Sharath Jois, a well-known yoga teacher and the grandson of yoga legend Krishna Pattabhi Jois, died on Monday at the age of 53. He died from a heart attack while hiking near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in the U.S. His sister, Sharmila Mahesh, confirmed the news through an emotional Instagram post, saying, “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 the USA. More information is awaited. We will keep you updated.”

Sharath Yoga Centre owned by Shartha Jois also shared the news of his demise on their website. The message reads, “ 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). 
It further reads,” Sharath guruji was a benevolent teacher, a loving husband and father and above all, he was a kind-hearted human being.

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. They said they will update the page as and when they receive more information regarding this.

As per the New York Times, Sharath Jois was on a teaching tour in the US and was set to lead classes in San Antonio, Texas, later this month. His workshops, both in India and globally, attracted thousands of students seeking a direct connection with the Ashtanga yoga master.

Jois learnt yoga from his grandfather Krishna Pattabhi Jois who was a legendary yoga master and has a huge celebrity following including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. K Pattabhi Jois is attributed for passing his teaching to grandson Sharath, however, Sharath popularised his teachings and took his legacy a step forward after he died in 2009.

According to reports, on the day of his passing, Sharath Jois taught a newly developed, low-intensity version of Ashtanga yoga called the "Active Series" to a group of instructors from around the world at a seminar hall at the University of Virginia. On that afternoon, Sharath Jois went on a hike with 50 students. Feeling suddenly fatigued, he sat down to rest. Moments later, he fell from the bench and was declared dead.