Ever take an Anusara Yoga class? One thing you'll notice is that everyone is smiling—BIG. Frequently known as the "happy yoga," Anusara was developed in 1997 by John Friend as a heart-opening asana practice based on Tantric principles. This past Friday, the famed teacher himself came to give a talk called Tantra in the 21st Century at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco.

Dressed in a brightly colored button-down shirt, the happy yogi behind the "happy yoga" talked less about the physical practice of Anusara Yoga and more about Tantra, itself—its history and place in modern life. The youngest of the main yogic systems (Tantra, Vedanta, and Classical), Tantra centers around the belief that life is inherently good and that we are all an expression of the divine. Tantra yogis, John said, believe that the practice of yoga is more about being who you really are than attempting to dominate or control your natural personality, emotions, and desires. "Instead of stopping the mind," he said, in reference to classical yoga's philosophy, "we use all parts of the mind . . . Any emotion can be rerouted and re-channeled for the glorification of something grand."

The talk, which ended with a short meditation, was lively (even from the back where I was sitting—as you can see by the blurry photo!) and digestible. Though it really only scratched the surface of Tantra, it certainly left the audience with enough of a taste to want to inquire further.

Interested in knowing more? The Bay Area is filled with ways to dig deeper. To start, try taking some classes with San Francisco Yoga Tree Hayes' Anusara queen Stacey Rosenberg, or delve deeper into Tantric philosophy at the next two-day Samavesha course led by Scott Blossom, Chandra Easton, Chris Wallis, and Chris Tompkins at Rudramandir in Berkeley.