So it’s 11:11 p.m. Sunday evening. 24 hours from now I’ll be about 3 hours into our flight to Delhi with 10 other fabulous women from breathe books. We’re going for 16 days. So much to see and experience. Follow along here if you’d like. I’ll blog as often as I can.It’s amazing to me…I opened breathe books four years ago (Oct. 22 is our anniversary). My original business plan outlined trips to spiritual sites organized through the bookstore. I’d lived overseas for so long that I knew it wasn’t realistic to think I could stay in one place all the time. I was creating a base. But the world was my bookstore.I was so sure of everything I wrote in that business plan but looking back I can’t believe how bold I was! I had no doubts at all that this was going to work.  I’m really kind of astounded that it has!! I have you all to thank. I’ll be thinking about this as we travel through India. Then I begin to think…ok, what’s next? Some things take time to manifest. Other things appear the moment the thought arises. I’m constantly surprised and delighted by the gifts the Universe presents to me. Ok – time for bed. Long long day tomorrow. I’ll write as soon as I can. I feel so connected to the breathe books community – you are such an amazing group of people.Namaste (the divine in me honors the divine in you) susan 

So in my newsletter sent out last Wednesday, I said I was selling “hope”. It’s a countdown to hope, actually – Barack Obama timers counting down the days, hours, minutes, seconds and mili-seconds until he becomes President of the United States. As I write this the clock says:-162 days; 11 hours; 25 minutes and 10.8 seconds.

I had a few emails expressing dismay. One said Obama means disaster not hope. One person asked to be taken off the email list. But then there were others. One woman in Bethesda called and requested two be mailed to her. A customer called and said “right on girl!” and we sold about a dozen timers the next day.

Some bookstore owners say they want to remain neutral, they don’t want to alienate customers or the community they are in. Some will carry books by both Ann Coulter and Al Franken.

That’s not me. breathe books is a reflection of me. One of the reasons I opened breathe books was  to deepen my spirituality, surround myself with books, music, beautiful items and other people – all that would help immerse me into a lifestyle of learning, wellness, wholeness, authenticity. That others wanted to come along too is a blessing and a thrill.

So when I promote Barack Obama, it’s the same as promoting Louise Hay, Jack Kornfeild or Eckhart Tolle. It’s another way of surrounding myself with healers. And I’m not ashamed to say it!

Carrying the countdown timer is my message to the Universe that YES!!! Barack Obama will be President in 162 days, 7 hours, fifteen minutes 48.2 seconds (it’s taken me a few hours to finish this post!). Let’s put it out there and make it happen!!

unabashedly yours,

susan

So I’m back at the store- back in my body. Here’s a picture to prove it!

John Douillard and me at Life Spa 

After 11 days in Colorado, it’s kind of jarring to enter the land of sea level. There is something so extraordinary about being in Boulder . It’s like the earth vibrates at a higher frequency there. So much so that I can barely sleep. It’s the same feeling I have in Glastonbury, England. 

Last November I was in Westminster, CO – about 20 minutes from Boulder (for a Chopra workshop) and I had to ask the hotel to change my room because the energy was so wacky I couldn’t sleep. Eventually it dawned on me what was going on – it was just the land. Then I was able to settle in a bit better. Understanding what was happening took away the anxiety and I settled into a sleep-less high vibrational consciousness – feeling exhilarated and energized in the morning. 

That’s what being in Boulder is like for me. 

So add panchakarma to that. For those of you who haven’t read my other postings (or my weekly newsletter – email me at oracle@breathebooks.com to sign up) panchakarma is the Ayurvedic detoxification and rejuvenation treatment that helps one regain balance in their body, mind and soul. It’s an intense 7-day program involving daily ayurvedic treatments (various massages, nasal applications, herbal rubs, steams, basti – herbalized gentle, nourishing enemas – and more), yoga, meditation, and, in the case of Life Spa where I just was, journaling, breathing exercises and almost daily meetings with John Douillard, who runs the spa. 

John calls these meetings “Ayurvedic Psychology”, and it is.  John sent me on an “inner safari”. I don’t think I’ve really come out yet. It was an amazing process. So deeply spiritual and undeniably physical. I think I’ve had a bit of a transformation. Maybe this panchakarma (my second one – I did my first one at the Chopra Center in CA last August) has my mind catching up with the transformation of my body. 

Since the first panchakara, I’ve lost almost 50 pounds. I shouldn’t say “lost” because that leads one to believe they could be “found”. No way. That weight is gone for good. And now my mind is catching up to that. As I settle into this body (at a weight I haven’t seen since I was 17) my mind has had to play catch up. The weight came off so fast I really didn’t have a chance to process it all. Emotions run wild. 

