Namaste! Yoga changes lives of rural empty-nesters

Into the spotlight

As attention from local government and media grew, new opportunities were created.

Concerned about possible injuries under amateur guidance, the State General Administration of Sports offered Lu training to become a qualified yoga teacher.

Villagers welcomed Lu's more professional yoga classes.

"I used to suffer from high blood pressure. Now a headstand is no problem at all, and my head seldom aches," said Guo Meizhen, 66.

"Practicing yoga strengthens our bodies for farm work and lightens the burden on our offspring to care for us," said Guo Ming, 72.

Even Lu himself found that the exercises not only benefited his health but also brought him inner peace.

The younger generation working in the cities have expressed their gratitude over the phone, as Lu and his yoga classes have helped take care of their parents back home.

The daily classes have even changed the governance in the village. Anyone absent from the class due to illness is easily noticed and their neighbors will have a check and offer assistance, if necessary.

Supported by the local government, the village began to plant quinoa, a popular South American grain, which is expected to double the farmland's output value. The village's Party committee office, also the yoga training center, has been renovated. Roads, medical facilities, and guesthouses are under construction as well.

Yugouliang is no longer a left-behind village, but will be transformed into a charming tourist attraction in the near future, Lu said.