In this book, author Suzanne Morrison tells the story of how, aged 25, she went to Bali for two months for a yoga retreat – hoping to find the answers to life’s philosophical questions, such as is there a god? and also hoping to find her direction in life. She is preparing to move from her native Seattle to New York with her boyfriend, but there is another man who she just can’t stop thinking about, she is concerned about how much she will miss her family, and hopes that the retreat will provide the answers. (Almost) inevitably things do not turn out how she expects – the yoga instructor who she idolises turns out to have feet of clay and an ego, Suzanne struggles with having to give up alcohol, cigarettes and sugar, and is horrified to discover that her yoga friends all drink their own pee and insist she should do the same. And then there’s the whole issue of household items becoming possessed and needing exorcisms…

I really enjoyed this book, and I think my enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that I personally love yoga, but you definitely don’t need to practice yoga to read this. It is mostly told in diary form, although at the beginning of each chapter, Morrison writes from the present day (the retreat was in 2001) and reflects upon her current life. There are some extremely funny moments – who wouldn’t share her horror at discovering that it’s not coffee that her flatmate is downing every morning?! But there are also some more serious moments, as Morrison questions her faith or lack of, her relationship with boyfriend Jonah, and her purpose in life. She is witty and engaging and I think I would probably like her very much in real life. I also liked her yoga buddies, especially Jessica and Jason (her flatmate and neighbour). The one person who came out of the book quite badly was the yoga teacher Indra, who to my mind was everything that puts some people off trying yoga. As just one example, the guilt that she piles onto Suzanne and Jessica because they – horror! – had a coconut vanilla milkshake, was completely unreasonable. If I joined a studio that was run by people like Indra and her partner Lou, I’d probably be cancelling my membership pretty quickly!

Lots of laughs and plenty to think about here – I would definitely recommend this book, especially to people who do have their own yoga practice. ( )

Would have given it 3 stars but for the ending. Seriously? ( )

This was better than I expected based on the cover and title. At times it's really funny, but there are sections that are thought provoking enough that they still come to mind often a few months later. It's a standout above most of the Life as Experiment memoir genre. ( )

Some deep questions are posed (no pun intended), such as does God exist? What will death be like? How do I know when I have found the right partner in life? What are my goals for this life? Suzanne tries to answer all of these questions as a 25-year old by going on a 2-month yoga retreat to Bali just before she makes a big move from Seattle to New York City with her boyfriend, Jonah. "Whatever," as her "yoga mates" might say. As you can probably guess, things don't go quite the way she anticipates. Guru/god/yoga instructors turn into human beings with flaws and ego. The commercialization of yoga becomes an obstacle to trust and the desire for a milkshake is overwhelming. The book was humorous and entertaining while portraying what it's like when you try to find all the answers in yoga. I just think it went on a bit too long in the middle in order to really drive home the main points as thoroughly as possible. ( )

This was 352 pages of whining with an occasional insight or funny quip thrown in. Another whining 30 something looking to fulfill the "hole in her heart". Atheism - too much / Christianity - too much / Yoga - not enough cigarettes and chocolate. Too many pages of a spiritual quest spent deciding whether or not to buy a pistachio green Prada handbag. She had a ridiculous crush her guru, only to completely turn on her in the end. God or the absence of God and people can't please this woman. She should stick to cigarettes and call it a day. ( )