It’s a funny thing losing so much weight. At first it doesn’t seem real. Then you wonder why you aren’t euphoric. Then you realize that you didn’t feel a lot of things when you were heavier and now you can feel them. So you go around really feeling things. Really experiencing things.

I met a man in Colorado while I was on the panchakarma retreat. He didn’t know me (at least in this lifetime). Didn’t know I’d lost weight. After a few days of knowing him he asked if I’d seen any health benefits from Ayurveda. I said, well, actually, I’ve lost about 50 pounds in less then 10 months. He thought about it for a minute, then he said – “so there was more of you, but less of you”. 

That’s it. There was more of me, but less of me. I thought that was pretty profound.  (thank you Isaac). So now there is less of me, and more of me. I love thinking of it that way. Less of me but more of me. So true.   

It’s Sunday evening and it’s still 100 degrees. I’m keeping cool in my little house and I’m watching Joel Osteen on 60 Minutes. I’ve been marginally interested in him for a while now and I’m learning why. His message is pretty much the message that we love to pass along at breathe books. Your life can be better. You can be healthier. You can be stronger and totally in control of your life. You can be wealthy. You can be happier than you ever imagined – just imagine it! It’s in your hands. It’s in your attitude.

And I was surprised to learn that in Joel’s latest book (which I have not carried) he never once uses the word Jesus.

This is so interesting to me. Joel Osteen is head of one of the largest churches in the U.S. – a non-denominational Christian Church based in Houston. And he never uses the word Jesus. He quotes some scripture, but there’s not much religion there. No crosses. No Bibles. Old or new. (and surprisingly, no collection plate. Not even an 800-number to call to donate!)

I have to tell you – I think this man is preaching Esther Hick’s Abraham teachings. I think he’s teaching Louise Hay’s affirmations. I think he’s teaching The Law of Attraction. I like it. What he so fervently calls God, I would call my higher self (her name, by the way, is Sophia). The God that Osteen refers to could just as easily be the Source Energy that Wayne Dyer illustrates as a glowing orb in his PBS shows. I believe Source Energy lives both inside me and surrounds me in the Universe. That’s Osteen’s God. It’s just language. “God” is too heavy for some of us. The word carries too much weight. But God’s not too heavy for Osteen and by using “God” he is making the Laws of the Universe so much more acceptable to thousands of people who aren’t comfortable with the notion of not using the word God – and god-forbid (!) calling it channeling (wasn’t the Bible channeled? I know The Book of Mormon was!).

Even Oprah relegates “channellers” to her web site and radio programs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think she has hosted Esther Hicks on the radio, but not the TV show. The vibrational frequencies of the universe are called The Law of Attraction in The Secret – no mention of where they come from!

I’m not sure where this is all going – but it’s kind of fascinating that people call what Osteen “preaches” Christian – perhaps as a way to make people comfortable with it. I think I’m just happy that so many people are getting this message. Whether one is saying God Loves You or The Universe Loves You or just I Love You! it’s all a good message. The more we teach that there is no wrathful God, no malevolent force in the Universe out to condemn us and judge us, the better off we are. The more hear that we are good from birth, that we are here to teach and learn and to make Humanity better one person at time, the better off humankind is. I like this message.

I may just sell Joel Osteen’s books. I’m just not sure what section to put them in.

It’s been a while since I blogged and a few of you have let me know!

I’ve been busy running around the country and running the bookstore at the same time. It’s all such a joy. When I’m away and I’m so thankful to my staff that I’m able to leave the shop and learn and exprience so many new things. There is never a thought that I’m missing something somewhere else because wherever I am is so perfect (oh my – I’m sounding like Byron Katie here!).

Before I go too far down the rabbit hole, just a quick note that I’ll be spending my 45th birthday (May 10) with Esther & Jerry Hicks and Abraham in Bethesda.

I said 45 & 45 in the title of this entry because 45 is the number of pounds I’ve lost since September. I’ve lost one pound for every year of my life. What a relief to go into the next half of my less lighter. yeah!

More soon on my latest Deepak trip – Seduction of Spirit in Texas, my Ayurvedic Cooking Workshop at Kripalu with Amadea Morningstar, and of course, Esther and Jerry.

Happy Mother’s Day Bunny! And all mom’s.

love,

susan

Hi all,
breathe books is taking a group to India to explore the Crown Chakra of the planet…August 31 – September 16, 2008. I’ve posted all the details on our travel page, which is listed under the “bookstore” page on the web site.

The trip will cost $2300 per person + airfare, which is about $1000 from Dulles.

Take a look! Let me know if you want to go! We already have a number of people signed up, so call soon to put your name on the list. I’m giving a talk on the trip on Sunday, April 13 at 1 p.m. Or give me a call anytime – 410-235-7323, for details. We also have a flier in the store.

