Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Sadly, K. Pattabhi Jois, the proponent of the Ashtanga Vinyasa sequences in the yoga world passed on at 2:30pm todays date in Mysore, India. That would be about 8:30pm or so last night here.

Anyone who has followed me and my teaching knows that Ashtanga was a humongous part of my life for 8 years, moving my way through the 3rd series of Pattabhi or Guruji's yoga. The last few years I've gotten more into the alignment principles of Anusara and Kundalini, but even for a year I was teaching Ashtanga with alignment principles before I finally got away from the practice all together.

Back in 2o00 after having only practiced partial primary series for 3 months I went to Boulder to study with him as he was hosted by Richard Freeman, a fairly famous yoga teacher whom is also from St Louis. This was something most thought was crazy as they had all heard stories of his adjustments in poses and the like, but I went anyway. I figure he's old and I may not have much of a chance, only to find this very vibrant 85 year old who tore through the room with much vigor, adjusting and calling out poses and calling out breaths and making us sweat like we've never sweated before, calling out Bad Man! or Bad Lady! when you tried to skip on a pose or skimp on a pose, then looking you in the eye, giving you a shit eating grin and wink and moving on. Same thing in 2002 in Maui, still a lion of a man and tough as nails.

Maui also led me to Nancy Gilgoff, a little gem of a yoga teacher who physically taught me uddiyana bandha. Amazing stuff and an amazing woman. One of the first three Americans to learn Ashtanga from Guruji, having gone there with her husband and Norman Allen who was featured in Enlighten Up!

Guruji had a smile like you couldn't imagine, just drop you to the floor with it and then you wanted to do whatever he asked, you want my foot where? oh sure, I will put it there! and then he would help you anyway.

His pidgeon English was always endearing as well and surprising how sometimes he wouldn't say a word or speak completely in Sanskrit or Kannada (his native tongue) and you would know exactly what he was saying. Funny how a midwestern raised homosexual who drank a lot (at the time) and thought partying was the end all be all of existence fell for this little bitty old Indian dude and his grandson (who really is hot in person). It still flabergasts me that I changed that quickly, became an almost celibate yogin who did this amazingly hard practice every morning and then taught it to who I taught it to. Most unlikely of folks coming to my classes when they were in Collinsville, but they loved it just as much as I did and still do.

I think that next week I will dedicate my practice to doing ashtanga in his memory. I know he is happy and was happy while alive, but is happy now too and that is why I want to celebrate him and his teachings which began me on this path of self discovery and challenge and changed my life completely, leaving the corporate world and started me moving toward teaching full time, which is a blessing for sure.

Thanks Guruji for so much! I'm sure Sharath, whom is an awesome teacher in his own right, will do you proud. Namaste!