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Sharath Jois, a renowned yoga instructor and the grandson of yoga legend Krishna Pattabhi Jois, died on Monday in Virginia, US. He was 53 years old. According to the New York Times, he died after suffering a heart attack on a hiking trail near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where he was visiting. His death was confirmed by his sister Sharmila Mahesh. "My hands are shaking to write this. With deep regret we wish to inform everyone that Mrs.Saraswathi's son and my brother Sri Sharath Jois passed away in the early hours today in USA," she wrote in an Instagram post.
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Mr Jois' yoga centre, Sarath Yoga Centre, also confirmed the news of his demise."It is with profound sadness that we share with you the news of the sudden passing of our beloved guru, Shri Sharath Jois. He passed away on Nov 11, 2024 in Virginia, US (US time)," the yoga centre wrote in a statement.
"His family is in the US currently to bring his mortal remains back to his hometown, Mysore. This is an extremely difficult time for his family and students. At this time of bereavement, we request everyone to respect Sharathji's family and not spread or circulate any unverified information regarding his passing," the statement added.
According to the New York Times, Mr Jois had been on a teaching tour across the US and was scheduled to conduct classes in San Antonio, Texas, later in November. His workshops, in India and worldwide, were attended by thousands of disciples seeking a direct experience with the leader of Ashtanga yoga.
Mr Jois learnt the art form from his grandfather Krishna Pattabhi Jois, a legendary yoga master who had a global following that included celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. While K Pattabhi Jois is credited with pushing Ashtanga yoga to mainstream popularity, Mr Jois is known for memorialising his legacy following his grandfather's death in 2009.
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On the day of his death, Mr Jois had taught a low-intensity version of Ashtanga yoga that he had recently developed, called the "Active Series," to instructors from around the world at a seminar at the University of Virginia. That afternoon, he went on a hike with around 50 students. Appearing fatigued, Mr Jois was trailing the group when he sat on a bench about a third of a mile into the trail, and later fell off it, John Bultman, the yoga program manager at the University of Virginia, told the New York Times.
Students' attempts to revive him using CPR failed, and he was pronounced dead moments after emergency medical workers arrived.
Sharath Jois was born Rangaswamy Sharath on September 29, 1971, in Mysore. Besides his sister, he is survived by his mother, Saraswathi Jois, father Rangaswamy, wife Shruti Jois, and two children, son Sambhav Jois and daughter Shraddha Jois.