World-famous Ashtanga yoga master Sharath Jois, 53, dies of heart attack in US

The world-famous yoga master Sharath Jois of Indian origin who made a name for himself by teaching Ashtanga yoga, a style founded by his grandfather Krishna Pattabhi Jois, passed away in Virginia, US on Monday (November 11). He was 53 years old.

The yoga programme manager at the University of Virginia John Bultman said Jois had suffered a heart attack while hiking near the university campus in Charlottesville. Sharath’s sister, Sharmila Mahesh, confirmed the news.

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Jois was on a hike with a group of students when he appeared exhausted and sat down on a bench to rest. He then collapsed, and the students used CPR to try to revive him, to no avail.

He was declared dead a little later after emergency health workers arrived on the scene, according to Bultman as quoted by the New York Times.

Continued grandfather’s legacy

Sharath’s grandfather was instrumental in popularising yoga during the 1990s, and had a global following that included celebrities like Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Ashtanga yoga is a style that is more physically demanding, and it became popular in India also.

Jois took over his grandfather’s yoga institute in 2007 and renamed it the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute. Sharath’s mother later started running the institute, and Sharath founded his own yoga organisation called the Sharath Yoga Center, which became very successful.

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He travelled all over the world conducting yoga workshops and teaching Ashtanga yoga to thousands of people.

In Mysuru, the birthplace of Ashtanga yoga, Sharath Jois was affectionately referred to as “the boss”. He referred to himself as the “Paramaguru” on Instagram.

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Yaduveer Wadiyar, Mysuru MP and a scion of the Wadiyar dynasty, posted a tribute on X, “Through his extensive teaching and deep commitment, he inspired countless students globally, helping to preserve and promote the traditional methods of Ashtanga yoga. His contributions have left an enduring impact on the practice and the community worldwide. May his liberation grant him peace.”