Tales from the Yoga Studio

Aug 28, 2011 Clare rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this novel, a great diversion, pretty light, but not overly so. There's one passage that I carried with me, where Lee begins a yoga session with this meditation:

"Let's start seated," she says, "eyes closed. This class has been described as a journey. But before we embark, how about doing a little UNpacking? Your expectations, your desire to do ten sun salutations, your plans for later in the day, the argument you had this morning, your safety net. Leave them all behind. Start of...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Tami rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lee`s yoga studio is a mecca where yoga is practiced and lifelong friendships are nurtured. It is here that Katherine found her balance and changed her life. Once lost and constantly sabotaging herself, she sometimes still struggles to be the woman she knows she is. Graciela is a dancer. She came to the studio hoping to heal an injury that could destroy her career. Imani is grieving for her lost unborn child and has all but giving up on life.

Lee loves her work and the people who really are more...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Samantha Robey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tales From the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell is a charismatic novel about a group woman struggling in different aspects of their lives. Lee, the owner and instructor of a yoga studio, is having money and marriage troubles. Her husband Alan recently moved out of their home, but Lee is determined to make it worth with him. Katherine, who works as a masseuse at Lee’s studio, is a recovering addict who stumbles into what may be love, but she doesn’t feel worthy of receiving it. Graciela is a dancer w...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Karielle Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

Blurb: The yoga studio is where daily cares are set aside, mats are unfurled, and physical exertion leads to well-being, renewal, and friendship.
In Los Angeles, yoga teachers have become celebrities and designer tank tops can cost a small fortune. Still, many students flock to the relatively unglamorous Edendale Yoga in the hip, out-of-the-way Silver Lake neighborhood. It's here where Lee uses her extraordinary teaching skills and unusual empathy to help students gain control of their bodies an...more Blurb: The yoga studio is where daily cares are set aside, mats are unfurled, and physical exertion leads to well-being, renewal, and friendship.
In Los Angeles, yoga teachers have become celebrities and designer tank tops can cost a small fortune. Still, many students flock to the relatively unglamorous Edendale Yoga in the hip, out-of-the-way Silver Lake neighborhood. It's here where Lee uses her extraordinary teaching skills and unusual empathy to help students gain control of their bodies and possibly their lives as well.
Katherine, the studio's resident masseuse, is trying hard not to sabotage what could be the perfect relationship.
Graciela is a dancer on the cusp of getting her breakthrough job, assuming she can overcome a suspicious injury.
Imani, a happily married and successful actress, struggles to get beyond the one big loss she can't seem to forget.
Stephanie, a talented screenwriter and development girl, might be driving herself to the breaking point.
But will Lee's students have learned enough from their beloved teacher to help her when she faces financial problems and a marital crisis of her own?
Tales from the Yoga Studio is a warm, funny, and gripping novel about the gift of connection and the joys of discovery, featuring five amazing women you will never forget.

What Stephanie Thought: Vivid descriptions and easy-to-relate struggles are brought alive in Rain Mitchell's debut novel. The lives of five women are intertwined thoroughly, each one with varying, realistic concerns. I loved how each woman was a small part of me, and not just me, but every woman in this common world.
Katherine is my intrinsic factor. Always true to herself, she won't let anyone fool her, and risks hurting her own heart in the process. In Graciela, I find my own vulnerability, one that is too unsure to speak out, but is never still never completely satisfied. Imani represents my success, my smiling face that only the public sees, and she also contains the rapid deterioration of my self and body that only I know of. Stephanie (aside from our same names!) is my weakness, my breaking point, but also my determination, as well as my will. And Lee, she's everything I want to be, my zen, my composure, and my selfless strength. Each woman is beautiful because each woman is a part of me, which was what spoke out most about this book.
Tales from the Yoga Studio is the kind of story that brought new revelations and surprises within every page, thanks to Mitchell's precisely-composed, lyrical prose. A lot of it was very tongue-in-cheek too, which was entertaining. The only reason I am not rating Tales from the Yoga Studio higher is because I felt some parts were too long and dragged out. There were several times while reading, where I would flip back and see how many pages I had left to read -- I was sort of bored. But that set aside, it was a fantastic, too-good-to-be-true story that every woman can relate with because essentially, it is a book about every woman and what is really in her neglected heart.

