Sri K. Pattabhi Jois may have passed away today, five years ago. But his spirit, his energy, his legacy lives on through the work of his family, through his many devoted students, through every person who steps on their mat and breathes through the ashtanga series.

To say that ashtanga has had a profound effect on my life is a massive understatement. It has given me work that I love deeply; it has put me in the field of so many amazing people; it has brought me to so amazing places that I might have never even imagined going; it has broken me open, pulled me apart, and put me together again, numerous times; it has changed me, and made me more myself.

Guruji’s role in my life cannot be summed up. I can only express my deep gratitude.