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ABOUT US
ARTEMIS & BHAIRAV
With over 35 years of combined experience, Artemis Emily Doyle and Bhairav Thomas English are students and practitioners of various mystic traditions. They are lineage holders in the tradition of Shivoham Tantra. Together they are the authors of 'The Power of Tantra Meditation", the founders of the Anuttara Ashram, School, Teacher Trainings, & the Tantra & Yoga Podcast.
They live in a simple home, off-grid in the sacred mountains of the Nisga’a people in northern British Columbia, Canada. Together they established Anuttara Ashram and the Anuttara Turyatita School, which offer teachings and trainings in Tantra Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, & non-duality. They create spaces for love to take form through service, study, and spiritual practice.
BHAIRAV THOMAS ENGLISH
Bhairav is the founder of Anuttara Ashram and a co-creator within the Anuttara Turyatita School. He co-created the Anuttara Teacher Trainings and courses along side his partner Artemis. He is a lead facilitator in the Anuttara Teacher Trainings, co-authour of the Power of Tantra Meditation, the co-host of the Tantra & Yoga Podcast, and an empowered teacher within the Shivoham Lineage.
He moved to India in 1998 and has been studying and practicing Yoga and Tantra for over 20 years. First, under the direct guidance of his first teacher in India, and later in 2009, he met Guruji Maharaj of the right-handed Shivoham Tantra Tradition. In 2018, Bhairav completed a 6-year initiation with Guruji Maharaj. The completion of this intense Sadhana empowered him as a Guru and lineage holder in the Shivoham Lineage.
Bhairav is not a scholar but a practitioner with deep and authentic experiences with many masters and yogis throughout the East. He has been empowered by Guruji Maharaj to initiate all who are interested into the power of Mantra Meditation. To be in the presence of a yoga teacher of his stature is not an everyday event. Bhairav is incredibly easy to talk to and approachable. He happily answers those large philosophical questions that might have otherwise gone unanswered.
ARTEMIS EMILY DOYLE
Artemis Emily Doyle is the visionary behind Anuttara's Turyatita School and co-founder of Anuttara Ashram. She has played a key role in shaping the educational offerings of Anuttara, including Anuttara Teacher Trainings and courses, in collaboration with her partner, Bhairav. co-author of "The Power of Tantra Meditation," co-host of the Tantra & Yoga Podcast, and a respected teacher in the Shivoham Tantra lineage.
Artemis's journey into yoga, meditation, and shamanism began with a visit to Central America in 2008. This journey has been marked by significant experiences, including receiving initiation into indigenous dance under the guidance of Anishnabee elders in 2010 and being mentored by a local cacao shaman, leading to her initiation into the traditional Mayan rite of cacao ceremony in 2013. In 2014, Artemis received Darshan from spiritual leaders such as Mooji Baba, Sadhguru, and Guruji Maharaj, which profoundly influenced her spiritual path. Since then, she has been dedicated to the practices of mantra yoga and traditional tantra with Guruji and Guruma of the Bhairavanada Lineage.
Artemis has been instrumental in organizing transformative Shivoham tantrik festivals and sadhana with blessings from Guruji Maharaj since 2015. She is an initiate into rare tantric practices, enabling her to facilitate sacred rituals and ceremonies, particularly for menstruation.
Artemis' heart is at the feet of the Kashmir Shaivist tradition and is dedicated to both the study and practice of non-dual tantra. She has been blessed to study with many revered figures like Rupert Spira, Eric Baret, and Ellen Emmet. However, her main teacher and to the one whom she owes her gratitude is Ellen Emmett, whom she has been studying with since 2017.
Ishvari Belanger
Ishvari (she/her) seeks to bridge the gap between play and practice. Ishvari is an Anuttara Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Nosco Yin Yoga Teacher & trauma-informed children's yoga teacher. She co-facilitates Anuttara's 200-hour teacher trainings, online courses, & retreats.
Tara Nendzig
Tara (she/they) is an Anuttara Yoga & Meditation Facilitator and Practitioner of Devotional Dance. Tara has been practicing Traditional Tantra in the lineage of Guruji Raj Kumar for 6 years and continues immersing herself in Tantric Studies. She co-facilitates Anuttara's 200-hour teacher trainings, online courses, & retreats.
We acknowledge that Anuttara Ashram is a settlement within the Nisag'a Nation, a sovereign Nation with a rich history.
We offer our recognition to those who have stewarded this sacred land since time immemorial, on which we are guests.
The Ashram
Anuttara Ashram has been inviting spiritual aspirants to come to visit since 2009. One does not need to believe in any sort of faith or religion to participate fully in ashram life. The Ashram was founded to help individuals seeking higher truths and inner happiness in a supportive, off-grid, intentional community. The Ashram is located in the middle of 100 acres of old-growth forest and we are blessed to have the holy Nass River flowing from the Sacred Headwaters through our backyard. We are honoured to be guests of the Nisga’a Nation. The ashram is completely off-grid.
Guruji Raj Kumar Baswar
Whether physically present at the Ashram in Canada or at his Ashram in India, all of the Tantrik Retreats & Trainings at Anuttara are done with his Guidance and Blessing. All rituals, practices, and immersions are done through the sacred knowledge and wisdom that he has directly passed on to us.
