On November 8, 2024, the Contemplative Sciences Center hosted teacher, practitioner, and lineage holder of Ashtanga yoga, Sharath Jois, for an event revealing his new series, The Active Series, and accompanying book by the same name. The event was cohosted by Jois’s longtime friends, students, and Contemplative Sciences Center cofounders Paul and Sonia Jones. In attendance were over a hundred yoga students, many of them Jois’s longtime devotees and committed Ashtanga practitioners. After the event the Joneses sat with Jois onstage for a book talk and interview about his views on yoga, health and wellness. In conjunction with the event, Jois offered a five-day teacher training on the Active Series for senior Ashtanga teachers.
The Active Series is a modified version of the primary and secondary series of Ashtanga yoga, with numerous adjustments and postures eliminated. Instead of quick transitions and frequent jumps, deep backbends and arm balances, students are invited to stay in postures longer and move through simpler asanas to get through the sequence. Though not easy, the sequence is accessible and, in Jois’s words, “anyone can do it.” This was evidenced in the crowd, as alongside seasoned Ashtanga teachers were many beginner students of all ages and experience levels. As Jois spoke through the series and requisite breathing from the stage, a handful of senior Ashtanga teachers, including Contemplative Sciences Center’s John Bultman, demonstrated the postures. Jois admitted at the start, with a gentle giggle, that he was a little nervous as he hadn’t taught it in public yet, but there was no way to tell as his instructions were seamless.
Upon completion of the series, students were offered lunch and chairs to listen to the interview between the Joneses and Jois. Their mutual affection for one another was palpable, and the energy in the room was joyful and light. The Ashtanga style of yoga is known for its athleticism and vigor. Jois began his talk by discussing how, though the style in its traditional form, developed by his grandfather Pattabhi Jois, had suited him well since he was a teenager, during the pandemic he recognized that it was too difficult and demanding for most people. Moved by the intense suffering brought into the world through COVID, Jois wanted to bring Ashtanga to the masses and allow more people to practice it and reap its rewards. He and Sonia Jones worked together to develop the new series and write the book with the support of her wellness company, Sonima. The hope was that by offering a series more focused on basic movements and postures, the intimidation surrounding Ashtanga would fall away.

As they chatted on stage, the Joneses and Jois reminisced about time spent together in India, their kids’ resistance to yoga, and what a day in the life of Jois looked like. The Joneses asked Jois about his personal history with yoga, and he recounted how as a child he was very sick and stricken by many dangerous fevers. At only seven years old, his grandfather taught him how to practice yoga, and his physical transformation into a strong and robust adult began. Sharath shadowed Pattabhi Jois in his shala (dedicated studio) in Mysore, India, for decades before his grandfather’s passing in 1997. Upon the death of his grandfather, Sharath stepped into the role of leader of Ashtanga yoga. On a typical day, Jois would wake at 3:30 a.m., do his own practice for two hours, then head to the shala to teach until 12:30 p.m. The shala offers two classes of approximately seventy students each daily. Students must already have a committed Ashtanga practice to be accepted into a Mysore session, which typically lasts for about a month. Due to the wildly growing popularity of Ashtanga in recent years, Jois noted that he often had 7,000 applications annually and was only able to offer 450 spots. Traditionally, the way to learn the Ashtanga system is through an authorized teacher at a shala, but with the Active Series, the Joneses and Jois hoped to enable accessibility and one day see the series offered at gyms and mainstream studios around the world. In addition, the book and online resources on Sonima’s website are intended to offer even more access.
To say that this attitude of approachability is a departure from traditional Ashtanga yoga would be an understatement, and the Jones and Jois recognized that, speaking to the revolutionary nature of the Active Series. Sharath talked at length about how much he wanted to help end suffering and how he saw yoga as a means toward that goal. He described the impacts of COVID on people’s lungs, hearts, and nervous systems—and asserted that the Active Series could be a balm to the harm and way for people to find a path back to healthfulness. Traditionally, Ashtanga yoga is practiced six days a week, but Jois noted that the Active Series might only be done monthly and still offer benefits. In addition to the physical, Jois also discussed the psychospiritual benefits of yoga at length. Classically understood by way of the first sutra in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Jois defined yoga as “yogas citta vrtti nirodhah,” translated as “yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind.” He noted that the mind is controlled by the breath, so if students can learn to control the breath, they can control their mind. Once they can control their mind, they can control the body. Mental disturbances, or the citta as it is understood in Sanskrit, will subside with practice and deep breathing. Jois reflected on his own yoga practice and how the mental clarity gained had taught him the importance of seva, or service. He saw his service to the world as spreading the gifts of yoga:

As yogis we must serve and offer help. And also practice karma yoga⏤the yoga of action⏤if someone needs help we must help them. Yoga is caring for others. Our actions must be pure and service-oriented. When doing service, do not expect anything in return. When you realize that service is key, your actions will be pure.
After they concluded their questions, the Joneses reflected upon Jois’s influence on the development of the Contemplative Sciences Center. Paul noted that the mission of the Contemplative Sciences Center is to make the world a better place, and Sonia chimed in that the Active Series is a “gift to the world,” much like the Contemplative Sciences Center. They spoke of how honored they were that Jois chose to reveal the series at the Contemplative Sciences Center and opened the floor to audience member questions. A few students stood up to inquire about more details regarding Jois’s vision for spreading the knowledge of the Active Series, whether he would ever make a documentary about his life and that of his grandfather (in the works!), and his favorite places in Virginia. He commented on his love of Charlottesville and how peaceful it is: “When I come here, I feel at peace. There is lots of prana here⏤birds chirping and the mountains⏤your life span will lengthen if you stay here.”
The Joneses and Jois closed the event by thanking the audience and Contemplative Sciences Center staff, and then Paul took a moment to thank Jois for his visit: “I don’t know anyone who is stronger in mind, body, and spirit than you are, Sharath, thank you.” Rapturous applause and a standing ovation followed, and as the yogis filed out of Contemplative Sciences Center, they were aflutter with the honor of being in Jois’s presence and participating in such a monumental event. Many spoke of a renewed interest in Ashtanga yoga and desire to help Sharath’s mission come to pass. As an inaugural event, the day was a huge success.
Unexpectedly and tragically, a few days later on November 12, Sharath Jois suffered a cardiac arrest while on a hike with his trainees and passed away suddenly. The shock and sadness continues to reverberate throughout the yoga community and the importance of his message on this momentous day at the Contemplative Sciences Center is ever more poignant.