Stephanie Loves: "'Whatever comes up for you in these [yoga] poses,' Lee says, 'try to let it go. Maybe anxiety? Maybe sadness? Anger? They're just thoughts. Let them go. They only control you and have power if you let them. They're parasites -- they can't live on their own.'"

Where Stephanie Got It: Received from FSB Media for review.

Radical Rating: 8 hearts- Would recommend to lots of really good friends. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Keisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book is part “yoga is awesome” and part study of how complicated our lives become when we don’t follow our instincts. It follows the lives of five very different women: Lee, the studio owner; Katherine, an ex-junkie turned massage therapist; Graciela, an injured dancer trying to make her big break; Imani, a successful actress trying to hide from herself; and Stephanie, a talented screenwriter who is one more rejection from giving up. The only thing they have in common is yoga and Lee’s passi...more The book is part “yoga is awesome” and part study of how complicated our lives become when we don’t follow our instincts. It follows the lives of five very different women: Lee, the studio owner; Katherine, an ex-junkie turned massage therapist; Graciela, an injured dancer trying to make her big break; Imani, a successful actress trying to hide from herself; and Stephanie, a talented screenwriter who is one more rejection from giving up. The only thing they have in common is yoga and Lee’s passion to “fix” her students.

The role yoga plays in each woman’s life is different, and made the book a fun read. They are constantly drawn back to the studio and Lee’s teaching to find the peace and healing their lives require to move on from past mistakes. But when Lee is drawn to a larger studio’s offer for a new job with a salary larger than she’s ever imagined and health insurance, their desires are torn between supporting Lee and their need for her healing classes. Lee wants to keep her students together and run the studio she has put her entire heart into, but her failing marriage and the happiness of her twin sons may depend on this new opportunity. Does she stay true to her passion for small classes and relationships with her students, or pay the bills and move the boys to a better school?

All of this yoga happens against a backdrop of LA film industry drama. Lee’s studio is set in a small, very quiet, suburb of the city. As the yoga crazy sweeps the country, large chain studios are forcing the small independent ones out of business. The book addresses questions about the relationship between physical and mental health, if it is selling out to want a more stable life instead of a life filled with passion, and how to stay true to yourself when you’ve made mistakes in the past that you can’t escape.

Tales From The Yoga Studio was a complete joy to read. With all the drama going on in my life, it was calming to read this book and be reminded of how great yoga can be (if only it didn’t cost so much…sigh). With five women having very drama-filled lives the book felt rushed at times, but their problems did feel completely natural with how the characters developed over the course of the book. I’m excited to read the rest of the series when the books come out.(less)

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Mar 03, 2011 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Lee is the owner of Edendale Yoga studio. Lately, her perfect life is quickly going downhill. Her husband, Alan moved out a few weeks ago. As if that was not bad enough, Lee is having money issues and had to make a decision about the future of Edendale. With some new clients, Lee decides to focus what she does best…teaching yoga and help others discover their full potential. Lee helps Katherine, her friend and masseuse, Graciela, a dancer, Imani, a famous actress and Stephanie, a screenwriter.

I...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Abby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: yoga, fiction

This book is the first in a series which follows the lives of five women who practice or teach at a local yoga studio in Silver Lake, CA. With just enough irony, wit and insight to keep things real, Tales from the Yoga Studio both celebrates and skewers contemporary yoga.

Why I Picked It Up:
I received an ARC from my very good friend Sandy. She loved it and wanted to share the love. While I was definitely entertained and read the book in a few days, there were some parts where the narrative was un...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've just recently started taking yoga classes. And let's just say that I am not a natural. It's all I can do to try to touch my toes. But I enjoy striving to become better at it and figured reading a book might increase my enjoyment. And this book wasn't too bad. I'd probably give it about 3.5 stars. There was definite room for improvement, but it did keep my attention.

