Asana Labs & Asana Guide Yoga Teacher Training Lesson Plans

Expert, step by step guidance on running an effective asana lab in your yoga teacher training.

• This product includes the “Asana Guide.”
• If you already own the Asana Guide or Student Manual, use the coupon “AsanaGuide” at check out.

Detailed Overview and Learning Objectives

What’s Included

• Asana Guide: a reference guid to over 80 postures with photos
• “How to Host An Asana Lab,” with my key insights, tips, and strategies from years of leading trainings.
• Trainer Notes for facilitating an interactive asana lab for all the major families of poses common to a 200-hour curriculum.
•  Includes:
  • General guided discussion on the pose family
  • Purpose
  • Risks
  • “Traditional” expression
  • Modification and variations
  • Props
  • Sequencing considerations
  • Common misalignments

What’s Covered

We cover key postures from each major family of poses:

• Neutral standing poses (example: lunge, warrior one)
• Externally rotated standing poses (example: warrior two)
• Twisted standing (example: revolved side angle)
• Active hip openers (example: full splits/ hanumanasana)
• Hand balancings (example: crow, side plank)
• Inversions (example: handstand)
• Seated hip openers (example: cobblers pose, baddha konasana)
• Seated forward folds (example: janu sirsasana/ head to knee pose)
• Reclined poses (example: happy baby)
• Savasana

Learning Objectives

• Students will identify the general form, purpose, benefits, risk factors, and common misalignments of this category of poses
• Students will identify key alignment factors that are common to this category of poses
• Students will identify sequencing considerations for this category of poses
• Students will see students, starting from the Whole Person
• Students will accurately identify misalignments in the body based on the Universal Actions

Sample Lesson Plan Pages

Where It Fits

• Best used in the asana alignment (“Techniques, Training and Practice”) portion of a 200 hour yoga teacher training.
• May be used for continuing education offerings

Why Use Ready-Made Lesson Plans

• Creating a teacher training from scratch can take hundreds of hours 
• High-quality lesson plans help studios and trainers:
  • Save months of curriculum development
  • Focus on editing/adaptation rather than building a program from scratch
  • Access best educational practices to optimize student-centered learning
  • Ensure topics build logically and progressively across modules
  • “Bulletproof” your training from faculty absence/change; creates program consistency even with multiple trainers
  • Maintain clarity on IP/program ownership
  • Launch a program more quickly
  • More easily register with key professional organizations, such as Yoga Alliance or the American Yoga Council

How Studios Use These Lesson Plans

Studios typically use these materials to:

• Launch a new 200-hour yoga teacher training
• Supplement an existing curriculum
• Support guest faculty teaching
• Maintain consistent teaching quality across cohorts

What You Need

• The Asana Guide or Student Manual
• Mats for practice teaching
• Whiteboard or postersheets (optional)

About Rachel

Rachel Scott is a yoga educator and teacher trainer with who has been leading YTT’s since 2008. Holding a Master of Science in Instructional Systems and Learning Technology, she blends real world experience with academic integrity to design structured, high-quality curriculum for yoga teachers and studios. Her lesson plans are used by yoga teacher trainers around the world to support clear, engaging educational experiences for trainees.

Testimonials

• “Working with Rachel was the best investment I could have made-both for myself and my students! The excellence of her product provides an intelligent easeful structure that allows me freedom to focus on what I love about teaching rather than being buried in logistics. Rachel takes time and intention to work with you the entire way and was more than gracious with my many questions.  From the daunting process of the YA application to the hourly logistics of our weekend layout, Rachel’s expertise and guidance have not only saved me hundreds of hours of administrative work but have helped me feel confident in the program I am offering while still getting to incorporate my own voice, language, and style.  Thank you Rachel for all the work you’ve done and how generously you share it!!” – Giuliana D.
• “Professional, detailed, and thoughtful.” – Kanami A.
• “The curriculum is very comprehensive. Rachel has been fantastic about answering any questions that I have had in a timely fashion. I feel very supported and confident in the material that I will be delivering to my students…Highly recommend this curriculum to anyone in the market!” – Melissa B.

FAQ

Can I edit the material?

• Absolutely! The materials are provided in Google Slides (when applicable) and Google Docs.
• You can copy the materials into your own Google Drive or download and edit and make them to make them your own.

Can I use this in my own teacher training?

• Yes! These lessons are designed for use in yoga teacher trainings.

How does the copyright work?

• All original copyright stays with me and you have permission to use and edit these materials for your own educational programs.
• The limitation on use is that you can’t re-sell the materials or transfer their use to someone else.

Does this material align with Yoga Alliance requirements?

• Yes, my lesson plans and materials have been used in hundreds of successful Yoga Alliance (and other governing body) submissions.

What do I need as teacher trainer to present the lessons?

• All anatomy lessons and some philosophy lessons contain a visually rich presentations, which require a projector and computer.
• Some lesson plans benefit from having a whiteboard or poster sheets available.
• For anatomy lessons, I recommend having a skeleton, though it’s not required.

Can I buy a whole 200 or 300 hour program?

• Yes! Purchasing the curriculum as a program will:
  • Save you money versus purchasing a la carte
  • Give you access to robust student assessments
  • Include a custom built training schedule
  • Access to coaching for Yoga Alliance registration and consulting

Do I get materials immediately?

• Because I want you to have my most recent and update files, I will personally email you the links to your lesson plans within 48 hours of your purchase.

Are there recurring fees?

• No ~ I want you to take these lesson plans and make them your own 🙂

Secure checkout on my course platform.