Guruji has been guided by 67 Gurus from various mystical traditions over the past 4 decades. His main practices follow the principles of Shaivism and the study of Tantra. He works with and initiates his disciples into Mantra, Yantra, Yajna, Kriya, and the Sanskar herbal purification process. Guruji Maharaj is under the direct guidance of Maha Guru Sri Bhairavananda, a devotee of Lord Bhairava Son of Shiva and Maa Chandeshwari.
Our Teachers
This is just a small selection of the many beautiful teachers that we have been honoured to study with over the years.
WHAT IS
Tantrā
तन्त्र
Tantra comes from the root word of tan, meaning “to expand,” and tra meaning “to save”. The Tantra-s emerged out of a perceived necessity to save previous spiritual traditions of India while expanding upon them to include the sanctity of the worldly life. Simply Put:
Tantra is a path that empowers us to find our spirituality in everyday life.
Tantra is a tradition shrouded in mystery, secrecy, and fantastical tales. The tradition is intentionally veiled in obscurity to preserve formal Tantrik teachings until the initiate has demonstrated a purity of being, and a surrendered heart. Given to the wrong person, Tantrik teachings could be abused and bring harm to others.
Anuttara shares Traditional Tantrā from the Shivoham lineage with the blessings of Guruji Raj Kumar Baswar - a living Tāntrik master. Anuttara also embraces some Neo-Tāntrik practices (like somatics or forest therapy) however we are not currently teaching anything on sexuality.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namaḥ Śivāya
universal consciousness is one
Our Values
"Keep the Sacred at the Center"
THE HEART
At Anuttara, our foundational value is the heart. In Tantric philosophy, the heart holds profound significance, symbolizing that which envelops and pervades both the material and immaterial realms. The heart is not merely a physical organ but a gateway to understanding the infinite dimensions of our being.
For us at Anuttara, the importance of the heart is encompasses both the material and immaterial. By directing our attention to the physical heart, we cultivate essential characteristics that serve as pillars supporting our spiritual pursuits. Characteristics such as compassion, humility, surrender, and love emerge as we delve into the intricacies of the beating heart within our chests. These qualities, in turn, guide us toward the infinite and ever-present dimensions of our being. The physical heart becomes a tangible gateway to unlocking the profound attributes that connect us with the transcendent aspects of our spiritual journey
SANGHA
Before anything else, Anuttara is a community. The Anuttara Sangha (spiritual community) orients itself around a 'divine embodiment model'. Anuttara stands out from other spiritual communities because of the authentic embrace of many traditions and paths, with the heart always being at the center. Imbued with trauma-informed principles, non-violent communication, intentional and compassionate relating. Our approach is to embody timeless transcendental principles with two feet on the ground.
SADHANA
Sadhana is a spiritual medicine that keeps us grounded in what is most important.
It is through consistent Sadhana (spiritual practice) that we are able to stay connected with the Divine. When we choose the Sacred above all else it blesses all aspects of our life. It is a discipline that requires dedication and commitment, but the rewards are immeasurable. By making Sadhana a priority in our lives, we can cultivate a deeper sense of purpose and meaning, and experience a greater sense of fulfillment and joy.
GURU
The Guru is the Divine Embodied. The Guru serves as the guiding force that leads us from darkness or ignorance to light and Truth. As such, the Guru is perceived to exist everywhere and in everything. However, despite this universal presence, many of us find it crucial to have a Guru who can directly point out our ignorance.
In the realm of traditional Tantra, having a Guru is deemed necessary for an authentic journey. The Guru holds the responsibility of administering Diksha (initiation), sharing Mantra (sacred sound), bestowing Shaktipat (Grace), and maintaining the clarity of the Sadhak's (spiritual practitioner) heart and mind.
Anuttara and it's teachers would not be who or what they are without the blessings and Grace of their Guru-s.
AUTHENTICITY
We honour the lineages of our teachers.
Anuttara's Facilitators have been initiated into various authentic lineages including Christianity, Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shamanism, Tantra & Vedanta. Together we blend these teachings into clear and concise pointings to Spiritual Truth. We make pilgrimages to further our studies in Yoga, Meditation, Tantra, Philosophy, and Spirituality.
Anuttara Yoga is supported by the loving guidance of Guruji Raj Kumar of the Shivoham Tradition. It is through his blessings that we share with our students deep, authentic, and life-altering practices that have not been watered down or lost in Spiritual Materialism. Everything we do is built from the Heart with the intention to bring people into authentic experiences of themselves.
INCLUSIVITY
We strive to make our programs inviting, accessible & inclusive to all.
The very basic explanation of Tantric philosophy is that all of life is sacred. Yoga, in its highest understanding, is the unified perception of all of life as one totality. Therefore, as a Tantric Yoga School, we perceive all of life as Holy. No one being or life form is higher or greater than another, for we are all ultimately One.
We strive to provide accessible programs. It is important to us that our students graduate with an understanding of how to modify postures for different bodies, teach non-goal oriented classes, use trauma-sensitive language, provide modifications and adjustments only when condoned, hold space for complexity and use inclusive language. We ensure that our students are aware of cultural appropriation, privilege, how to strive to make their classes inviting and inclusive to all, and the pyramid of disempowerment.