“The Heart of Healing” First Anniversary

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”   

                                                                                                                              Lao-tzu

Just as my children and grandchildren have grown rapidly before my eyes, so has the first year since publication last March of The Heart of Healing: Discovering the Secrets of Self-Care. During this past year I’ve met amazing people at classes, library presentations, study groups, and book signings. People came to events because the topic sounded interesting, because their spouse brought them, because they needed insight into how to meet healing challenges, to age more gracefully, and to find greater peace in their lives amidst stress and change.  The Self-care tools and strategies they learned were not new: breathing, journaling, meditation, movement, acupressure, play, laughter, creativity, and joy. They were surprised to discover three simple ways to help themselves remain healthier and more resilient amidst daily stress and change:

• increase Self-awareness
• use Self-care practices
• reconnect with what has heart and meaning

When we feel like we are on Mars without a road map during healing challenges, Self-awareness and Self-care practices help us recognize people, places, and things that will support us as we travel the unfamiliar landscape of healing. They also help us recognize and use untapped internal and external resources. Healing requires courage as we continuously ask: Who am I? What do I need? Where am I going?  Answers to these questions provide stepping stones that lead us home through our internal compass or GPS, which brings heart-and-soul centered guidance and wisdom as we move along  ”the road less traveled” on healing journeys. As Dorothy discovered in The Wizard of Oz, there’s no place like home.

Thank you all for your love, support, and healing presence this past year. May your healing journeys continue to bring you home to your hearts and the beautiful beings you each are.

Namaste,

Gina

Free Teleclass Thursday March 6, 2014 at 7 PM

We experience stress and change throughout our body, mind, emotions, and life force as one season ends and another begins. As winter slowly ends and spring arrives, what seeds do you want to plant in your garden to promote greater health and wellbeing? How can you enrich the “soil” within your vital life force to cultivate the health, growth, and development you seek?

Tune into your Self as Spring approaches during this FREE teleclass and learn three simple solutions to remaining strong and resilient amidst daily stress and change. Host Elsie Kerns, Wellness Educator and CoFounder of Wellness Workers Holistic Health in Cherry Hill, NJ (www.wellnessworkers.org) and I will discuss solutions and Self-care strategies to welcome Spring on Thursday, March 6 from 7-8 PM. You must register to attend. Once registered, you will be able to listen to the teleclass afterward if you miss the live teleclass.

Here’s the link to register:

Spring Classes: Seva Acupressure For Self-Care & Using Seva Acupressure With Others

“Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”…….It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine.”  

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

Spring is just around the corner. Come refresh your whole being and plant seeds of Self-care at a Seva Stress Release Acupressure class in Holmdel, New Jersey. Classes are available on March 15 and again on April 5.

Seva is the Sanskrit word for compassionate, selfless service. Seva Part 1 teaches how to use this simple acupressure program for Self-care. Seva Part 2 teaches how to use this program with others. Seva Part 1 is a pre-requisite to Part 2, and can be taken as a separate class, or on the same day with a Seva Part 2 class.

SEVA ACUPRESSURE FOR SELF-CARE & WITH OTHERS – Holmdel, NJ

Saturday, March 15, 2014: Part 1 Seva Acupressure for Self-Care: 9 AM-12 Noon; Part 2 Using Seva With Others: 1-4 PM (can be taken same day or separately)

Saturday, April 5, 2014:  Part 1 Seva Acupressure for Self-Care: 9 AM-12 Noon; Part 2 Using Seva With Others: 1-4 PM (can be taken same day or separately)

INFORMATION:  http://www.reginarosenthal.com/education-workshops/professional/ 

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: 908-902-0770

Fee: Seva Part 1: $60;  Seva Part 2: $60

Continuing Education: Nurses, Social Workers, Massage Therapists, Asian Bodyworkers (3  hours Seva Part 1; 3 hours Seva Part 2)

Coming Home To Our Hearts

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.”   Confuscius

During February attention is focused on the heart with American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. In today’s world we often become disconnected from our hearts, and the wisdom therein. Coming home to our hearts is vital to healing and living a fulfilled life.

Our hearts are like kaleidoscopes that reveal the many dimensions of our being. In a physical dimension our hearts, at the center of our being, pump blood, oxygen, and life force to every cell. In an emotional dimension our hearts reveal emotions and nonlinear intelligence. E-motion is the energy of our hearts in motion, which we notice when something touches our hearts and we are “moved” by the experience. In a mental dimension what we take to heart we consider seriously. In a spiritual dimension we connect with heart intelligence each time we become aware of what has heart and meaning in our lives.

