The yoga community mourns the passing of Sharath Jois, grandson of Ashtanga yoga founder, Pattabhi Jois. He died of a heart attack on November 11, 2024, while on a hike in Virginia.
I saw Sharath once in San Diego, when I attended a Mysore class with Pattabhi Jois. I moved from New York to California in the early 2000s. Although I moved for graduate school, I think life had bigger plans. In San Diego, I met my husband and found ashtanga yoga.
I previously practiced run of the mill vinyasa classes. But ashtanga yoga introduced me to a group of dedicated yogis and a tight community. I thought I had a fairly dedicated practice, but nothing prepared me for ashtangis. I’m talking about 5AM daily morning practices, and the discipline to have a Mysore style practice. This is the type of practice where students come, start practicing their series, at their own pace, and the teacher gives personal adjustments. One time, after practicing with someone for more than 2 years, I noticed how beautiful her jump-throughs are looking, and she told me that she puts in another practice in the afternoon, just working on core work for the vinyasa transitions.
Sharath Jois
For me, Sharath represented the simpler side of yoga. He’s doesn’t wear fancy athleisure gear. He has a soft voice, a shy smile. He just doesn’t “sell” yoga the way we usually see it in the west on social media–you know what I mean–the sexy, luxury, posh type. I know that there’s no such thing as “traditional” yoga. And that the yoga written about thousands of years ago in the Rig Veda is not the yoga of Iyengar or Pattrabi Jois. But in many ways, Sharath and those that came before him connected us to the source, India.
As yoga expands to the rest of the world, we slowly lose yoga’s connection to Hinduism and India. I understand that this is not always a bad thing to make the world more comfortable with yoga. But sometimes, in the effort to erase the cultural connection, we are left with yoga as an exercise routine. Gurus and yoga ambassadors such as Sharath remind us of that connection.
Ashtanga and the New Yoga
In recent years, ashtanga has somewhat fallen out of favor. Some argue that it’s simply inaccessible for most people. Others point to the inappropriateness of the adjustments. Some feel that the adjustments are disrespectful and disregard personal space, specifically for women. Others, on the other hand, point to the lack of anatomical knowledge of some teachers. It’s not uncommon for yogis to suffer from injuries from an adjustment, which happened to me. But ashtanga yoga, is not for the part-time practitioner. It’s a practice rooted in dedication and student-teacher relationship. When I look back and think of my ashtanga journey and it’s end, I don’t think the problem is ashtanga. I didn’t have the mental maturity for it and the level of dedication required. I accept that.
You see, ashtanga yoga, unlike any other type of yoga practice, relies on commitment and patience. You work on the same poses, until you reach a certain level of strength and flexibility. And then your teacher advances you to the next pose or series. I was too focused on the pose and not the process. And I would cut corners sometimes. When life got busy, I would practice only twice a week. I also didn’t dedicate enough time finding a teacher who could guide me. I know plenty of ashtangis who followed the core philosophy of the physical practice, and didn’t get injured. These are the people who practiced religiously and had a relationship with their guru.
The Ashtangi
You can tell an ashtangi when you practice in a regular vinyasa class. The unwavering drishti, the way the toes are flexed, and maybe the additional upgrades they make, such as during a one-legged forward fold, adding a half-lotus with a bind (Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana). I have heard it from ashtangis that a regular vinyasa practice just doesn’t cut it. It jdoesn’t get deep enough—I get it.
It’s natural for new types of yoga be introduced in the attempt to modify old school yoga for the modern practitioner. But let me tell you this. I credit ashtanga for the level of strength and flexibility I have, middle aged. We have incorporated elements of physical therapy, such as fascia release, and workout elements, such as weights and crunches to make yoga more palatable to the modern audience. But there is something simple and uncomplicated about not worrying too much if a pose is giving your arms definition or even if it’s adding years to your life. Trust in the process. Stay dedicated. Thank you yoga and thank you Sharath for your dedication and commitment to spreading yoga to the world.
Did you know, Sharath developed Active Series Ashtaga Yoga, which is a simplified version of ashtanga. He launched the series at the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia just a few days ago on November 9. You can buy the accompanying book at Sonoma website.