Lee owns a small independent yoga studio where she is the main teacher. There are other classes of course, but between herself,...more I've just recently started taking yoga classes. And let's just say that I am not a natural. It's all I can do to try to touch my toes. But I enjoy striving to become better at it and figured reading a book might increase my enjoyment. And this book wasn't too bad. I'd probably give it about 3.5 stars. There was definite room for improvement, but it did keep my attention.

Lee owns a small independent yoga studio where she is the main teacher. There are other classes of course, but between herself, and her husband who sometimes helps out, and her friend who rents a small room for massage, it's a close-knit operation. Well, minus the husband aspect. As he has recently moved out to "find himself" Lee hasn't been feeling herself lately. Added to that is an offer to sell her skills to a corporate yoga studio and she's feeling quite a bit of pressure. But she still wants to present the best classes possible to her students. She wants to be there for them, and when they all have problems of their own, they need the clarity of a yoga class as well.

I like how this book showed that a yoga instructor isn't perfect. Lee does her best but she has her own flaws and problems in life and isn't as "zen" as she would probably like to be. All of the other characters also have relatable problems. Imani is getting over a miscarriage, Katherine is a recovering addict, Stephanie stresses too much about work and Graciela just wants to have an audition go ok despite an injury. The yoga class kind of brings them together and shows that with the right kind of community and support, things can be achieved. However, that's the women in this story. When we talk about the men, at least Conor is quite redeeming, and I enjoyed reading about him. But the rest of them, either have a lot of issues or are complete jerks (Lee's husband anyone?) and I can't find their redeeming qualities. I guess I could spare Imani's husband some of the criticism, but he didn't really show up much in the book. Overall I would have liked to have seen more of the characters and for this to have been a longer book.

I think overall the message in this book is about growing. Each of the characters has to work through the problems ultimately by themselves. They have their friends supports but no one can automatically change something for you. You have to do it yourself. Add that in to the fact that you have to be pretty dedicated and focused to do yoga and I think that the whole thing is a learning experience in life. As for the yoga itself, I was proud to say I understood a couple of the poses that they mentioned. But then the vast majority were completely incomprehensible to me. Guess I'm just not that far along in my classes yet. But if you have even had one yoga class, you'll understand a little bit about what is talked about in this book. The writing style itself is a bit choppy and jumps around a bit so its hard to keep a timeline. But it is friendly and approachable and that somewhat makes up for it.

As said before, there is room for improvement but overall this book was comfortable. I won't go as far as to say it is as relaxing as yoga, but it was a nice read.

Tales from the Yoga Studio
Copyright 2011
279 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com (less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, yoga, fiction

A very readable and engaging chick lit story about four young women in LA. They are connected via classes at a cute little yoga studio in Silverlake, which is owned by one of the women, Lee, and her handsome-but-arrogant musician husband, Alan. The yoga studio is threatened with a corporate takeover by the conglomerate YogaHappens, a not very subtle swipe at the real-life chain YogaWorks, while the four women stumble through life's ups and downs, trying to succeed in their personal and professio...more A very readable and engaging chick lit story about four young women in LA. They are connected via classes at a cute little yoga studio in Silverlake, which is owned by one of the women, Lee, and her handsome-but-arrogant musician husband, Alan. The yoga studio is threatened with a corporate takeover by the conglomerate YogaHappens, a not very subtle swipe at the real-life chain YogaWorks, while the four women stumble through life's ups and downs, trying to succeed in their personal and professional lives. One is a dancer, auditioning for Beyonce; another is a screenwriter/developer, desperately trying to get her pet movie made; the third is the yoga studio's resident massage therapist, an ex-junkie with a blossoming romance; and the fourth is a popular actress reeling from a recent miscarriage. Then there's Lee, the studio owner, mother of twin boys, who's just trying to live a decent life as a teacher, wife, mom, and studio owner.

