What Are Yoga Lesson Plan Formulas? A Smarter Way to Teach Yoga
As I’m writing this (October 2025), we’re currently redesigning the Online Yoga Lesson Planner, and one of the most exciting new features will be yoga lesson plan formulas.
Yoga lesson plan formulas are like your personal “class recipe” — they give you a proven structure to follow, so you’re never starting from scratch. Instead of building every yoga lesson plan from a blank page, you’ll be able to save your favourite yoga class structures and re-use them again and again.
Whether you’re teaching a beginner Hatha class, a Vinyasa flow, or a restorative session, formulas will save you time, bring more balance to your classes, and give you (and your students) more confidence.
In this post, I’ll explain what yoga lesson plan formulas are, and share 20 ready-made yoga lesson plan formula ideas you’ll soon be able to try inside the new and improved Online Yoga Lesson Planner.
What Are Yoga Lesson Plan Formulas?
A yoga lesson plan formula is a pre-defined structure you can use to design your classes.
Instead of asking:
- Which poses should I start with?
- How do I balance warm-ups with peak poses?
- How do I make sure the class doesn’t run over time?
…a formula answers these questions for you by giving you a ready-made framework.
Think of it like cooking: if the recipe has “2 parts protein, 1 part vegetables, 1 part starch,” you know you’ll end up with a balanced meal. Yoga lesson plan formulas are the same — a structure that ensures your classes are balanced and effective.
Example: A Classic Yoga Class Formula
Let’s take a familiar example from yoga: a traditional Hatha class structure.
A typical class might follow a formula like this:
- Centering: (e.g. Abdominal Breath, Blue Forcefield Meditation)
- Warm-up: (e.g. Cat/Cow, Easy Twist, Seated Forward Bend)
- Standing sequence: (e.g. Mountain, Warrior I, Warrior II, Triangle)
- Peak pose: (e.g. Tree)
- Cool-down: (e.g. Supine Windshield Wiper, Happy Baby)
- Final Relaxation: (e.g. Savasana)
When you save “centering, warm-up, standing sequence, peak pose, cool-down, final relaxation” as a formula in the Online Yoga Lesson Planner, you can:
- Auto-generate a draft class plan instantly.
- Swap or add poses depending on your students.
- Save time while ensuring your class follows a tried-and-true flow.
Instead of starting from a blank page, you’re starting from a reliable yoga blueprint — and adapting it to your own teaching style.
Blank Page vs Formula: A Side-by-Side Example
Without a Formula (Blank Page)
- Teacher opens the planner → empty canvas.
- Needs to decide:
- Which poses to include?
- What order?
- How long for each section?
- Example: Warrior II → Triangle → Forward Bend → Bridge → Savasana.
- Result: Could work, but might lack flow.
With a Formula (Saved Hatha Class Formula)
- Teacher opens the Planner → clicks Use My Hatha Plan Formula.
- Instantly sees:
- Introduction → Abdominal Breath, Blue Forcefield Meditation
- Warm-up → Cat/Cow, Easy Twist, Seated Forward Bend
- Standing → Mountain, Warrior II, Triangle
- Peak Pose → Tree
- Cool-down → Supine Windshield Wiper, Happy Baby
- Final Relaxation → Savasana
- Teacher tweaks: swaps Tree for Eagle, shortens warm-up.
- Result: Balanced, time-efficient, and professional.
20 Yoga Lesson Plan Formulas You Can Create Within the Online Yoga Lesson Planner
Here are 20 examples of yoga lesson plan formulas you’ll easily be able to create within the Online Yoga Lesson Planner:
Beginner Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with extended centering, gentle warm-ups, basic standing poses, simple balance, and a restorative closing.
Intermediate Vinyasa Lesson Plan → formula with energising warm-ups, standing flows, peak inversion, and dynamic cool-down stretches.
Restorative Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with long-held supported poses, pranayama, guided relaxation, and meditation.
Chair Yoga for Seniors Lesson Plan → formula with seated warm-ups, gentle joint mobility, supported standing poses, and breath-led relaxation.
Chair Yoga for Office Workers Lesson Plan → formula with neck/shoulder releases, seated twists, hip openers, and mindful breathing.
Heart-Opening Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with gentle chest warm-ups, backbends, supported fish, camel, and savasana with a bolster.
Hip Release Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with flowing warm-ups, lunge variations, pigeon pose, seated hip openers, and grounding final rest.
Balance & Stability Lesson Plan → formula with dynamic warm-ups, Tree, Warrior III, Half Moon, core-strengthening work, and grounding supine poses.
Morning Energiser Lesson Plan → formula with sun salutations, standing flows, heart-openers, twists, and a short guided savasana.
Evening Wind-Down Lesson Plan → formula with gentle seated forward bends, restorative poses, supported inversions, and extended savasana.
Core Strength Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with activating warm-ups, plank variations, boat pose, side planks, and spinal stretches to cool down.
Back Care Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with cat/cow, gentle twists, supported bridge, sphinx pose, and mindful relaxation.
Anxiety Relief Lesson Plan → formula with grounding breathwork, forward folds, supported child’s pose, restorative legs-up-the-wall, and deep savasana.
Pregnancy Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with gentle hip openers, standing poses with props, supported savasana, and calming breath awareness.
Athlete Recovery Lesson Plan → formula with long-held hip openers, hamstring stretches, spinal twists, restorative backbends, and guided savasana.
Yin Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with seated hip openers, long-held forward bends, supported twists, restorative backbends, and meditation.
Power Yoga Lesson Plan → formula with sun salutations, strength-focused flows, arm balances, challenging peak pose, and cooling stretches.
Seasonal Yoga (Autumn) Lesson Plan → formula with grounding poses, forward folds, twists, restorative savasana, and themed pranayama.
Seasonal Yoga (Spring) Lesson Plan → formula with energising sun salutations, heart-openers, standing balances, and a joyful savasana.
The Future of Formulas in the Yoga Lesson Planner
As I’m writing this post (October 2025), we’re redesigning the Online Yoga Lesson Planner to make formulas even more powerful.
Here’s what’s coming:
- Ability to create multiple formulas (e.g., Beginners, Vinyasa, Yin).
- Smarter pose suggestions (recommend poses based on your formula).
- Community formulas (access formulas that other teachers create).
George’s Conclusion
Well, there you have it, my lovely fellow yoga teacher.
Yoga Lesson plan formulas are not about limiting your creativity — they’re about freeing you up to teach with confidence, while saving you time and keeping your classes balanced.
If you’re already teaching Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, or Restorative yoga, imagine opening your Online Yoga Lesson Planner and having your class structure waiting for you. That’s the power of formulas.
Want to put formulas into practice? Head over to the next post in this series: How to Create Your First Yoga Lesson Plan Formula — where I’ll walk you through creating your first time-saving structure.
