Larry Schultz

Larry Schultz (November 14, 1950 – February 27, 2011) was an American yoga teacher who was a long-time student of the founder of Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga, K. Pattabhi Jois.

Early life

Schultz born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, lived in Austin, Texas, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, working as an insurance salesman. His first encounter with yoga was at age 29 when in the Caribbean he met Cliff Barber who was practicing Ashtanga yoga's advanced 4th series outdoors. Although Barber was older, Schultz was impressed by Barber's fitness.

Schultz met K. Pattabhi Jois in 1982 during a yoga workshop hosted by Stan Hafner, and studied under Jois for the next 7 years in India and the USA. Schultz gave priority to opening the joints to reduce the risk of injury when stretching muscles.

Grateful Dead

In the mid-1990s Schultz traveled on tour with the Grateful Dead as the band's personal yoga teacher until Jerry Garcia died. In an interview in a Deadhead magazine, Phil Lesh credits Ashtanga with having a real effect on the music this tour and giving him personally a new feeling of centeredness. Says Lesh, "This has opened a whole new world for me." It was Weir who encouraged Schultz to write his first book on yoga, Ashtanga Yoga As Taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois.

The Mayor of Folsom Street

In 1991 Schultz founded It's Yoga at 848 Folsom Street in San Francisco. At It's Yoga he created a promotional package called "90 days for 90 dollars." Schultz's studio pioneered the concept of teaching yoga in health clubs. It's Yoga on Folsom Street attracted celebrities such as San Francisco 49ers players and Christy Turlington. In 2002 It's Yoga moved downstairs to a larger space in the same building at 848 Folsom street. Schultz's notoriety in the South of Market, San Francisco area led him gain a second nickname, "The Mayor of Folsom Street."

Rocketman

Schultz became known for creating The Rocket series, which takes poses from the first, second and third series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and resequences them around the joints of the body. Some consider The Rocket sequences to be the origin of Power Yoga. Schultz said of his teaching philosophy:

Later years

Books and videos

Ashtanga Out of the Box book and DVD series, 1998 Rocket Vinyasa Yoga video in collaboration with David Kyle, 2004

Rocket II DVD, 2006