Major pluses:
- the stories are nicely and seamlessly woven together
- the characters of Katherine (the masseuse) and Lee are believable, realistic, and friendly
- the satire and spoofs of "celebriyogi" teachers and the Lululemon-clad yoga world are spot-on and hilarious
- some of the 3rd tier characters and subplots are incredibly well done and nice surprises, such as Katherine's client who went to rehab for herbal supplements and Lee's mother's unintentional hosting of all-male yoga workshops
- Mitchell's writing style is very enjoyable and smooth.

A few gripes:
- while there are a couple of good guys, most of the male characters are total jerks -- but Alan's character seems inconsistent. There's one scene where Lee rips Alan a new one and he doesn't even respond, which not only seems unbelievable, but particularly for HIS character. I would have expected him to lash out at Lee for another page or so. Instead, Mitchell wimps out and gives Lee the upper hand in a scene that could have been a lot deeper and more realistic.
- the character of YogaHappens matron Zhanette is totally overdone
- the characters all use the Sanskrit names of yoga poses in casual conversation, which was VERY off-putting and pretentious. Even in LA, and even for yoga teachers -- did NOT read well because it immediately pulled each one who did it out of character. Although, if the YogaHappens people used a lot of Sanskrit, that would have worked. But NOT Lee and these girls, no way.

Overall, though, a great, fun read that basically spoofed everything I would have wanted to if I wrote a novel about yoga (ahem). More power to her! I hear there's a sequel in the works, so I'll be waiting for that.
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Apr 05, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tales from the Yoga Studio installed two desires in me. 1) Must learn yoga. 2) Move to a quaint retro southern Californian town. Tranquility is a theme throughout this book, even during the poignant pieces. The very descriptions Rain Mitchell uses make you feel as if you right there in the scene, seeing, feeling, and experiencing everything the characters do. Both yoga fanatics and those who have never tried a downward dog in their lives will appreciate the way in which yoga and zen is woven int...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Alyson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, so I'm biased a bit because of the yoga - this is almost a yogic version of chic lit so I really ought not to have liked it, but... it was light, easy to read, slightly humerous in places, and had reasonable characterisation and some good plots and a few twists. Some of the characters were a bit weak though, and some were just a bit too annoying to like too much.

I have a few niggles with a couple of the yoga content but never mind.

I don't live in America so I don't know how accurate its por...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Molly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, brain-candy

I gave this two stars because I was hoping this would be really good brain candy. Instead it was more like a sour patch kid for my brain - it started off nice and sweet and like it was going to be really good. However, as I read more and more and none of the characters ever really got developed - the just did stuff - and the ones that the author did try to develop fell flat - I find myself wondering why I was reading the book at all. I have taken several yoga classes in my life and most of the t...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Barbara O'Neal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-s-fiction

This book arrived on my doorstep exactly one day after I read a review of it that made me want to find it. I had the stomach flu and was confined to my bed and it was as if the universe delivered a special present just for me.

I read it straight through, curled up with my cats and a cup of tea, gladly transported to another world. I loved the neighborhood, the characters, the loose interconnectedness of the stories and the fast, easy pace of the reading. There are fun references to the funny wor...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Reads4Pleasure rated it 3 of 5 stars

The women that visit Edendale Yoga do so because there's something about medical student turned yoga instructor Lee. Somehow she intuitively knows what each person in her class needs, even if she's unsure of what she needs herself. Through Tales from the Yoga Studio debut author Rain Mitchell introduces us to every day women from all paths of life who may have never met had it not been for yoga.

A recovering addict with an unstable path, masseuse Katherine has enjoyed her time working at Edendale...more The women that visit Edendale Yoga do so because there's something about medical student turned yoga instructor Lee. Somehow she intuitively knows what each person in her class needs, even if she's unsure of what she needs herself. Through Tales from the Yoga Studio debut author Rain Mitchell introduces us to every day women from all paths of life who may have never met had it not been for yoga.

A recovering addict with an unstable path, masseuse Katherine has enjoyed her time working at Edendale Yoga and values her friendship with Lee, even if she questions her marriage to Alan.

