K. Pattabhi Jois

K. Pattabhi Jois ( Krishna Pattabhi Jois, born July 26, 1915 in Kowshika in present-day Indian state of Karnataka, † 18 May, 2009 Mysore, Karnataka ) was from 1927 to 1945 one of the early students of T. Krishnamacharya and is considered an important representative of hatha yoga. The method taught by him Hatha Yoga system, which is known today under the name " Ashtanga Yoga " or " Ashtanga ( Vinyasa ) Yoga ", he himself has learned from Krishnamacharya. The name " Ashtanga Yoga" refers to the eight-limbed path of Patanjali (Raja Yoga), of the intellectual background of his system of Asana (calm posture ) and pranayama ( breathing exercises), forms. K. Pattabhi Jois also referred to Krishnamacharya's vinyasa krama principle. " Vinyasa " means an asana practice, in which the asana is performed not static as held position, but is dynamically linked in a fixed sequence of movements with the breath.

K. Pattabhi Jois studied from 1930 to 1936 Sahitya Veda and Vedanta Advaita at the Sanskrit College in Mysore. From 1937 to 1973 he taught there yoga. K. Pattabhi Jois bore the title of " Vidwan " (which roughly corresponds to the title of professor ). Later he got from other institutions, the honorary title of Honorary Professor of Yoga, Yogasana Visharada and Shastra Nidhi awarded. In 1948, he opened a small yoga school, the " Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute " ( Ayri ), which to a larger building moved in 2002 in Gokulam ( Mysore ) and since 2008 " K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute " at his home in Lakshmipuram ( Mysore ) ( KPJAYI ) is called. His school opened K. Pattabhi Jois and Western students. Among his pupils in Europe, among others belonged André van Lysebeth. He became famous mainly through its American students, for example, David Williams, who brought him in 1975 for the first time in the United States. His book "Yoga Mala ", which he published in his native language Kannada in 1962, was published in 1999 in English.

K. Pattabhi Jois had with his wife Savitramma, with whom he was married from 1937 until her death in 1997, three children (daughter Saraswathi and the sons Manju and Ramesh ).