Susan's Musings 

Little did I know how important vegetarian cooking was to become in my life and I'm so thankful to Nature's Cupboard for giving me my start in appreciating veggies, grains and greens at such a young age. (Do you remember Nature's Cupboard?) 

That leads me to remind you of my last cooking classes of the season. Sunday, October 9 at noon in Mount Washington  and on Tuesday, October 25 at Roland Park Country School at 6 p.m. Both classes are pretty full but we may be able to squeeze in a few more people! Also, if you would like me to come to your house or office to teach Ayurvedic/Indian vegetarian cooking, give me a call or email! Have knives and spices and will travel! 

Also this week, Amadea Morningstar, my Ayurvedic cooking teacher, is available for consults and a Farmer's Market tour! Contact Gina Sager. Call or email Gina for more info, 410-667-0468; gina@ginasager.com 

See October events below including a VERY special free book talk with New York Times bestselling author Priscilla Warner. She's visiting us to speak about her fabulous new book Learning to Breathe: My Year-Long Quest to Bring Calm to My Life. Priscilla has received so much press about the new book (she also co-wrote The Faith Club). See more about her and the book here and here. Please join us at breathe books for her talk!  

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful Fall weather.  

Love,

Susan 

Oh, did you think I forgot your Ella Picture of the Week? No way! Here it is:   

Ella sitting pretty

Individual Ayurvedic Life Style Consultations

Ayurveda is the 5000-year-old Indian System of Health and Healing.

Learn how to heal yourself!

 

Susan Weis-Bohlen

In these private consultations, we determine your dosha (mind/body constitution) and any imbalances you may have, and I help you create a plan to restore you to full harmony and balance. Learn how to come back to your natural way of being through food choices and nutrition, daily routine, behavior, exercise, career choices and more. I help you find your perfect health. Cost: $150 for one 1.5 hour session, or three sessions for $300 (follow-up sessions are one hour each). Please call 410-235-7323, or email susan@breathebooks.com to schedule your appointment or to learn more!

We carry a wide range of Ayurvedic products including herbs, oils, body products, toothpaste, facial care, balms, churnas, spice tins, ghee, honey and teas, and, of course, lots of books! 

* If you sign up for a consult, you can take $10 off the cost of an Ayurvedic Cooking Class (next class is October 9).

You can read about my personal Ayurvedic Journey  

here

 Mondays & Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Jael returns to breathe books with an expanded schedule of readings! We are so excited to have this talented reader back with us. Jael is gifted with deep insight and intuition along with the ability to clearly deliver messages from Spirit.

Jael returns to breathe on Monday, October 3. No readings on Saturday, Oct. 8 (Yom Kippur)

Thursdays, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Meditation with Susan Weis-Bohlen

Join us every Thursday for meditation, instruction, breath work, Dharma talks and question and answer with Susan. No experience necessary! Open to anyone who wants to come sit with us and learn more about the meditation process. Susan has been meditating for over 20 years and is thrilled to share this practice with you. We practice meditation based on the teachings of Yogananda, Muktananda, Deepak Chopra (Primordial Sound Meditation) as well as Jewish and Vipassana practices. Cost: $5 suggested donation

Thursday, October 6, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Autonomy and Will: Bringing Intention into Action with T. Thorn Coyle       

Over and over, we have a wish. Over and over, we court a desire. Over and over, we seek greater health, success, depth, joy, or love. What is required for success?

T. Thorn Coyle

First, we need to look at the stories we tell ourselves. Second, we can examine our magick: the flow of energy from idea, to intention, toward manifestation. This talk will take us through the concepts of Commitment, Honor, Truth, Strength, and Compassion, and help us with some exercises and ideas to build our will, and walk toward more integrated and steady success, helping our lives so we in turn, can help the world toward greater justice, greater beauty, and deeper healing.

T. Thorn Coyle is an internationally respected teacher of the magical and esoteric arts. The author of Kissing the Limitless and Evolutionary Witchcraft, she hosts the popular Elemental Castings  podcast series and has produced several CDs of sacred music. Founder and head of Solar Cross Temple and Morningstar Mystery School, she has a spiritual direction and mind/body coaching practice that reaches people worldwide.  Cost: $20   

Sunday, October 9, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. Fall into the Season with Ayurvedic Cooking Class with Susan Weis-Bohlen

As we transition into the dry, windy Vata season of Fall, we look to lubricate the system with foods that are not too heavy, yet deeply satisfying and nourishing. We'll create the perfect Autumn juice, learn about healing spices and churnas (spice mixes) for each dosha, and cook up some easy-to-make dishes to get you ready for the cool days ahead. A short lecture on Ayurveda precedes cooking! Cost: $60. Class space is limited. Please sign up early!  

