Encouraged to do more, Mr. Lu enrolled in a yoga course sponsored by the government. The Chinese government, which often suppresses spirituality and officially discourages mysticism, supports “yoga with Chinese characteristics” that excludes chanting and meditation from routines. This version is “removed from religion, demystified and localized for China,” said Mr. Lu, citing the government’s policy. From there, Mr. Lu got a certificate as a yoga judge and has since judged competitions.

The authorities were encouraging. In February 2017, the State General Administration of Sports, which oversees the country’s athletics, gave Yugouliang the title of “China’s first yoga village.” But it wasn’t until the end of last year that Mr. Lu felt his residents were good enough to compete. He entered the farmers into a yoga competition in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital.

They won an award for being the “best collective team.”

Yugouliang’s yoga craze has been well covered in China’s state-controlled news media. The local government has said it is giving Mr. Lu $1.5 million for a nursing home and a yoga pavilion, a gleaming, glass-walled compound that will make it easier for villagers to practice year-round.