Arkansas 4-H Yoga program adopted by several states; youth learn balance, strength
March 3, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- 4-H Yoga program developed in Arkansas in 2013
- Program now adopted by more than a dozen extension services nationwide
- Curriculum tailored for youth; emphasis on flexibility, balance, strength and fun
(795 words)
(Newsrooms: ‘Rychtarik’ is c.q.)
Download photos from 4-H Yoga training
LITTLE ROCK — Whether through kneeling in Twisting Dragon pose or practicing balance in Shooting Star, 4-H Yoga has been helping participants develop a mind-body connection since the program was created in Arkansas in 2013.
“Yoga is both fun and calming for anyone who participates,” said Rachel Chaney Dillon, extension health program associate and 4-H Yoga program coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “It’s an exciting moment when you accomplish a pose you didn’t think you could do.”
Amanda Rychtarik, Baxter County extension staff chair for the Division of Agriculture, said she began teaching 4-H Yoga at her local youth center during the summer of 2024. The youth center director asked for help getting the kids ready to start the week after the weekend.
“I taught it on Mondays and had a lot of participation,” Rychtarik said. “I would always ask the kids how they felt afterwards, and so many of them would say, ‘I am so relaxed, I feel like I could take a nap,’” Rychtarik said.
Rychtarik encouraged 4-H members and their families to give the program a try.
“This is such a great mind reset,” she said. “Yes, it’s physical, but you also get mental clarity and focus from doing this. It’s eye-opening.”
For youth who are starting puberty or experiencing growth spurts, Rychtarik said a yoga practice can help them make sense of their growing bodies.
“This helps them become aware of their body,” she said. “Whenever you take the time and focus on certain areas of the body, they finally make that connection.”
Designed with youth in mind
Jessica Vincent, extension assistant professor of health and obesity prevention for the Division of Agriculture, said the idea for the program began with a request from a school counselor to help with fifth grade students’ behavioral issues.
“I was a county agent in Garland County at the time, and that request prompted us to immediately begin creating what later became known as Yoga for Kids,” Vincent said. “It quickly morphed into a whole-health model, incorporating the mind-body connection to manage stress, anxiety, anger and other behavioral aspects.
“It also included the physical aspect of yoga as a suitable exercise option for youth that is not competitive or reliant on other people or special equipment,” she said.
Vincent said that while yoga with adults takes a “more structured and calming approach,” the 4-H yoga program “offers the opportunity for youth and children to be active, engaged and sometimes silly.”
“Instead of using traditional Sanskrit language for the poses, we made pose names fun and memorable,” Vincent said. “Instead of Shavasana for the final resting pose, we named it Chill Pose. Instead of High Lunge, we named it Llama.”
Yoga for Kids later became known as 4-H Yoga, which Vincent said was shared with at least 17 extension services nationwide, along with county extension offices across Arkansas and several other organizations.
Dillon said most of the original 4-H Yoga curriculum is still in use, and the program has added pose flashcards, additional poses, breathing exercises and new games and activities to enhance the learning experience.
“I have had questions about whether yoga is connected to religion, but that is not the case for 4-H Yoga,” Dillon said. “For us, it’s about being active and how yoga benefits the whole body. Our goal is to get kids moving and give them an outlet they can use in a variety of ways.”
Dillon said that several states have reached out in the past year about receiving training or continuing their 4-H yoga program, including Georgia, Virginia, Kansas and California.
“It’s rewarding and exciting to see the program grow,” Vincent said. “I’m very excited to see what the future holds for 4-H Yoga.”
Yoga for all
At a recent 4-H Healthy Living two-day training, 25 extension county agents and staff from 14 Arkansas counties, along with staff from the Little Rock State Office, received 4-H Yoga training. Participants learned yoga basics, how to create yoga routines and rolled out their yoga mats to try a variety of poses. Since the training, two agents have led successful yoga classes with 4-H members.
Dillon said her goals for the program are to train at least one extension staff member in each of Arkansas’ 75 counties and explore the development of an online 4-H Yoga course for county agents in Arkansas and other states.
“I am excited about the direction we’re heading and hope to see many of these goals come to life,” Dillon said. “Yoga gets you moving and can improve flexibility, balance and strength, while also supporting mental health. It truly has something to offer everyone.”
Visit the 4-H Yoga page on the Cooperative Extension Service website to learn more or contact your local county extension agent.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061