The cult-like vibe of ashtanga – why?

The Question

To begin with, my start in yoga was vinyasa. I switched to ashtanga last year; now I am pregnant and doing more vinyasa again, but I did return to a modified practice (with some poses added for variety) last week. I wouldn't call myself a hardcore ashtangi – before my pregnancy, I did it three times week -, but I do appreciate why people get into it. For me it's the breathing and tranquility that distinguishes it from vinyasa, which has other aspects that draw me to it. That being said, when Sharath died and I saw so many people call him a 'guru', the connotation I felt, wasn't the Indian one. It was the Western one. The veneration I saw was unsettling. I understand he was a teacher, maybe a spiritual guide also, to many, but it felt like it was too much and, honestly, a bit dramatic, with long texts and people saying they were struggling to get out of bed. What's going on there? When someone you see once a year – or maybe less – dies and you don't have a close relationship with them aside from the teacher-student one, obviously you are allowed to feel and grieve, but the part where you can't get out of bed, to me, that's for loved ones who die: friends, family. The way many acted when Sharath died, came across like emotional instability and an unhealthy attachment. They reminded me of people who are obsessed with a celebrity and then that celebrity dies. Some level of being affected is understandable, but if you're depressed, take a step back. I'm not sure it was authentic either. It felt like people were just posting photos to show others that he was their teacher and they had a direct connection with the lineage, marking themselves as exclusive. Why do they have that sense of exclusivity? And is it warranted? Or are they themselves the only ones who believe that myth? Because I don't see it. For contrast, I don't feel this way when it comes to Iyengar, for example. He was a 'yoga guru' also, but the whole culture around it, is a lot less intense. Maybe it's me who is missing something – for me, ashtanga is a form of physical and mental exercise. Sharath was a fine teacher passing on his craft, in this case a type of yoga, like other teachers pass on crafts like English, painting, cooking, and many impact their students' lives also – actually, you often hear people saying x or y, impacted their lives, but it's said authentically, with a mix of warmth and sadness – you're sad that they're gone, but thankful you were able to learn from them. You're not say

— via r/ashtanga