The benefits of yoga are valuable to people of all ages and all fitness levels. Yoga teachers have a responsibility to keep classes fresh and challenging to help students discover their unlimited potential available. Serious yoga students have a
personal responsibility to learn the principles of yoga in order to lead a more fulfilling, meaningful life.
Motivational Yoga simplifies that task with 100 easy-to-follow lesson plans that vary in length. The lessons progress from basic yoga asana and pranayama lessons for beginning students to more advanced material such as mindfulness and meditation.
Fully customizable to meet individual student needs, these ready-to-use lessons will save you valuable preparation time. Choose from beginning lessons focusing on body and breath awareness, basic postures, and breathing, or select more advanced instruction on the yamas and niyamas, guided relaxation, the heart center, the chakras, emotions, and mindfulness. You’ll also find lessons for kids, older adults, athletes, and pregnant women to ensure you are equipped to serve all populations.
Most of the lesson plans offer a written script for use in class, or as a guide for student home practice purposes. For beginning teachers, these scripts provide a helpful structure and set the stage for mindful yoga instruction. Veteran teachers may use these lessons and scripts as a creative departure point for expanding on one of the eight limbs of raja yoga or designing a tailored focus for the day’s practice.
Motivational Yoga is a starting point for bringing yoga’s abundant teachings into the daily lives of teachers and students alike. For ease of planning and organization, each lesson follows a five-part outline:
- The intention provides the focus for the day's yoga class.
- The lesson (script) embodies the essence of the day's teaching.
- The Asanas for Deepening section illustrates the lesson through body stretch, movement, and sensation.
- The Motivation Off the Mat section presents suggestions, homework assignments, and reminders for practicing the yoga teachings outside of the classroom.
- Teacher Tips and Wise Words offer advice for fine-tuning sequences and proverbs that convey a specific thought or feeling for the lesson.
In addition, five full-length workshop lesson plans help you expand your teaching beyond a traditional class to offer focused workshops to your students on these popular topics: Spring Cleaning Yoga Detox, The Joy of Backbends, Yoga for Absolute Beginners, Introduction to Meditation, and Transformational Breath.
With each lesson,
Motivational Yoga demonstrates how the strength, balance, and stretching of the physical practice can inspire a healthy, complete, and joyous existence on and off the mat.
Industry Reviews
"Motivational Yoga offers wise and practical words for teachers, reminding us that we are all students, we all need to breathe, and we all need yoga! It's a wellspring of resources and guidance for yoga teachers, both new and experienced. The consistent sections like Motivation Off the Mat, Wise Words, and Teacher Tips will support yoga teachers in creating a full lesson around each topic." -Julie Chavanu, Founder of Yoga Tree Consulting and Creator of Yoga Trainers Workshop "Nancy Gerstein helps us look more deeply within the physical postures, outlining the mental and spiritual benefits in accessible, relevant ways. Motivational Yoga is a perfect resource for us all, with inspiration and guidance for every level of practice." -Elena Brower, Best-Selling Author of Practice You and Art of Attention "Yoga is a deeply personal practice that invites us into our inner selves and the swirling world of emotions. Ancient to modern yoga practices give us the tools for transforming these feelings into clarity, moving from what might at times seem chaotic to a more balanced and joyful life. In Motivational Yoga, Nancy Gerstein shows us the way, offering a clear philosophical framework and a set of practices that are adapted to different needs and conditions. I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone interested in the deeper purposes of yoga for making this life better." -Mark Stephens, Author of Yoga Therapy and Teaching Yoga "A must-have for every yoga teacher. As yoga teachers, we are not here to guide movement so much as to inspire healthy living. This book is a yoga toolbox, packed with pearls of wisdom that can be shared with all yoga populations. I have never come across a more comprehensive, yet user-friendly, resource for yoga. Highly recommend to teachers and students alike." -Jenn Bodnar, Editor in Chief of Yoga Digest "If you are a yoga teacher or a serious student of yoga, you need go no further for inspiration. This beautifully written book is a profound exploration of how yoga transforms us on every level, and Nancy Gerstein guides us in that transformation. There is deep wisdom here, gleaned from one who has lived her practice, as ever the open-minded student, always the compassionate teacher. Gerstein offers posture sequences and yoga breathing with stunning metaphorical language that will help teachers lead life-changing classes and workshops. Her authenticity and love shine through on every page." -Amy Weintraub, Founder of LifeForce Yoga and Author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists "Nancy Gerstein is both ready and willing to share her extensive wisdom, experience, and insight with yoga teachers seeking a lifelong practice and profession. In Motivational Yoga: 100 Lessons for Strength, Energy, and Transformation, Nancy offers a user-friendly practice with tips for teachers as well as powerful suggestions to increase the readers' motivation in all areas of life. This must-read guide is suitable for yoga teachers of all levels of experience." -Felicia Tomasko, Editor in Chief of LA Yoga and President and Editorial Director at Bliss Network