The Institute of Heart Math has done extensive scientific study regarding how and why the heart affects learning, creativity, emotional balance, and personal effectiveness. (www.heartmath.org). Their studies indicate that the heart generates the largest electromagnetic field of any body organ, several thousand times more powerful than that of the brain. When we tap into this field and use it like an internal GPS system, we become aware of “stepping stones” on our life path that guide us home to our hearts.

I come home to my heart in every dimension when I’m sharing time with family and clients, teaching, taking yoga and Jazzercise® classes, participating in creative activities, and spending time in nature. Each time I participate in these relationships and activities I feel physically alive, mentally clear, emotionally joyful, and spiritually centered and grounded. Which relationships and activities in your life help you come home to your heart? In my book, The Heart of Healing: Discovering the Secrets of Self-Care, I ask readers to consider  ”Ten Loves,” experiences that bring them home to their hearts. What would you include on such a list? Does your list need to be updated? Without judgment, consider how many activities involve others, and how many are alone activities? Is there a new balance that needs to be established between the two?

When your heart speaks take good notes.

Namaste…..Gina

Tapping Into The Heart’s Wisdom

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” 
Albert Camus

I savor times when I am in awe, times “in the moment” when I lose sight of time, space, challenges, and everything around me. When these moments arise in winter, I am reminded how sunshine lights up a winter’s day, how good the warmth of a fireplace feels, how warm and delicious homemade soup tastes, how I love the sweetness of hot chocolate, and how delightfully renewed my heart feels each time love is given and/or received. At these times I can tap into heart wisdom and realign with what has heart and meaning in my life. During one of these moments of awe I took the above photo. Snowballs that gently rested on branches looked like cotton balls, and my heart reminded me that spring is around the corner. The next morning I heard birds chirping as I awoke, additional reminders and harbingers of spring.

Amidst this winter’s cold, snowy days Camus’ words bring me back to my heart. It is here that I tap into Heartmind, described in Chinese medicine as “xin,” the place where higher mind, intuition, and heart are integrated. Each time I tap into this powerful place I am reminded to take in and celebrate moments of awe in winter, when Mother Earth brings us the greatest show on earth through seasonal changes. I feel grateful and blessed each time I  experience the warmth, peace, and awe in these moments, and I’m reminded of the continuous renewals that accompany life with each “change of season.” It is these memories that I stockpile and can access during the cold, wintry times in my life when I do feel lost, alone, or insignificant.

As caretakers of your hearts this Valentine’s Day, I wish you sweetness, joy, and warmth. May you experience the mysterious, dynamic, and universal energy of love as winter turns into spring. Namaste…..

Regina Rosenthal, PT, MA: Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS — MAXIMIZING WELL-BEING THROUGH SELF-CARE

SEVA ACUPRESSURE FOR SELF-CARE & WITH OTHERS – Holmdel, NJ

Saturday, February 15, 2014: Part 1 Seva Acupressure for Self-Care: 9 AM-12 Noon; Part 2 Using Seva With Others: 1-4 PM (can be taken same day or separately)

Saturday, March 15, 2014:     Part 1 Seva Acupressure for Self-Care: 9 AM-12 Noon; Part 2 Using Seva With Others: 1-4 PM (can be taken same day or separately)

INFORMATION:  http://www.reginarosenthal.com/education-workshops/professional/   PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: 908-902-0770   Fee:  Part 1: $60;  Part 2: $60

Continuing Education: Nurses, Social Workers, Massage Therapists, Asian Bodyworkers (3 Hours Seva Part 1; 3 Hours Seva Part 2)

PROCESS ACUPRESSURE 1:

Philadelphia, PA, March 11 – 14, 2014

Naples, FL, November 6-8, 2014

INFORMATION:  http://www.reginarosenthal.com/education-workshops/professional/     PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: 908-902-0770

Continuing Education: Nurses, Massage Therapists, Asian Body Workers (24 Hours)

LIBRARY PRESENTATIONS:

Monmouth County Library, Hazlet Branch: January 25, 2014

Monmouth County Library, Colts Neck Branch: February 8, 2014

Old Bridge Public Library: April 10, 2014

DIALOG WITH THE AUTHOR: 

Hunterdon NJ Radio Interview with Sue Ann Seccia: February 27, 2014

Wellness Workers Webcast Interview with Elsie Kerns: March 6, 2014

Brandeis University Women, Monroe Township, NJ: March 27, 2014

Temple Shalom, Aberdeen, NJ: April 6, 2014

Living In Tune With Mother Nature: The importance of Self-Care

Happy new year!

