How to Create Your First Yoga Lesson Plan Formula
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.
In the previous article — What Are Yoga Lesson Plan Formulas? A Smarter Way to Teach — I explained what formulas are and why they’re such a game-changer for yoga teachers. Now, in this post, I’ll show you step by step how to create your very first yoga lesson plan formula.
Step 1: Understand What a Formula Is
Think of a yoga lesson plan formula as a framework for your class. Instead of picking poses at random, you’re creating a sequence of sections that can be filled with appropriate asanas.
A classic formula might look like this:
- Introduction & Centering
- Warm-up
- Standing sequence
- Peak pose
- Cool-down
- Final relaxation
Every time you use this formula, you’ll know your class is balanced, time-efficient, and flows naturally.
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?
Step 2: Decide Your Class Type
Before creating your first formula, choose the type of class you want it for.
Some examples:
- A gentle beginner Hatha class
- An energising Vinyasa flow
- A relaxing Restorative yoga session
- A gentle Chair yoga for seniors class
Your formula should match the style, level, and goals of the class.
Step 3: Break the Yoga Class into Sections
Next, divide your yoga class into logical sections. These act as the building blocks of your formula.
For a 90-minute yoga class, you can expand each section to allow more depth, variety, and balance. Here’s an example of how a formula might look:
Introduction & Centering (5–10 min)
- Breath awareness (3-part yogic breathing, ujjayi breath)
- Seated meditation or short mantra
- Gentle neck rolls or seated side stretches
Warm-up (15 min)
- Cat/Cow variations
- Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana prep)
- Dynamic Downward Dog → Plank flows
- Low Lunge with side stretch
- Sun Salutation A (2–3 rounds)
Standing Sequence (25 min)
- Sun Salutation B (2 rounds)
- Warrior I → Warrior II → Extended Side Angle
- Triangle Pose → Half Moon Pose
- Chair Pose → Twisted Chair
- Balance: Tree Pose, Eagle Pose
Peak Pose (15 min)
- Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)
Cool-down (15 min)
- Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
- Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
- Supine Twist
- Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Final Relaxation (10 min)
- Savasana with guided relaxation or body scan
- Closing breathwork or seated meditation
- Chanting or mudra practice
This 90-minute formula shows how time allocations + pose categories make a reusable structure. Teachers can swap in similar poses each week (e.g., Warrior III instead of Half Moon) without rethinking the entire sequence.
Step 4: Choose Pose Categories for Each Section
When you create a formula in the yoga lesson planner, each section can be linked to pose categories. This ensures the planner suggests appropriate options automatically, saving you from manually picking every pose.
Here’s how the 90-minute yoga class formula maps to categories:
Introduction & Centering (5–10 min)
- Categories: Breathwork, Meditation, Gentle Seated Stretches
- Examples: 3-Part Breath, Easy Seated Side Stretch, Neck Rolls
Warm-up (15 min)
- Categories: Spinal Mobility, Gentle Twists, Dynamic Flows
- Examples: Cat/Cow, Low Lunge with Side Stretch, Sun Salutation A
Standing Sequence (25 min)
- Categories: Standing Poses, Strength, Balance, Linking Flows
- Examples: Warrior I & II, Extended Side Angle, Triangle, Chair, Twisted Chair, Tree, Eagle
Peak Pose (15 min)
- Categories: Backbends, Advanced Balances, Heart-Openers
- Examples: Dancer, Camel, Bow, Wheel, Supported Bridge
Cool-down (15 min)
- Categories: Seated Forward Bends, Hip Openers, Supine Twists
- Examples: Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Supine Twist, Happy Baby
Final Relaxation (10 min)
- Categories: Restorative, Breathwork, Meditation
- Examples: Savasana, Body Scan, Seated Closing Breathwork
With this structure, when a teacher clicks “Generate Yoga Plan from Formula” in the Online Yoga Lesson Planner, the system could:
- Auto-fill each section with poses tagged from the chosen categories.
- Let teachers swap, add, or delete poses easily.
- Maintain time balance automatically (e.g., planner knows cool-down section has 15 minutes to fill).
Step 5: Set Time Allocations
A good formula includes time awareness. Decide roughly how long each section should last.
Example for a 60-minute class:
- Introduction & Centering → 5 minutes
- Warm-up → 10 minutes
- Standing sequence → 20 minutes
- Peak pose → 10 minutes
- Cool-down → 10 minutes
- Final relaxation → 5 minutes
Time allocations help prevent classes from running over and ensure balance.
Step 6: Save and Reuse
Once created, you can save your formula inside the Online Yoga Lesson Planner and reuse it again and again.
For example:
- Use your Beginner Hatha Formula every Monday evening.
- Slightly adjust it for Wednesday’s “Hip Release” class.
- Save a different formula for your Yin Yoga sessions.
Over time, you’ll build a personal library of formulas — your secret teaching toolkit.
Example: A Vinyasa Flow Formula
Here’s an example formula you could save and reuse for Vinyasa classes:
- Introduction: Breath awareness
- Warm-up: Sun Salutations A + B
- Standing flow: Warrior I → Warrior II → Side Angle → Triangle
- Peak pose: Wheel Pose or King Dancer
- Cool-down: Seated Forward Bend, Supine Twist
- Final relaxation: Savasana, guided meditation
With this saved formula, you can swap in different standing poses or change the peak pose each week — but the flow always feels cohesive.
Tips for Your First Formula
- Less is more — don’t overcomplicate the structure.
- Use tried-and-true class flows you already teach.
- Make one formula for each class type you teach most often.
- Adjust over time as you learn what works best.
George’s Conclusion
Creating your first yoga lesson plan formula is about giving yourself a reusable yoga class structure that saves time, reduces planning stress, and ensures your classes always feel balanced.
Inside the new and improved Online Yoga Lesson Planner, you’ll soon be able to build, save, and reuse formulas for every class you teach — from beginners and restorative sessions to Vinyasa and chair yoga.