Monday, October 10, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. IONS Presents:  Daniel Pinchbeck's new film, 2012: Time for Change

Over 1,000 years ago, the Classical Maya in Central America looked toward the year 2012 as a time of great change and a shift in World Ages. As we approach that date, it appears they may have been right. Humanity faces a dire ecological crisis due to our reckless activity. Hollywood and the popular media link the end of the Mayan Calendar to chaos, cataclysm, and mass death. Is a bleak ending inevitable, or can we co-create a different outcome?

2012: Time for Change projects a radical alternative to apocalyptic doom and gloom. Directed by Emmy Award nominee Joao Amorim, the film follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic wisdom of tribal cultures with the scientific method. As conscious agents of evolution, we can redesign post-industrial society on ecological principles to make a world that works for all. Rather than breakdown and barbarism, 2012 will herald the birth of a regenerative planetary culture, where collaboration replaces competition, where exploration of psyche and spirit becomes the new cutting edge, replacing the sterile materialism that has pushed our world to the brink. This film will be shown in conjunction with our monthly IONS meeting.

Cost: $10 

Priscilla Warner

AUTHOR EVENT HIGHLIGHT!  Tuesday, October 11, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Meet the Author: 

After I read this fabulous book by the author of the best-seller, The Faith Club, I emailed the publisher and said I have to have her. And they said YES! Priscilla writes so candidly about her life-long issues with anxiety and panic attacks and how she finally came to terms with the fact that she would have to deal with it head on in order to move forward with her life The result is a stunningly honest new book about reclaiming her life by rethinking her past. A full review can be found on my website on the Susan Suggests page.  

Learn more about Priscilla by reading her blog here. And come see her at breathe! Cost: Free. Please note that only books purchased at breathe books will be signed.   

Friday, October 14 & 28, Profoundly Healing...Animal Reiki: Private Session with Kathleen Lester 

Reiki is a non-invasive, complementary and alternative healing practice, promoting overall health and well-being. It balances the energy patterns and strengthens the animal's natural healing systems. When the animal's healing systems are performing at optimum level, the body, mind and spirit can heal itself. Reiki is a wonderful healing therapy to aid in pain management (arthritis, cancer, etc.), promote relaxation and calm for stressed or anxious animals, increase the bond between human and animal, and ease the transition from life into death. Bring your animal companion in and see what wonders Reiki can do.

Kathleen, founder and Executive Director of the Animal Reiki Alliance, is a Reiki practitioner & teacher and owner of Zubhaa, LLC. She is an accomplished equestrian, grew up on a farm with horses, dogs, cats and cows and has lived and worked with animals ever since. Kathleen is also a Certified Canine Massage Therapist offering sports massage therapy to small animals.Cost: $75 for a 50-minute session

Saturday, October 15, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Love Light Wisdom and Power as OMNIPURE

Kirkland and Laura Ross are on a mission to Expand the Light and offer workshops and Music of Love Light Wisdom and Power under the name of OMNIPURE. They feel that in this day and age change is upon us and that we get to co-create a powerful new direction to inspire others to Be the Light.  

In their workshop, they will share about what goes on inside an octave, which are the 11 half tones and the doorway to the 11:11 Diamond Stargate. By choosing to step through this portal of Sound and Light located within each of your cells, you will get to experience and activate self-empowering codes to heal yourself and to raise your vibration. This is a global call to all of your cells...this is DNA MUSIC! See and hear sample clips of the album and check out their website. Cost: $20     

Sunday, October 16, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Author Talk: The Five Gifts: Experiencing the Divine in Everyday Life by Joe Hahn, RYT

In this book, you will discover a new way of understanding your self, as a gift from the divine source. Drawing on a combination of ancient wisdom and contemporary spiritual teachings, The Five Gifts explores all aspects of our nature as human beings and shows how each of us is a unique, beautiful expression of the divine.  

For over last ten years, Joe Hahn, RYT, has helped thousands of people grow in awareness, through his writings and teaching of yoga and meditation. Joe has made an extensive study of world wisdom traditions.  Joe is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance, a certified hatha yoga instructor, and a certified Oneness Blessing (Deeksha) giver. Joe has also taught yoga for the past 5 years at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY. Cost: free

Tuesday, October 18, 6:30p.m.  - 9:30 p.m. Heart of Now with Debby Sugarman

Heart of Now is about being who we want to be in the world. Throughout our lives many of us have been encouraged to hide our feelings and ignore our bodies. We're taught stories of how we're supposed to behave at school or work. We've been told not to make mistakes or certainly not to admit them.

At Heart of Now, we look with curiosity at our stories. We pay careful attention to our bodies and our emotions. We learn to listen to ourselves deeply and trust what is in our hearts. The process is not just about us, but also about our communities and our world.  

