Renowned Indian-origin yoga guru R Sharath Jois died in Virginia on Monday, November 11, his sister confirmed on Tuesday. The Ashtanga teacher from Mysuru was on a tour across the US and was going to visit his native town in December to kickstart a new batch of classes. He was 53 years old.

Jois suffered a heart attack on a hiking trail near the University of Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville, yoga program manager John Bultman confirmed as per The New York Times. On the day of his tragic passing, the 53-year-old shared a video of his yoga class on Instagram. “ASHTANGA YOGA Special Course,” read the caption.

The yoga teacher was scheduled to visit San Antonio, Texas, from November 16 to 20. He also had workshops lined up in Sydney and Dubai next year. Sharath Jois is survived by his mother, Saraswathi Jois, father Rangaswamy, wife Shruti Jois, and two children, son Sambhav Jois and daughter Shraddha Jois.

Who Was R. Sharath Jois?

R. Sharath Jois is a prominent figure in the Ashtanga Yoga community. He was the grandson of the renowned yoga master K. Pattabhi Jois. he 53-year-old trained extensively under his grandfather and taught Ashtanga Yoga. Some of his clients were A-listers, like singer Madonna.

Reacting to Jois’ death, D Shrihari of GSS Yogic Foundation in Mysuru said: “It was very shocking to hear the news of Sharath Jois’ death at a very young age. His grandfather Pattabhi Jois had made yoga world famous and Sharath too followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by taking yoga to great heights. May the God give strength to his family members to bear the loss.”