Yoga guru Sharath Jois passes away at 53

Indian-origin yoga guru R Sharath Jois passed away in Virginia, USA, on Monday. Aged only 53, the yoga instructor was in the middle of a teaching tour at the time. His demise was confirmed by his sister Sharmila Mahesh and John Bultman. The yoga programme manager at the University of Virginia, John also noted that Sharath had gone through a heart attack during his hike near the Charlottesville campus.

As per the sources at the Sharath Yoga Centre on social media, Sharath was expected to return to his native city, Mysuru, sometime in December to begin a new batch of classes. The teaching tour was taking place across the US. Sharath was scheduled to conduct classes in San Antonio in Texas in a few days.

The Ashtanga yoga practioner has left behind a lasting legacy, with global stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Sting being his students. His grandfather Krishna Pattabhi Jois is also credited to bring international popularity to yoga in the 90s.

Sharath is survived by his father Rangaswamy, mother Saraswathi Jois, wife Shruti Jois, daughter Shraddha Jois and son Sambhav Jois.