New Delhi: Sharath Jois, the Ashtanga yoga teacher who took the yoga style founded by his grandfather to the global stage, passed away at 53 in the US.
He was the grandson of Krishna Pattabhi Jois.
His sister, Sharmila Mahesh and the University of Virginia yoga program manager John Bultman confirmed his demise. He suffered a heart attack while hiking near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Jois was accompanied by around 50 students at Humpback Rocks when the incident took place. He reportedly became fatigued and sat on a bench before collapsing. The students made efforts to revive him with CPR, however, he was declared dead after the arrival of the emergency responders.
Sharath Jois was famous for his Ashtanga yoga workshops globally which were attended by thousands of yoga practitioners. He made efforts to spread the Ashtanga yoga style across the globe.
He took over the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore in 2007 and renamed it in honour of his grandfather.
He later went on to establish Sharath Yoga Center where he led sessions to nurture a new generation of practitioners.