Sri K Patthabi Jois 1915 – 2009

An aspirant, by grace of his guru and constant practice of yoga can someday realize the nature of supreme peace and immortal bliss. Yoga Mala

I'm studying an image of Pattabhi Jois, from the back cover of his text book Yoga Mala. He is a young man, in bare feet, simply dressed with shining eyes. Many years later, an older, portly and benevolent man is known with great affection by thousands of yoga practitioners across the globe as Guruji - dear teacher.

The scale of Pattahbi Jois’ contribution to yoga is vast; his promoted method, astanga vinyasa was somehow just right for an emerging breed of yoga students in the west. Powerful, challenging, absorbing, intensely physical it appealed to those who might have alternately worked out in a gym or done a lot of cardio work. They came in great numbers, a trickle at first in the 1970’s then as word spread, hundreds of practitioners would diligently make the journey to Mysore to study with him for months at a time.

Jois’ influence is felt throughout the contemporary yoga scene; the vast army of practitioners he personally trained and authorised to teach his method, who in turn are teaching and training others. The proliferation of derivative yoga styles such as dynamic yoga, power yoga and vinyasa flow. Celebrity followers such as Sting, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow who shunted yoga out of the hippy backwaters and into mainstream cool.

Beyond the inestimable amount of dollars and rupees generated, the toned bodies, the quantum boost to yoga’s popularity, the great man leaves another, quieter legacy; the impact he made on those who personally knew and loved him. Today they are mourning their loss and celebrating his life.

Sri K Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, South India, left his body 2:30pm 18th May 2009 at his home in Gokulum suburb with his family.

www.ashtanga.com Information on the practice and updated list of teachers and workshops.

www.kpjayi.org Website of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore, South India, established by Jois as his teaching base.