Mental and Emotional Cup (emotional IQ theme)
Exceed Yourself To Find Your Exceeding Self (emotional IQ theme)
Forgive & Let Go (emotional IQ theme)
Journey Into Power (warrior yoga theme)
Sculpt Your Ideal Body (core yoga theme)
Sculpt Your Inner Body (yin yoga theme)
Stop Chasing The Illusion (emotional IQ/yin theme)
Stumbling Upon Your Path To Bliss (emotional IQ theme)
Sweat And Serenity (yin yang theme)
Think Less, Be More (breath awareness theme)
Transcend Your Boundaries And Grow (emotional IQ theme)
Uddiyanna Core Stabilization (muscle type theme)
Unlearning Negative Patterns (emotional IQ theme)
We Are Either Here Or Nowhere (emotional IQ theme)

Restorative Yoga Themes

Restorative yoga with a bolster
Restorative yoga with props

Peak Pose Themes

Balance with Eagle as peak pose
Balance with Tree as peak pose
Balance with Dancer as peak pose
Strength with Warrior I, II or III as peak pose

Spiritual Yoga Themes

Balancing chakras
Balancing the sacral chakra
Balancing the root chakra
Balancing the third eye chakra
Chakra yoga
Heart opening with side bends
Sun salutations with mantras

Sport Yoga Themes

Yoga for cardio
Yoga for cyclists
Yoga for golfers
Yoga for paddle boarders
Yoga for runners
Yoga for rock climbers
Yoga for swimmers

Yoga Therapy Themes

Yoga for achilles tendonitis
Yoga for anxiety
Yoga for arthritis in knees: poses to strengthen knees
Yoga for back pain
Yoga for bladder control (Urinary Incontinence)
Yoga for breast cancer survivors
Yoga for diabetes
Yoga for digestion (poses to stretch/strengthen stomach)
Yoga for endometriosis
Yoga for hip replacement
Yoga for insomnia
Yoga for knee injury
yoga for lower back pain
Yoga for menstruation
Yoga for osteoporosis
Yoga for sciatica
Yoga for trauma survivors (restorative yoga)
Yoga for varicose veins
Yoga for weight loss

Step 4: Use An Online Yoga Lesson Planner

I recommend you use a yoga lesson planning tool, like my Online Yoga Lesson Planner (though, it doesn’t have to be mine).

With a yoga lesson planning tool you can create the yoga lesson plan quickly and easily. Or, if you love creating yoga lesson plans from scratch with pen and paper.

I do both.

95% of the time I use the Online Yoga Lesson Planner because it saves so much time. But 5% of the time I draw yoga stick figures using pen and pad.

Step 5: Keep Enlarging Your Yoga Lesson Planning Brain

“Below are hundreds of yoga lesson planning tips on my blog…to help enlarge your yoga lesson planning brain.” – George Watts

Phew. It’s time for my conclusion.

George’s Conclusion: Using Yoga Card Decks As Fun, Easy-to-Use Teaching Aids

I hope you’re enjoying the 1001 free yoga class planning tips, downloadable yoga class plans, and yoga class handouts on my site.

If you’re a fellow yoga teacher, I’ve got a hunch you’re gonna love my Online Yoga Lesson Planner.

As a Yoga teacher, I’m always looking for fun, easy-to-use teaching aids to make your classes engaging, informative, and effective. That’s why I create yoga card decks. Each deck has been painstakingly crafted to serve as a quick-reference guide, teaching aid, or lesson-planning tool, designed with Yoga teachers, and serious students, in mind.

Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck: 52 Cards For Mind-Body Unity

The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck is a transformative tool designed for yogis of all levels, especially those seeking a gentle, accessible practice. This beautifully illustrated 52-card deck combines the wisdom of the chakra system with the ease of chair yoga, offering a unique way to balance your energy centres while staying grounded and supported.

Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Card Deck: 52 More Cards For Mind-Body Unity

The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck was so popular that I created the Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Deck with another 52 chair yoga exercises.

Blissful Breathing Card Deck: Your Guide To Mastering Pranayama

The Blissful Breathing Card Deck is your go-to resource for mastering the art of pranayama (yogic breathing). With 41 beautifully designed cards, this Blissful Breathing Card Deck guides you through a wide variety of breathing techniques to enhance relaxation, focus, and vitality.

Face Yoga Card Deck: 50 Cards For Youthful Radiance

The Face Yoga Card Deck is a fun and effective way to tone, relax, and rejuvenate your facial muscles. This 50-card deck features simple, step-by-step exercises designed to improve circulation, boost skin elasticity, and promote a radiant, youthful glow.

101 Mini Yoga Cards: With 101 Asana Sanskrit Pronunciations

The 101 Mini Yoga Cards are a compact and versatile resource for yoga teachers and practitioners alike. Each card features an illustrated yoga pose, its English and Sanskrit names, and how to pronounce the Sanskrit name. This makes it easy to plan classes, create sequences, or inspire personal practice while deepening your connection to yoga’s roots.

Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck: 52 Ways To Cultivate Calm

The Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck offers a lighthearted yet profound approach to finding peace in the mundane. Featuring 52 cards filled with simple, humorous, and mindful activities, this deck encourages you to embrace boredom as a gateway to inner calm and creativity.