Seasonal Yoga: Autumn Class Themes to Ground, Release, and Restore Balance

One of the most satisfying things as a yoga teacher is when a student approaches you after class and says, “That was exactly what I needed.” Teachers who create classes like that, the ones that intuitively meet their students right where they are, aren’t psychic—they’re intentional. They plan their sequences and themes in harmony with the energy of the current season.

Aligning your yoga classes with the natural rhythms of the year can transform a great class into a truly memorable one. When you teach in sync with nature, you help your yogis feel more connected, grounded, and balanced, both on and off the mat.

As autumn arrives, bringing with it shorter days and cooler temperatures, it’s the perfect time to weave the seasonal themes of slowing down, reflecting, and letting go into your yoga classes.

Here are four powerful autumn themes you can teach this season.

1. Grounding & Introspection

Autumn follows a natural cycle of slowing down where the days get shorter and the trees shed their leaves. This mirrors our own need for introspection at this time of year. After the outward, social, and high-energy pace of summer, autumn invites us to ground, create more structure, and shift towards a more internal state. It’s a time to stabilize our routines and settle into a rhythm ahead of the colder months.

How to teach this theme

Slow down the pace. Stay longer in each pose and encourage your yogis to anchor their awareness in the present moment and notice the earth beneath them.

Malasana, Warrior I & II, and Mountain Pose are excellent grounding poses. In these postures, encourage your yogis to focus on the sensation of their feet on the ground. Use a cue like “Feel the ground beneath you—stable, steady, unwavering—as you allow yourself to soften into the support of the earth.”

Meanwhile, Child’s Pose, Headstand, and Standing Forward Fold can encourage introspection. Incorporate slow, calming breathing techniques such as box breathing. Long, steady breaths can help cultivate a sense of calm and connection to the earth.

Sequencing idea (Hatha)

Child’s Pose → Cat/Cow Pose → Downward Dog → Standing Forward Fold → Mountain Pose → 2–3 rounds of slow Sun Salutations → Warrior I → Warrior II → Triangle Pose → Mountain Pose → Malasana (Garland Pose) → Standing Forward Fold → Downward Dog → Hero Pose (Virasana) with pranayama → Headstand → Child’s Pose → Tadasana.

2. Letting Go

Just as trees shed their leaves in autumn, we too can use this season to let go of what no longer serves us—be it bad habits, unsupportive emotions, or even physical clutter. Letting go is both a physical and emotional practice. It requires trust in ourselves and the universe, and yoga is an excellent way to build that trust. Through yoga, we can cultivate the confidence and faith that releasing these things will make space for renewal—new opportunities and possibilities.

How to teach this theme

In your classes, create a safe space for your yogis to surrender and release. Encourage them to notice what they’re holding onto—in their bodies, minds, and hearts—and to gently breathe it out. Cue pranayama techniques that focus on lengthening the exhale, as this symbolically and physiologically encourages release. For example, breathe in for four seconds and breathe out for six seconds.

You may also include a simple journaling or reflecting prompt before savasana, such as “What am I ready to release?” Yoga poses that represent letting go include forward folds, hip openers, and restorative poses, so incorporate a mix of these postures.

Sequencing idea (Yin)

Supported Baddha Konasana → Reclined Figure 4 Pose → Child’s Pose → Frog Pose → Malasana (Garland Pose) → Dangling (Standing Forward Fold) → Supine Twist → Savasana.

3. Balance

Summer carries a very yang, outward-focused energy, but autumn calls for a return to equilibrium. The autumn equinox, which happens on September 22nd, is when day and night are both of equal length, symbolizing equilibrium between light and dark. This serves as a reminder to seek harmony within ourselves and embrace autumn’s softer, yin qualities.

How to teach this theme

Explore this theme through postures and breathwork that integrate both effort and ease, stability and flow, strength and surrender. Start your class with Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) pranayama to harmonize both hemispheres of the brain. Then, as you move into movement, incorporate balancing poses like Tree Pose and Warrior III. The overall feel of the class should be a mix of grounding and expansion, with a focus on finding steadiness in motion—such as a slow flow with intentional pauses for stillness.

Sequencing idea (Hatha)

Nadi Shodhana → Cat/Cow Pose → Sunbird Pose → Standing Forward Fold → Mountain Pose → 2–3 rounds of slow Sun Salutations → Warrior I → Warrior III → Tree Pose → Warrior II → Reverse Angle → Side Angle Pose → Half Moon Pose → Standing Forward Fold → Downward Dog → Child’s Pose.

4. Lung & Large Intestine Meridians

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the lung and large intestine meridians are connected to the autumn season. Governed by the metal element, these meridians influence processes including respiration, digestion, and regulating water flow. Energetically, autumn is the season for strengthening immunity, processing emotions, and clearing old energy. When these meridians are imbalanced, we may feel sadness, guilt, or low self-worth. Physically, we could develop respiratory disorders or experience digestive problems.

How to teach this theme

In yoga, we can activate and strengthen the lung and large intestine meridians by releasing tension in the chest, shoulders, and arms—the areas where these channels flow. Include a mix of twists, side bends, and heart openers to encourage circulation through the torso. Through breathwork, cue expansive breathing techniques like the 3-part breath to nourish the lungs and promote emotional release.

Sequencing idea (Yin)

Constructive Rest → Bananasana → Twisted Roots → Thread the Needle → Melting Heart → Supported Forward Fold → Supported Fish → Savasana.

Final Tips

Throughout autumn, teach one of these themes each week, covering all four concepts each month. You can also integrate complementary practices to deepen the benefits of seasonal yoga further—for example, use earthy essential oils like cedarwood or frankincense, or share a themed journaling or self-reflection prompt at the beginning or end of each class. By focusing on seasonal teaching like this, you’ll align your classes with nature’s cycles, helping your yogis (and yourself) move through the year with more presence and balance.