Graciela comes to the studio in search of healing for an injury. If she's able to overcome it, she may have a chance to audition for a video that could change her life.

Imani has been in hiding since she suffered a miscarriage months ago. Though she's a successful actress and wife, she longs to be a successful mother.

Stephanie is driven and determined to be the best screenwriter and developer possible. Her abrasive ways tend to rub people wrong and when she finds her world crumbling, she believes she has no one to turn to.

In their own ways, and sometimes without knowing it, the women of this book reach out to each other and build them up. This was impressive work from a first time author and truly a feel good read.

What did you like about this book?
The author introduces elements of yoga without making the book about yoga. In fact, even though the women meet through their time at the studio, most of their interaction takes place away from it.

What didn't you like about this book?
I appreciated the introduction to each character, but I didn't feel like I got a chance to really know them since there were so many of them. I realize that this is the first in a series, so perhaps as more is written, each character will be explored in greater depth.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Dig deeper. We barely touched the surface with these ladies. There's so much more to be told about each of them.
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Sep 01, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit-fluff

Definitely chick-lit/beach read material. Kinda fluff.

The story is decent, the characters are decent. Nothing is particularly deep or explored with any depth. The use of sanskrit for 99% of the yoga poses seemed forced and to be honest, a little condescending. I've been practicing for nearly 15 years, and not used to seeing the names in writing had to stop and Google nearly all of them. NOT COOL. And, the use of sanskrit by the non-instructors seemed strange - especially since some were novices....more

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Dec 22, 2011 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011, ebooks, favorites

Considering how popular yoga is these days, I’m somewhat surprised to find that in all of the 650+ books I’ve read, this is the first novel I’ve read dedicated to yoga. You’d have thought more authors would have jumped on the bandwagon, though I’m glad they haven’t. Tales From The Yoga Studio is Rain Mitchell’s debut novel and is the start of a new series all about 5 friends who are brought together by their love of yoga. There’s Lee, who owns Edendale; Katherine, the masseuse at Edendale; and G...more Considering how popular yoga is these days, I’m somewhat surprised to find that in all of the 650+ books I’ve read, this is the first novel I’ve read dedicated to yoga. You’d have thought more authors would have jumped on the bandwagon, though I’m glad they haven’t. Tales From The Yoga Studio is Rain Mitchell’s debut novel and is the start of a new series all about 5 friends who are brought together by their love of yoga. There’s Lee, who owns Edendale; Katherine, the masseuse at Edendale; and Graciela, Imani and Stephanie, all who attend Lee’s classes. If there’s one thing I love about debut authors is that if I love the book I’ve got a new author to look out for and after reading Tales From The Yoga Studio, I am massively excited about the second novel in the series because it was really, really good.

Although a lot of focus is indeed on yoga (it’s called Tales From The Yoga Studio and all of the characters just love yoga, what are you expecting but yoga?), if you’re not a yoga fan it doesn’t really matter. I don’t particularly like yoga and part of me still believes it’s for hippies (I know and reading the novel has rather changed that opinion) but I still found Tales From The Yoga Studio to be super absorbing. There’s quite a bit going on in the novel, what with there being five main characters, but after a few pages it’s easy to remember who everyone is and get absorbed in their own battles and troubles. It’s a strangely written novel, with the novel being broken up in three different parts and there being no chapters in between (which if you’re a fan of finishing a chapter before bed, you won’t like because you can’t do that) but it says it all when that’s my only critique.

Lee is the owner of Edendale, the yoga studio that brings all the women together, and is battling to save her marriage to Alan, whilst balancing working at the studio. I liked Lee. As the spearhead of the novel, I liked her wisdom and she was just such a likeable character that you wanted the best for. Katherine is masseuse at Edendale and has beaten her demons to find stability in her life, all that’s missing is love and she has her eye on Conor, the fireman… Katherine intrigued me and I’m looking forward to more from her in the next book because her life is so different to the others. Graciela is a dancer, who spends a lot of her time making sure her mum is OK and was probably my favourite character, she seemed like the underdog to me and I just wanted her to get it all! Imani was a surprise package, an actress who’s having some downtime after a tragedy, and I’m interested in where her character’s going to go after the revelations at the end of the novel! Then, finally, we have Stephanie, a movie-maker and seemed to be a bit forgotten at times in the novel, which was a shame. I thought the balance between them all was just right, though as I said, Stephanie was somewhat forgotten, and it’s definitely a novel that’s set everyone up for the future novel(s), which is what the first book in any series should do.

