MA PT, Regina Rosenthal

The Heart of Healing, like many self-help books today, advocates the practice of mental and spiritual exercises along with (or instead of) traditional medicine, to heal the body. Author Regina Rosenthal, a physical therapist who tours nationally presenting mind-body seminars, presents many of the most touted and popular mind-body healing tenets and techniques, and draws from some wonderful authors/practitioners. (The bibliography is an excellent source list.) Rosenthal seems both sincere and knowledgeable about her subject, but as a self-help book The Heart of Healing falls sadly short, especially when you consider the large number of available books on mind-body healing.

The biggest problem is that the book reads like it might be adapted from the transcript of one of Rosenthal's lectures.* The material has been better explained, and incorporated into practice, by other authors. The material has been better explained, and incorporated into practice, in which a group of people just sits and listens for a given amount of time, and the speaker must continously keep them awake and interested. As a result, she spend a great deal of time telling stories from her own life experiences, discussing the celebrated practitioners with whom she has worked (sometimes relating intersting anecdotes about them), and naming or quoting-from the books she has read about mind-body practice. In fact, so much of the material is autobiographical that, frankly, it felt more like a memoir than practical health advice.

I found her writing style to be frenetic, and somewhat disorganized. Promises made at the beginning of each chapter (stating benefits/knowledge that the reader will gain) are not borne out by the content. Rosenthal also had a tendency to use airy, new age-y prose and platitudes (e.g. "Beauty is everywhere") that just falls flat. At times her prose was esoteric, with metaphors that seemed far-reaching, and pasages that felt "lightweight," imprecise, or too vague. Again, I had the impression that this style would "play better to a live audience.

The author targets a wide audience, namely anyone who has ever experienced "physical illness...emotional challenges...mental stress...or spiritual dark nights of the soul." That leaves few people out! I came away, however, with a sense that The Heart of Healing will mostly appeal to those who are largely unfamiliar with mind-body healing practices, and/or those seeking a quick and generalized overview of popular practices. All of the material has been more comprehensively explained or developed into a regimen by other authors. Readers who already have a good introduction to mind-body healing under their belts, and are looking for more, would likely be better-off with a different selection.

*This is merely speculation; I have not attended a presentation by Rosenthal.

Note: 4/27/16 - I have edited this review to (hopefully!) improve the style, tone & grammar, and I added one "insight" in paragraph two, but none of this altered the original opinions stated. The star rating also remains unchanged.… (more)

Rosenthal has provided a book that tries to guide one to take care of themselves through "self-care" practices and awareness. Although the author is a wonderful writer, the book was a little difficult to read. The manner in which the book was written and the language made it extremely difficult to understand some of the concepts described. The best part of the book was the suggested journal exercises and tasks to assist one in taking a more active role in self-healing. This book seems to be primarily geared to those who are more familiar with spirituality ideas and healing practices.… (more)

This book is a how-to for connecting your heart & soul to your mind & body for a more complete self. Iit shows how to accomplish this through journaling, mindfulness, meditation, writing a short autobiography, and being present. The author guides the reader through various situations. The healing is meant to be both physical and emotional, and there are many examples of specific problems and illnesses. The author herself overcame challenging situations. The practices are for self care or good points to discuss if under a physician's care. The author emphasizes the "wisdom of the authentic self" and her goal is to teach readers how to find that in oneself. There are many very good points in the book, however, I found it difficult to read. I've read many similar books and this one felt "uneven" and choppy.. I wish I had liked the book as a whole more, but I only liked it in parts.… (more)