An interesting article, despite the cynical way in which it's written. Sarah talks in her book "What I Know Now" about meeting the Dalai Lama, her admiration for him and how his advice helped her, so her interest in Eastern spiritualism is nothing new.
As zarat says, this doesn't by any means imply some kind of full scale conversion. Personally, I think Sarah is generally quite open to different ideas about spirituality. Again, in "What I Know Now", she talks about her spitual beliefs. I can't remember the exact quote, but it's a non-specific belief in some kind of positive force for good in the universe, which one could choose or not choose to call God. So I think her beliefs are open enough to take on elements of different spiritual ideas from different cultures. The lotus flower notion is an interesting one, and if it's an image or an idea that can help her make sense of her life, so much the better.
As for the situation of her mother leaving - this is something Sarah has mentioned many times as a source of emotional trauma and future problems, notably in her autobiography "My Story".
I must say I admire Sarah's determination to openly analyse the roots of her problems, and face them with determination and honesty, despite the fact that comments like these will be cruelly mocked in some quarters (like the DM!), and personally I wish her all the best in finding her inner lotus flower!