I absolutely loved Tales From The Yoga Studio. Not only is it a brilliant debut novel, but it’s also a brilliant start to what could be a very lengthy series. It’s just so readable and so enjoyable and from beginning to end, I was hooked and hated to put it down to go to sleep or to do whatever. I can’t wait to read Head Over Heels, the second novel in the series that’ll be released next year. I really do recommend Tales From The Yoga Studio because it had everything – friendship, romance, yoga. It’s one for yoga fans and non-yoga fans and if I was in any kind of shape to do yoga I probably would because despite sounding hippie-ish and despite sounding complicated, the way Mitchell writes about it makes it sound so great. The idea of centering yourself and letting everything go just sounds so intriguing. Alas, it’s probably not going to happen so, instead, I’ll live vicariously through Rain Mitchell’s fabulously entertaining series about yoga, it’s better than doing it!(less)

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Mar 01, 2011 Yoonmee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, guilty-pleasures

4 stars b/c I'm feeling generous tonight. This book falls under the good old "chick lit" category, so be aware that I'm rating it against other "chick lit" types of books and not comparing it to Shakespeare.

4 stars b/c it's a quick, fun, light read that didn't piss me off like a lot of other books in this genre tend to do (I get annoyed with whiny, bratty, self-indulgent, wimpy, brand name obsessed characters... you know the type). The characters were mostly all likable and relatively easy to re...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: given-away

Tales from the Yoga Studio is the beginning of a series and it feels it. The book reads like an introduction to all the characters that the reader will interact with later on. While each of the women is caught up in her own story, and we do need to understand that back story, there was not as much interaction between the women as I was expecting. I had the impression that deep friendships would form but so much of the interaction felt at a surface level, even with all the emotion rolling around...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm giving this four stars on the back of the fact that I'll be looking out for the sequel. Hence, despite its flaws, I have to recognise this as a great read - great in the indulgent/really enjoyable sense as opposed to great in the literature/book club sense. It kind of reminds me of a tv show I'm enjoying - Winners and Losers - warm relationships between women. The thing that did annoy me, and pushes it more into the 3 star category is the fact that almost all the male characters are stereoty...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a practitioner of yoga off and on for a few years I was very excited to read this book. I was not expecting it to be a "chick lit" type of book when I bought it but that did not bother me. I was interested to read the stories of the women in the story. It showed how yoga can be beneficial but also how it does not mean they are immune from the process of life. I gave the book 4 stars only because the women did seem a bit irritating and whiny and it bugged me.

I liked the way the story was writ...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Toni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, yoga

It's surprising that, with the popularity of yoga in the last few years, there aren't more novels about it. So, I was happy to pick up a copy of Tales from the Yoga Studio.

Set in the trendy neighborhood of Silver Lake in Los Angeles, this book follows the women's fiction formula of focusing on five characters (it's usually three or four), their striking differences, and the one thing that unites them (in this case, yoga).

