Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Sharath Jois Passes Away at 53; Required Full Covid Vaccination at His Ashram

Grandson of K. Pattabhi Jois Succumbs to Heart Attack in Virginia During U.S. Teaching Tour

R. Sharath Jois, a famous figure in the global yoga community and a foremost authority on Ashtanga Yoga,¹ died unexpectedly at the age of 53 on November 11 in Virginia. While hiking near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Jois suffered a fatal heart attack. Sharath Jois leaves behind his parents, wife, son, and daughter. He taught yoga to celebrities such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Sharath Jois was the grandson of K. Pattabhi Jois, a now disgraced yoga master who brought Ashtanga Yoga to international prominence. Pattabhi Jois faced allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct during his teaching career after several students came forward with accusations that Jois had touched them inappropriately during adjustments in yoga classes. Asthanga Yoga also became controversial after senior teachers reported needing hip replacements after years of practice.

Despite Pattabhi Jois’s fall from grace, Sharath became a prominent instructor himself, having taken over the Krishna Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Institute in 2008 when his grandfather’s health was declining. Under Sharath’s leadership, the institute grew into a global hub for Ashtanga Yoga, attracting thousands of students and achieving substantial commercial success.

In 2019, Sharath’s mother, Saraswathi Rangaswamy, renamed the institute as K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Shala. Sharath subsequently established the Sharath Yoga Centre, continuing to nurture and spread the teachings of Ashtanga Yoga worldwide.

Sharath’s influence extended across continents, with trained instructors promoting Ashtanga Yoga in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America. His institute was known to receive an overwhelming number of applications each month, demonstrating the widespread appeal and dedication to his teachings.

Was Sharath Jois Vaccinated for Covid?

Given Sharath Jois’s young age of 53, many in the wellness community are asking whether he was vaccinated for covid. Multiple studies have shown that covid mRNA vaccines can cause permanent heart damage. While mRNA was not heavily used in India, the AstraZeneca vaccine, locally known as Covishield, was taken by millions. The vaccine has now been taken off the market worldwide due to deadly side effects such as blood clots.

It is highly likely that Sharath Jois had been vaccinated for covid, but we could not find any information about which vaccines he might have taken.

During the covid pandemic, the Sharath Yoga Centre mandated full vaccination for anyone attending their programs, writing on their FAQ page in 2022:

I have a medical condition due to which I cannot be fully vaccinated, can I still apply?
Sorry, only fully vaccinated students are accepted to study at the Shala. This is for everyone’s safety.

Additionally, the ashram required in-home quarantine of 7 days for incoming international travels, and even fully vaccinated students also needed to bring a negative PCR test:

Mandatory – All students including re-registering students must bring printed copy of latest RT-PCR test report, taken up to 48 hrs before coming to the Shala.

(“Shala” is Sanskrit for “school.”)

We’ll note here that a surprising number of influencers in the yoga and Ayurveda community promoted covid vaccinations, despite concerns from students.

1. The “Asthanga Yoga” series of postures popularized by Jois is different from the traditional eight limbs of yoga first known as “Asthanga Yoga,” as described by Patanjali in the ancient and sacred yoga scriptures known as the Yoga Sutras.