Recently the Iyengar Yoga community lost a beloved pioneer member — George Purvis, otherwise known as the “Tortuga Grande” and the “Yoga Cowboy.” He struck a spark in so many lives around the country, especially in Texas. In mining our memories for stories about George, we realized how instrumental he was in inspiring his friends and students to practice yoga with precision, humor, and care. The Memorial Service for him was live- streamed on the Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church Facebook page and on the Cochran Chapel YouTube channel at 1 p.m. CST on Saturday, March 8, 2025.This made it possible for many more people to “be present.” A video of the warm and poignant service (punctuated with appropriate laughter) is posted here:
Krista del Gallo: Austin
I just learned of George’s passing through the Austin Iyengar yoga circle. I’m so sorry that he’s no longer with us here on earth. I only was able to meet and take class with George, the infamous “yoga cowboy,” once when I traveled to Dallas for work around 15 years ago.
In just one class, through George’s astute instructions, I anchored my heels to the floor in downward facing dog for the first time. He noticed in my upward facing bow my carrying angle; and worked with me after class on the yoga horse to feel the action required to straighten my arms.
He also told a yoga joke. When talking about the armpit and the “armpit chest.” He said, “In India they use different deodorants for the different parts of the armpit.” I said, “Really?” He chuckled and said, “No.”
Thank you for honoring him.
Mary Scott: Georgetown
George brought so much joy and humor into his classes. He will be greatly missed.
I still remember the 5-minute wall sit he had us do in San Marcos. He said he and John Friend would do 5-minute wall sits and handstands as “attitude adjusters.”
Emilie Rogers: San Antonio
I don’t know when I heard this story, but let’s just say it’s true — stranger stories have been told about our dear teacher George! Back in the day, before most people knew what yoga was, George and Dean Lerner started practicing yoga from B.K.S. Iyengar’s book, Light on Yoga. Dean wrote Mr. Iyengar to tell him that the asanas were “uncomfortable,” to which Guruji replied, “I am not interested in your comfort.”
Of course, that prompted these good old Texas boys to go to India to studywith him. George loved to tell that story about Dean’s letter. George was the first senior level Iyengar Yoga teacher in the state. His delightful, inspiring teaching touched so many. He was my friend, teacher, and is in my heart forever.
Esta Herold: Austin
George’s demeanor was always:
Welcoming
Kind
Calm
Compassionate
Fun
Funny
Because of his clear instructions and inventive demonstrations, I always enjoyed his classes. I continue to teach what he taught and will miss his sweet soul.
Arlene Fisher: Houston
Oh how much we will miss George and what a delight! He brought such a wonderful sense of humor and Texas texture to our yoga practice in Houston. Maybe it was a combination of the cowboy boots with turquoise yoga shorts, his craving for moon pies and love for cats. George was an amazing yogi. I so appreciated his enthusiasm and encouragement. He will always be in our heart.
David Gillis: San Antonio environs
I met George many, many years ago in Houston at the home of another teacher and friend of mine, Bekir Algan. We shared yoga and great conversations during those early times. Over the years, I attended workshops with George in Austin, Houston, and Dallas, from which I gained a deeper understanding and depth in my personal yoga journey. His Iyengar background provided us with the skills to teach in the most effective way and offered the yoga community a practical approach to their practice. He will be greatly missed. The gift of his teachings will go on forever through the students and fellow teachers he touched. Goodbye my friend!
Peggy Kelley: formerly of Austin, now in New York
A memory of George Purvis and Dean Lerner from attending an Angela Farmer workshop at Feathered Pipe Ranch way back in the late 80’s or early 90’s.
Angela, then still considered an Iyengar teacher, had spent some time in the workshop classes explaining how we could, and I quote: “open the eyes in the back of our thighs” to improve our asana practice. On the last night of the workshop, Dean and George danced onto the impromptu stage in the main hall with “googly eyes” somehow fastened to the backs of their thighs. What a hoot! I just wish we had a photo. See it in your mind’s eye!
