| According to a biography on his website Sri Krishna | | | | for Hawaii and is settled there to this day. He still tutors |
| Pattabhi Jois, born in July 1915 is credited with | | | | Ashtanga to his disciples. |
| introducing the art of Ashtanga Yoga to America. The | | | | David Williams, an Ashtanga practitioner since the early |
| first western to be trained with Krishna Pattabhi Jois | | | | 70's, has imparted training to many senior instructors of |
| was Andre Van Lysbeth whose country of origin was | | | | the craft in America. He started his love of Yoga |
| Belgium. Before long the first Americans started to | | | | during his student days at the University of North |
| come to Jois to learn the practice of Ashtanga at | | | | Carolina. He went to India in 1971 to learn yoga. He had |
| Swami Gitananda's ashram in Pondicherri. The | | | | to go through many obstacles before finding Manju |
| Ashtanga took its root in California and spread | | | | Jois (Jois son). After seeing the demonstration of |
| throughout USA. Norman Allen and David Williams | | | | Ashtanga, David asked Manju to train him. When he |
| were the early American students of Jois. David | | | | refused, David asked him if his father would teach him. |
| Williams and Nancy Gilgoff are credited with inviting the | | | | Though Jois only taught Brahman men, he decided to |
| master practitioner to San Diego County to impart the | | | | be his tutor. David learned the first, second and half of |
| training. | | | | the third series of Yoga in his stay with the master. |
| Ashtanga might still have been a dark art for | | | | Jois did not speak English in those days and David had |
| Americans if Norman Allen did not persistently plead | | | | to study by watching the other students practicing it. |
| Jois to teach the practice. Norman found it extremely | | | | He continued his education with Pattabhi Jois till he |
| hard as the master did not accept western students. | | | | gained knowledge of the complete Ashtanga series. |
| He had to camp outside his entrance for days before | | | | David relocated to Hana after the completion of his |
| Jois was persuaded by his sincerity and took him on | | | | training in order to concentrate on building strength and |
| as a student. After a grueling period of study Norman | | | | polishing his skills. The focus was to develop his style |
| returned to USA and brought Ashtanga practice with | | | | and leave the imitation. He taught exclusively private |
| him. Norman returned to New York City in the early | | | | lectures for almost 20 years before he started |
| 1980's as Yoga was starting to gain prominence. He | | | | traveling and delivering group lessons of Ashtanga as |
| practiced Ashtanga initially but was not interested in | | | | delivered to him by the master Sri Krishna Pattabhi |
| the commercialism of the art. He left New York City | | | | Jois. |