Sharath Jois: Yoga Master Who Taught Several A-List Celebrities

Renowned yoga teacher Sharath Jois died on Monday in the US. He was the grandson of K Pattabhi Jois and a practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga. He was born on September 29, 1971, in Mysuru. His family was dedicated to the practice, preservation and teaching of Ashtanga Yoga. Jois got into teaching yoga after being encouraged by his mother to accompany his grandfather at various events. On the day of his death, Sharath Jois shared a video of his yoga class on Instagram.

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

It is made of two Sanskrit words - 'Ashta' meaning eight and 'anga' meaning limbs. When combined, Ashtangayoga means the 'eight-limbed' or 'eight-fold' path.

It is based on Yoga Sutras, the foundational text of yoga by sage Patanjali.

Ashtanga Yoga comprises of six series or levels, with a fixed order of postures. It is energetic, synchronising breath with movements.

Sharath Jois' yoga students

The 53-year-old had an extensive client list including celebrities like Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

His grandfather, who gave Sharath experiential and theoretic training in Ashtanga Yoga, is credited with bringing the form to mainstream. Sharath took his legacy forward following his grandfather's death in 2009.

Sharath experienced many illnesses as a child, including glandular fever (that kept him bed-ridden for a year), a broken leg and rheumatic fever. Due to all this, doctors had advised young Sharath to avoid strenuous exercises like riding bicycles and he abandoned his hopes of a career in cricket.

But learning yoga from his grandfather helped strengthen his body.

Star of Mysuru, a Mysuru-based newspaper, claimed in a 2017 report that Sharath Jois' breathing technique had even attracted the attention of former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.