Namaste! Yoga changes lives of rural empty-nesters

Tucked away in the mountains of North China, middle-aged and elderly farmers in Yugouliang village are diligent in their daily yoga practices.

Every morning and evening, nearly 100 villagers, almost a quarter of the village, gather for classes taught by Lu Wenzhen, the village Party secretary.

In 2016, Lu, 52, was appointed as the Party chief of the village located in Zhangbei, one of the most impoverished townships in Hebei province. He previously worked at a vocational technical institute in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, and his assignment was part of a nationwide effort by the Chinese government to dispatch officials to station in villages for one to three years to help the locals get rid of poverty.

In Yugouliang, like many other villages across the country, the younger generation had migrated to work in cities, leaving behind their aging parents and grandparents.

The empty-nesters in the village scratched out a living by farming. After a hard day's labor, their only entertainment was playing poker. For Lu, reawakening the village was a baffling problem.

Lu began to provide free singing lessons for elderly residents. While singing, they were also encouraged to stretch their arms and legs by imitating actions such as sweeping the yard, washing clothes, and drawing well water.

The villagers didn't take the classes seriously at first. One day, Lu saw a villager sitting cross-legged while chatting and had an idea: yoga.