Goodbye, Guruji

The yoga world received sad news yesterday. Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, the teacher who founded the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in 1948, passed away on May 18th, 2009, after a brief illness. He was 94 years old.

From the Express News Service:

"Popularly known as Guruji by his students across the globe, Pattabhi Jois was honoured by the Karnataka government with the Patanjali Gold Medal in 1986. In 2002, the Veda Shashtra Poshini Sabha honoured him with the title ‘Shastra Nidhi.’ Pattabhi Jois’ students included pop stars Madonna and Sting and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Pattabhi Jois was born on July 26, 1915, in the village of Kowshika near Hassan."

"In 1929, he left home and came to Mysore, where he studied Sanskrit, Patanjali Yoga Darshana, Hatayoga Pradepika, Geranda Samhita, Suta Samhita and other Hindu religious texts. He held a teaching position in Yoga at the Maharaja’s Sanskrit College for many years. He established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in 1948 and started to travel abroad from 1975 to conduct yoga classes. He had acquired a multitude of students."

For more information, visit the Ashtanga Yoga Institute's site. Our love, condolences and gratitude go out to the Guruji's family, Mysore and the yoga world.