Bharata's Bio Page

Yogacharya Bharata Bill Francis Barry has aspired to live the principles of yoga since 1969.  He has been a Spiritual Teacher since 2010.  He is a lifetime Member of the Indian Yoga Association and has completed thousands of hours of classroom & ashram yoga training.  
 
Bharata is an advocate and devotee of two respected lineages:

• Yogacharya Bharata is a Priest in the lineage of Sadguru Sant Keshavadas of Bengaluru, India and Namadeva Acharya/Satyabhama Ashley-Farrand. Beginning in 2005, Bharata studied with Namadeva Acharya (Thomas Ashley-Farrand) until his MahaSamadhi on 1 Oct 2010. This training included: travel in India for 23 days in 2009; Kriya initiation(2008);  Teacher of Mantra certification (2007-2008); ordained Priest in Sanatana Dharma Satsang, March 2010; initiation into Jyoti Order of Spiritual Lightworkers (2010). In Kanchipuram India, December 2010, with a small group led by Satyabhama Ashley-Farrand, Bharata received from Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswati a still active shakti empowerment. In his study of Sadguru Sant Keshavadas’ teachings, Bharata is thankful for the assistance of Satguru Rama Mata and Muralidhar Pai.  Bharata serves on the Board of Directors of Sanatana Dharma Satsang, a non-profit organization co-founded by Namadeva Acharya and Satyabhama Ashley-Farrand.
• Yogacharya Bharata is a devoted student and advocate of the Gitananda Yoga tradition and his teacher Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani of the International Centre For Yoga Education And Research (ICYER) at Ananda Ashram in Puducherry India and the Institute of Salutogenesis and Complementary Medicine at the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth Medical University in Puducherry India. Bharata was given the name Yogacharya by his teacher Dr. Ananda in 2021. Bharata’s studies in this Parampara began in 2016 when he and his wife Denise met Dr. Ananda in Montreal. During 2020 through 2022, these studies have included over 300 hours of interactive online training & and hundreds more hours of related practices. This training included courses in Yogic Psychic Neurology (24hrs), Yoga Sutra Ashtangam (16hrs); Yantra Vidya Navangam(18hrs) Mantra Yoga Sadhana (28hrs); Gitananda Nada Yoga Immersion (100hours);  a weekly 12 month 52 lesson “Yoga Step-by–Step” course packed with foundational and advanced teachings; plus a 12-month Deeper Gitananda course to be completed in March 2023.  

Since he created MantraVijaya in 2010, Bharata has taught at locations in the USA, Canada, and internationally to on-line students in dozens of countries.  His teachings emphasize the development of experiential yogic knowledge based on Vedic scriptures or classic yoga texts, as taught by authentic traditions and respectful scholarship.

In 2002 he completed a 25 year career in computing, with a ten year position as Dartmouth College’s Director of Management Information Systems, preceded with a five year similar position at Smith College. 

Earlier training: Bharata’s four University of Mass degrees include M.Ed, MBA, B.S. plus a 1976 bachelors degree program titled "The Development of God Consciousness Through Knowledge, Meditation and Yoga".

In the 1970s & 80s, Bharata was blessed to study and receive darshan from many well known  teachers: including: a 3-day workshop with Paramahansa Muktananda; Boston satsangs with Swami Satchidananda; a 14 week Amherst College course with Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman; three-day & ten-day courses with Yogi Bhajan;  Sacred dance retreats with Sufi Master Pir Vilayat Khan;  satsang with Sri Chinmoy;  an almost private Q&A dialogue with Swami Rama of the Himalayas; several years study with psychic teacher Peter Tadd. Bharata also was employed for 12 months on staff at Maharishi International University(1976).  In 2005 Bharata began several years of training and receiving shaktipat transmissions from Mirabai Devi.  

Bharata and his wife Denise Barry live in Western Massachusetts, where she has taught Tai Chi Chuan for over 35 years. 
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