Meet Ava Stone, the 71-year-old yoga instructor from Port Moody

I confess that I was not a big fan of yoga when I heard about the yoga classes run by a “super funny old lady” in Port Moody, British Columbia. When I attended her class on a Tuesday morning, it took me only ten minutes to change my mind about yoga and to realize that she absolutely needed to be part of the documentary. Later on, she ended up becoming the very first person to be interviewed on camera for the project.

Ava Stone could have enough reasons to age as a sad and lonely person. She immigrated as a child fleeing from the communist revolution in Hungary, her first husband died in his 40s and she lost her only child to cancer 25 years ago. What does she have to say about all that? "Some people become victims, but this pushed me to be a better person. You have to be grateful for what you have."

Now at 71 years of age, Ava is very happy, thank you. She's married to the gentle 72-year-old Bob and living in a charming house with a huge garden in Coquitlam. Four times a week, you can see her driving a black sports car to the Port Moody Recreation Centre, where she's been teaching yoga for about 17 years. "To me, it's the biggest pleasure to put myself in a place where I can give something to others."

Ava definitely brings much more than breathing and stretching techniques to her classes. She also talks about her life, makes jokes and meditates. She swears there’s no planning for the postures or jokes that she’ll tell. "I go inside the class with a blank. I bring all my stories and stupidities.”

Ava teaches how to control your ego, forgive others, accept reality and find happiness in your life. Here’s one of her tips: "In life, there's reality and there's fantasy. People suffer because they don't accept their lives as they are." At the end, she gives her students homework. Not a yoga position or a breathing exercise, but something for them to think about or a habit to change.

In The Fit Generation, you’ll find out much more about Ava’s fun classes, inspiring stories and healthy lifestyle.