Debby Sugarman leads this introduction, in which participants will learn techniques for becoming more aware of how they are feeling and what they are thinking in each  moment. Participatory exercises will encourage participants to share their authentic selves with each other in a safe environment and give and receive support from other participants. Cost: $10  

Wednesday, October 19, Ravensong Drumming Circle with Erin Reeve

Feel the rhythm of life! Ravensong Drum Circle meets monthly and includes drumming, dance, and at least one shamanic journey.  Activities will be molded to fit personal or global need. Shamanic beginners are encouraged to join! Please bring a drum or rattle, an eyecover, and a blankets/pillow to be comfortable during the journey. No experience necessary! 

Dr. Erin Reeve has been trained in shamanic healing and is a Reiki master in the Usui tradition.  She is in the Johns Hopkins Bayview Internal Medicine Residency program with intentions to practice integrative medicine and palliative/hospice care. Cost: $5 suggester donation

Thursday, October 20, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Introduction to Ayurveda with Susan Weis-Bohlen at the Cometa Wellness Center in Timonium

What is Ayurveda?

Susan Weis-Bohlen

Friday, October 21, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Break Free and Relax with Sound Healing with Andrea Wenger 

Feeling stressed out? Worried? Anxious? Out of balance? Or simply yearning to connect more deeply with yourself and the spiritual? This hour is intended to support you in relaxing deeply in order to break free from the tension and all that is not serving your deepest healing and highest good. Andrea guides you into a relaxed state through gentle deep breathing and mindfulness practices. Loving heartbeat drumming assists in releasing attachments, and crystal singing bowls and vocal toning bathe you in angelic vibrations of love and light.Andrea Wenger has been a Reiki Master for 5 years, completed 2 sound healing trainings, and holds a masters degree in Applied Healing Arts from Tai Sophia Institute. Cost: $15.  Bring anything that would assist you in being comfortable lying down: a yoga mat, blanket, pillows, etc.

Saturday, October 22, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. breathe books turns SEVEN Years Old!

October 22, 2004. That is the day that we first opened our doors for business! So much has happened since then -- I'll have to write a blog about it! But do get ready for a celebration. Cake, treats, wine and more. Oh - and a store-wide sale as well! We look forward to celebrating with you at our 7th birthday party. Thank you all SO much for supporting us!! Cost: Store wide sale!

This workshop will focus specifically on how to use intra-personal communication(your everyday self-talk) to reprogram your physical body/mind's system code (quantum DNA field) to help keep your divine intuition channel clear and prevent further perceptual distortions. Clearing this channel  

Shifu Dr. Tim Thompson

and keeping it cleansed through proper practices will accelerate your spiritual awakening beyond your wildest dreams! Upon successfully completing this workshop, students will be equipped with a few practical tools for clearly identifying and expressing their core charactertraits. Students will also learn how to apply the fundamental principles of emotional relaxation and discipline to their daily lives, and will begin learning how to use these core psychologicalskills to consciously create life circumstances that they truly desire. Cost: $20 

Wednesday, October 26, 7 p.m - 9 p.m Channeling Mary Magdalena and the Women Healers with Aurora

Mary Magdalena and the Women Healers are a Loving Group of Beings who come to assist us. Each channeling with them is unique for the group gathered. Aurora channels "The Marys", meaning healers. There will be time during the session for questions. They represent Divine Feminine energies. All are welcome, men and women. Cost: $20

This workshop will discuss how humans can communicate with animals through the use of telepathy, crystals/pendulums and other techniques. Terri Diener, Animal Communicator, will walk us through some techniques you can use at home to communicate with your animal companions. Cost: $15

This workshop will discuss the use of herbs, flower essences and essential oils, all remedies made from plants and flowers that are used for prevention, health and well being and to treat specific ailments. Herbs have been used in food and medicine since the beginning of time and in fact our pharmaceutical drugs are often synthetic replacements for herbs. Flower essences are derived from flower petals and distilled through a special process. Essential oils are the aromatic extracts from flowers, stems, leaves, roots and seeds and are also distilled and have many healing properties. Step back in time with us to see how plants and flowers can keep our animals happy and healthy. Cost: $15

Sunday, October 30, 1 p.m.  - 3 p.m.  Dredging the Choptank: Meet the Author Kimberley Lynne   

 In spring 2003, the Dorchester County Arts Center commissioned Kim to write a ghost walking tour for High Street in Cambridge, Maryland. In collecting local folklore, she kepty a diary that evolved into this supernatural thriller about a writer investigating ghost legend. The book is more than a supernatural thriller; it's a layman's guide to the spectral folklore of Dorchester County. Like a parable with a little bit of dangerous truth, except for the final chapter, the stories are true.

Dredging the Choptank does not presume to propose one metaphysical solution to the question of phantoms but instead promotes the consideration of many possibilities and acknowledges that America as a culture is on the brink of a new paradigm that necessitates a shift in belief systems. Perfect for Halloween! Come by to meet the author. See more here!  

Cost: free