Speaking of Feathered Pipe, I also remember some “Yogathons” that George would hold in Dallas to help raise money for Feathered Pipe, a ranch and retreat center in Montana that ran as a nonprofit organization. These events involved volunteer yogis who would invite those present to bet on how long theycould hold a pose. I cannot now remember if it was George or Bekir Algan who held Utkatasana for 15 minutes, which did raise significant funds and caused lots of cheering. It was the first and only 15-minute Utkatasana I have ever witnessed.
At the Mexican Yoga Association Convention in Ajijic, Mexico in 2014, George was an invited international teacher. Of course, he sported his funny yoga bloomers (Diana Lyons in Dallas made them) — some with cowboy motifs, and I remember at least one pair with turtles on them. What was more amazing for many attendees was that a body type like George’s — thick and broad like a football player’s — actually demonstrated both simple and complicated asanas with great grace and skill.
George was both a technician (like his teacher Ramanand Patel, an engineer) and a great-hearted human being (like another of his teachers, Mary Dunn). He brought both of them to Dallas when I was fairly new in Texas. I was so grateful. We later had a real Austin Iyengar sangha and invited George, Ramanand, and Mary to teach workshops in Austin.
He started one workshop class by saying that it may be a bad sign when you say to yourself that you have an asana “in your pocket” so to speak. As the years roll by, I feel the wisdom of that comment. Of course, George was frequently asked to help the group with “performance poses” like hanumanasana and dwi pada viparita dandasana, because of his well-known skill in demonstrating them.
His solo demonstration at the 1990 San Diego convention is available here:
It’s under seven minutes long, accompanied by lovely Indian music, features George alone in a startlingly shiny blue leotard and is definitely worth a look. When I ran into him right afterwards I told him I thought he had given an amazing performance. He shook his head and said he had not done everything just as he had planned, ever humble.
Years later, when he became a cancer survivor, I remember him telling us that he had to get to a cancer survivor support group after an assessors’ meeting in Houston. Apparently, in an interview he later explained that he put himself through the grueling process of cancer treatment (twice) “to give hope to others.” That was George — giving hope and encouragement to everyone around him.
Most of all I remember George for his good humor and lighthearted ways of inspiring us to to work hard. He was one of a kind and a true Texas yoga pioneer. He will be deeply missed and long remembered.
Constance Braden: Houston
I’ll be forever grateful to George, the Big Turtle, for the clarity and vitality of his teaching. He changed my life completely and utterly for the better in lasting ways. The studio he helped found here in Houston is still flourishing after 30 years. We still share stories about George.
Not one to take an interest in pranayama or the Sutras, he brought spirit and soul to his classes through vitality, joy, and spontaneity, through his pranks and often irreverent sense of humor, and through lots and lots of handstands and backbends. People here still wear his “You will do yoga!” T-shirt. He was so funny! I’m still laughing.
Dean Lerner: State College, PA
I don’t know anyone that did not like George! George was an inspired practitioner and teacher, uniquely stylish dresser (the more outrageous the clothing, the better it looked on him), a huge jokester, and a most compassionate and loving person through and through.
Recalling the letter Emilie Rogers mentioned: Actually I wrote Mr. Iyengar when I was living in the woods in northwest Arkansas…. at least a year or so before I moved back to Ft. Worth and met George. Yes, I was practicing from his book, and Guruji wrote back, “I am not interested in your comfort, but the precision with which you do the poses.”
One of my other favorite stories was the time Guruji came to Dallas and stayed at George’s house. George asked Guruji for his autograph and gave him an indelible ink marker — with which Guruji signed the wall with a three-foot-long signature! Cynthia Roe confirmed that the signature eventually faded and can no longer be seen.
George himself can no longer be seen, yet it’s clear from the memories above that he made an indelible impression on countless people. We were lucky to know him.
Memories collated by Emilie Rogers and Peggy Kelley