Emmy Cleaves, 86, is a yoga teacher who discovered Bikram Yoga after suffering a brain hemorrhage at age 35. Emmy continues to teach at a studio, inspiring students of all ages to heal their bodies and improve their lives with Bikram Yoga.
According to Emmy, “I teach because I think it’s so important. It’s a passion. It’s an obsession. I want as many people to do yoga as possible because it is a priceless gift you can give to yourself. Health is really where everything is at. The quality of your life is completely governed by the state of your health. At my age, if I hadn’t done yoga, I’d probably be sitting here and
be sad and tired.”
Emmy’s husband, Bob, is supportive of his wife’s love of yoga and stays active himself. He wisely believes that the secret for a happy life is maintaining a good relationship with his wife. He attributes being married for over 50 years to “getting along and recognizing that there are areas of compromise.”
Bob believes that “(a) life isn't well lived unless the quality of life is important... You can live to be 110 years old but if you're in a hospital bed for the rest of your life and in pain…that's not good quality. So I think that probably the most important thing for a person who is older is to work on their quality of life and exercise regularly to stay healthy for as long as
possible.”
“Lives Well Lived” Documents Lives of Extraordinary People Ages 75 to 103
