CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Diya TV) — Sharath Jois, the world-renowned Ashtanga yoga teacher and grandson of Ashtanga founder K. Pattabhi Jois, died on November 11 from a heart attack near the University of Virginia where he was teaching. Jois was 53 years old and in Charlottesville as part of a U.S.-wide teaching tour, having led a seminar at the university earlier in the day. According to John Bultman, head of the university’s yoga program, it appeared in *The New York Times*.
Sharath Jois – recognized by all as the torchbearer of the Ashtanga yoga lineage – spread this breath-synchronized technique all over the globe. His death has been felt very heavily across the globe as he died much too early for many of his students to still see in him a devoted teacher and mentor.
According to Bultman, Jois had led a light Ashtanga yoga class that morning at the University of Virginia, where he and other teachers had adjusted the usually grueling practice. Following the class, Jois accompanied a group of students on a hike to Humpback Rocks, a scenic landmark in the Blue Ridge Mountains, roughly 20 minutes from campus. As noted by Bultman, Jois was almost immediately found looking tired, lagging behind the group.
“Less than a mile into the hike, Sharath sat down on a bench, looking tired. Moments later, he fell off the bench,” Bultman recounted. Several students administered CPR immediately, but Jois was pronounced dead after paramedics arrived. According to Bultman, Jois had been in good health before the accident, which shocked both the students and those close to him.
For decades, Sharath Jois led the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India; though his grandfather was legendary, he certainly cannot be said to have been surpassed. Recently, he established the Sharath Yoga Centre, from which he taught with the same ardour-every day commencing at 2 a.m.-and his deep commitment to the principles of Ashtanga yoga helped nourish a huge following across continents.
Hundreds of tributes began flowing worldwide as the world mourned the loss of one of its biggest yoga gurus. Long-time Ashtanga practitioner and author Kino MacGregor said, “His presence embodied grace and wisdom. His passing is a deep loss to the yoga world.”
Bangalore-based Pratyaksha Yoga studio shared in a statement: “SharathJi was a guiding light, whose teachings touched the lives of so many around the world. His impact will be felt for generations.”
He is survived by his wife and two children. His legacy as a leader of the Ashtanga tradition lives through his thousands of students and teachers whom he trained during his lifetime.
