Modern Founder of Ashtanga Yoga, Pattabhi Jois, Dies

[tekisui]

Yoga legend, Pattabhi Jois(Guruji), passed away. He was 93 years old, and was an icon in the yoga community, and especially the ashtanga yoga community of which he is considered the modern founder.

He is credited with bringing yoga to the West.

In 1964, Andre Van Lysbeth bacame the first Westener to study with Guruji. Soon after that, more Europeans came. Around 1972, the first Americans came, after meeting Manju at Swami Gitananda's ashram in Pondicherri. It was at that point that ashtanga yoga began spreading in America, starting in California, and then later emerging in Hawaii. In 1975, Guruji and Manju made their first trip to America. Over the next 25 years, the practice spread through the United States, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, Israel, Chile, England, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Guruji has, for 63 years, been teaching uninterruptedly this same method that he learned from Krishnamacharya in 1927.

More about Guruji at link: http://www.kpjayi.org/