Sharon Tate and Hinduism, Yoga and Zen

I was thinking of this quote from Sharon:


"I was raised very Catholic and then I started doubting things like everybody does at some point. I read some books on Hinduism. I don't read them anymore but I have learned from them how to stay calm in front of whatever is thrown at you in life."

I was curious about Hinduism and found these sites that discuss it in more detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm

http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/index.htm

Also someone mentioned another of Sharon's quotes, "I used to read Yoga and Zen" and they asked me if you actually read yoga.  They thought it was more of something physical that people do or meditation.  They didn't understand what Sharon meant by this?  Well there is more to Yoga than that and some forms you also read:


In whatever way a Hindu defines the goal of life, there are several methods (yogas) that sages have taught for reaching that goal. Texts dedicated to Yoga include the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and, as their philosophical and historical basis, the Upanishads. Paths that one can follow to achieve the spiritual goal of life (moksha, samadhi or nirvana) include:


Bhakti Yoga (the path of love and devotion)


Karma Yoga (the path of right action)


Rāja Yoga (the path of meditation)


Jñāna Yoga (the path of wisdom)


An individual may prefer one or some yogas over others, according to his or her inclination and understanding. Some devotional schools teach that bhakti is the only practical path to achieve spiritual perfection for most people, based on their belief that the world is currently in the Kali Yuga (one of four epochs which are part of the Yuga cycle). Practice of one yoga does not exclude others. Many schools believe that the different yogas naturally blend into and aid other yogas. For example, the practice of jnana yoga, is thought to inevitably lead to pure love (the goal of bhakti yoga), and vice versa. Someone practicing deep meditation (such as in raja yoga) must embody the core principles of karma yoga, jnana yoga and bhakti yoga, whether directly or indirectly.

As far as Zen goes, here are some sites on that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen

http://www.zenguide.com/

It sounds like to me that Sharon had a very intelligent interest in religions beyond the one she was raised with.  I think Sharon was interested in "New Age" things way before her time.  New Age became popular more in the 1980s and now we have all kinds of book stores and related shops that sell books among other things such as clothes, jewelry and other decorative finds.