Namaste!

 susan

 This appeared in today’s issue of Shelf Awareness (www.shelf-awareness.com)Congratulations to Susan L. Weis, proprietress of breathe books, Baltimore, Md., who was named Merchant of the Year by the Hampden Village Merchants Association, her local business association. She was cited for running a successful business, for many events that “bring lots of people to Hampden”–she has 73 planned in April alone–for being “a positive, creative force for our community” and for her work for the association, where she has been secretary for two years. (Incidentally, Benn Ray, owner of Atomic Books, is president.)

Weis, who is also on the ABA’s Bookseller Advisory Council, contributes to New Age Retailer and last but not least does a column on New Age topics and is a reporter on occasion for Shelf Awareness, wrote: “I was very excited to win. My bookstore has only been open three and half years and to be recognized by my peers whom I greatly admire, was really wonderful.

“Fittingly for our eclectic, funky little neighborhood, the Merchant of the Year Award is a giant golden cup, reminiscent of a bowling trophy! Everyone who wins gets their name engraved on the side. The winner keeps the trophy until he or she must relinquish it to the next years’ winner. I keep the cup atop a stand behind the counter. It’s a nice reminder of what it means to be in business in a warm and caring independent business culture such as this little haven called Hampden in Baltimore.”

Hi All,

Well, the day began in a sort of negative way and as it went on all these little things kept building up to make me kind of miserable – computer issues, no hot water or gas in the house, it was cloudy, a bit of a contentious meeting in the morning…I was all agitated and in such a bad mood. I knew all I had to do was choose not to be. But something just wanted to hold on to it a little longer – you know that feeling? Like – I just want to suffer a bit more and then everyone will feel sorry for me! Of course, we all know from reading Mr. Tolle what that “something” was – my ego. It’s been feeling neglected lately so it was nudging me. It’s amazing how we choose to suffer, isn’t it?

Then the delightful Marietta, one of my new booksellers, showed up for work. I told her I was in a foul mood – (but I said it with a smile). No way was she going to feel sorry for me! And slowly slowly it began to fade. The sun actually came out. BG&E sent the nicest guys to fix the gas, and the store filled up with people. Mostly men – which is unusual in the middle of work the day. That also made me happy — to see so many men open and on the path!

So now as I write this I’m all happy again. It’s amazing to watch the ego at work. And to know you can choose to make anything happen in your life. I was flipping through the new Sri Sri Ravi Shankar book – The Guru of Joy – and came across one of his favorite lines: “The present moment is inevitable.”

That about sums it up, doesn’t it. I’m choosing to be happy in this present moment.

And in the next present moment…we have a great weekend coming up. Join Butterfly Workshop’s Laurie Handlers on Thursday for a sneak peak at her Tantra Bliss and Tantric Anger workshops to be held over the weekend. Karen Geurtler will be teaching an Alexander Technique class on Saturday, and Lance David Bergerson will lead Tibetan meditation on Saturday afternoon. Please see all of our classes, meditations, healers and readers schedules below. Give us a call to sign up. As always – more details can be found at www.breathebooks.com

Have a lovely week,

love,

susan

I just think it’s so amusing and appropriate that A New Earth is receiving huge press and generating enormous sales since Oprah chose to use the book for her first webcast bookclub.

I wanted to post here my weekly newsletter from Dec. 19. I had just returned from the Chopra Center workshop in Colorado and for some reason decided to pull the New Earth CDs from the shelf. I had read the book about a year earlier, but didn’t really get it. When I began listening to the CDs I realized it was exactly what Deepak and David Simon had been teaching at the workshop. I couldn’t stop listening!

Obviously, there is some sort of cosmic consciousness at play. The Chopra website has put it up as a “book they are reading”, and, or course, the whole Oprah thing.It’s just kind of cool to watch these things happen. Cool and beautiful. Please read the book!

(Original email from Dec. 19, 2007)
Hi All,
So I’m listening to Eckhart Tolle’s CD of his book A New Earth. I read it when it came out a few years ago, but for some reason I decided to listen to it this week. I feel like I never read it – this is amazing stuff that maybe I wasn’t ready to hear… It’s all about the EGO. The tricks it plays on us, trying to take over, making us think something is there when it’s really not (love, hate, anger, anxiety, stress, etc.). I laughed out loud this morning while listening to him talk about the collective ego as it applies to the work place:

“A collective ego manifests the same characteristics as the personal ego, such as the need for conflict and enemies, the need for more, the need to be right against others who are wrong, and so on…It’s members will experience the suffering that inevitably comes in the wake of ego-motivated action. At that point they may wake up and realize that their collective has a strong element of insanity. It can be painful to wake up and realize that the collective you had identified with and worked for is actually insane.”

I really can’t comment on this as people I used to work for may be reading this. But isn’t it marvelous!?