Lee is the owner of Edendale Yoga and serves as the rock for this small co...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

Isn't it fun to look at your life with one thing in the center? Here, the lives of 4 or 5 distinct characters are joined through the yoga studio that Lee and Alex own, where Katherine starts her second life as a masseuse, post-drug addiction; wanna-be actresses and dancers find their center and then personal success. The big challenge is for Lee, whose dream it was to start the studio, who is suffering through a rocky time in her marriage to Alex; she is feeling pressure from Alex and the bills...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Huntie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fast, "chick-lit" read about the goings-on at a yoga studio in the Los Angeles area. I picked this book up because I'm a longtime yoga practitioner and thought it would be fun to read a novel set in a yoga studio. It was a fun read, but it was also very predictable. The formula was pretty much the same as most books of the genre, and while I quite enjoyed reading something that was relatively mindless I certainly don't think it needs to be made into a series of books (as the cover imp...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Joelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tales from the Yoga Studio reminds me a lot of Friday Night Knitting Club in that a group of women whose paths might not cross otherwise, do end up crossing thanks to a shared love for yoga. In her debut novel, Rain Mitchell introduces us to Lee who is a yoga instructor in the quaint town of Silver Lake. While teaching classes and running her own studio, she is faced with turmoil in her life that puts her studio and marriage at stake. Through her classes she begins to build relationships with ot...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Iira rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Joogasta ei ole kirjoitettu paljoakaan romaaneja, muttei se tee tästä teoksesta suurta riemuvoittoa ja uutta aluevaltausta. Joogaa ei ole pakotettu mukaan tarinaan, mutta jotain tästä silti puuttuu. Jatkuvat populaarikulttuuriviittaukset (Eat Pray Love, Zooey Deschanel, Diablo Cody, Starbucks, Kathryn Bigelow jne.) ärsyttivät, mutta joogaviittaukset tuntuivat yllättävän tutuilta ja sujuvilta.

Juoni oli ennalta-arvattavaa perushöttöä, eikä kehenkään henkilöistä pystynyt samaistumaan. Los Angelesi...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book caught my eye on the shelf at a closing Borders. How could I pass up a $1.50 price and a book with YOGA in the title? The book was light and enjoyable to read. It definitely isn't a literary masterpiece but it held my interest and definitely gave me a few chuckles and al most tears. As an avid yogi I found myself really connecting to the parts about yoga from the sage advice Lee gives at the beginning and end of class to the jokes and conversations about different poses and the names....more

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Sep 01, 2012 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

My assumptions about practicing yoga in California were simultaneously reinforced and shattered in this novel. I expected super fit, expensively dressed, self-centered entertainment types (Listen to me!) They were certainly present, along with big business yoga franchises, but the stereotypes I expected were also balanced with women struggling with life’s challenges and disappointments, trying to “live yoga off the mat.” While I frequently despaired of decisions being made, I enjoyed the charact...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Ingrid rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, chick-lit, women, fiction, ensemble

Shortly after finishing this book I read a review of it in Yoga Journal magazine, December 2010 issue. Their review names this as one book in a new trend of chick-lit drawing on yoga. I enjoyed the yoga content but had hoped for a meatier novel. The detail about poses and what goes on in a yoga studio felt true to life, however I cannot comment on the L.A. experience. The author creates an ensemble cast, trying to give enough depth to each character to draw the reader in, but I feel that this ty...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Literary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cover

The cover promotes a sense of peacefulness, friendship and a oneness with others. I was automatically drawn to this cover when I first received the book and am still drawn to this cover.

Plot

We're all familiar with story lines where there is unity among a group of women (i.e. Sex & the City, Waiting to Exhale, Steel Magnolias), which was portrayed throughout this book. Though their stories were interwoven, you got a feel for them outside of the group as well. You understood what brought...more

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May 19, 2011 Jeanine rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Jeanine by: No one. Saw and Borders. The title was calling me!

It was a good fun light read. I would read it again.

From Booklist
“It’s all show biz,” advises a yoga aficionado’s husband in this engrossing chick-lit tale about an independent L.A. yoga studio and its core community of faithful clients. Owner and veteran instructor Lee knows that selling her studio to a Los Angeles chain, YogaHappens, means she can still teach there, albeit while obeying the corporation. But her stage fright during YogaHappens’ teaching audition suggests deeper fears. Will comm...more

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title link	preview: Tales from the Yoga Studio
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8564618-tales-from-the-yoga-studio?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348605619l/8564618.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8564618-tales-from-the-yoga-studio?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell[/url]

Tales from the Yoga Studio

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