The year 2014 has begun and we’ve been experiencing the winter season in the northeast. Winter is a time of long nights and reduced daylight. It is a time when I’m reminded of the quiet beauty revealed by Mother Nature in the stillness that follows new fallen snow. Yesterday’s snow storm blanketed us with 12″ of snow, which slowed everyone’s pace. “Home” took on special meaning for everyone trying to get home yesterday.

According to Chinese medicine, winter is a time to stay warm, eat warm nourishing foods, rest, and retreat within to restore and renew our life force, or “chi,” stored in our kidneys. Animals know to go within in winter…..they hibernate. We, too, would be wise to make time to slow down and go “home,” within ourselves during winter. This will ensure that we have sufficient energy reserves to meet the new growth and activities that burst forth in Spring.

Self-care practices and bodywork take us within — i.e. meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, Seva Acupressure for Self-Care*, Process Acupressure*, and Eden Energy Medicine to mention a few. By slowing our hurried pace, these activities guide us home to our authentic Self. They promote balance throughout our being and reveal the value of aligning our human nature with the seasonal rhythms of Mother Nature. When I am in tune with the deepest parts of my authentic Self after bodywork and Self-care practices, I feel a renewed sense of peace, aliveness, and connection with all of life. I am less fearful and anxious, and I notice a renewed sense of trust in myself and the bigger picture. I have a clearer sense of what matters, and I am excited and curious about the next steps on my soul journey. The best part of all is that I feel more compassion, joy, and love in and around me. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I discover that “there’s no place like home.”

My challenge in winter is to slow down and listen to my heart and authentic Self versus my everyday mind and ego. This helps me recognize and take in the blessings I receive when I live in tune with Mother Nature.

What wisdom / insights does Mother Nature reveal to you in winter? Who and what replenishes your life force in winter? What challenges arise for you during winter? What gifts are you discovering as you use Self-care practices?

Wishing you sweet dreams and warmth this season,

Regina

*See Upcoming Events Blog

Healing Passages That Guide Us Home

After journeying through writing and publishing passages that birthed The Heart of Healing last March, it is a joy to return to private practice and teaching. I feel blessed witnessing individuals awaken and come alive as they learn about and experience Self-care practices that support their life and healing. I also feel grateful to be teaching what I need to learn personally as part of my soul journey on Earth — the importance of Self-care.

Self-care practices are becoming a part of my daily routine. I find that I need them now more than ever. Self-care practices raise my Self-awareness and nourish me. They serve as CPR for my heart and soul. Self-care practices help me monitor my ego’s conditioned ways of being “in charge,” ways that at times no longer serve who I am in my authentic Self. I love and respect the part of me that is passionate about making a difference. However, I’m also aware that the pace and wisdom of my heart and soul, which guides my authentic Self, can vary from the pace of my ego. I’m learning that there is a difference between service and sacrifice.

Self-care practices take me from outer space to inner space, where I connect with the Great Mystery within that I/we are an integral part of. While I believe it is true that we are all made from stardust, we don’t often touch upon our magnificent design. Self-care practices remind me of who and what I am, and why I am here. They help me realign with my path and purpose, and bring clarity, focus, creativity, joy, laughter, and play into the process of being alive each day. When I lose sight of Self-care, I lose the connection to my heart and soul. I become a human doing versus a human being, ungrounded and unplugged from that which sustains me and guides me home to my authentic Self. With each healing passage I arrive at through Self-care, I am guided home to my true nature. With each new arrival I feel blessed to be alive and “at home” within the Great Mystery, which still brings wonder, awe, and “coming home” tears of gratitude.

Wishing you blessings as you encounter healing passages that guide you home,

Regina

Upcoming Events: Workshops, Author Talks, Library Presentations

WORKSHOPS:

SEVA ACUPRESSURE FOR SELF-CARE: Seva Stress Release Part 1 (3 hours)  Saturday, October 12, 2013, 9 AM – 12 Noon, Holmdel, NJ

Fee: $60            Registration Required: 908-902-0770

This workshop will help you to manage stress and promote general relaxation, well-being, and Self-healing. You will learn the Seva program through demonstration and hands-on practice, and take home six valuable Self-care tools: use of an awareness journal, acupressure, meditation, breath practices, mindfulness, and body-mind movement (Chakra Tai Chi). This class is a pre-requisite for Seva Part 2 below. Wear comfortable clothing.

3 CEUs: massage therapists, social workers, nurses

SEVA ACUPRESSURE WITH OTHERS: Part 2 (3 hours) Saturday, October 12, 2013,  1-4 PM, Holmdel NJ

Fee: $60            Registration Required: 908-902-0770 

In this workshop you will learn how to use the Seva program with others through review, demonstration, and practicing the Seva program with class participants, seated in chairs and lying fully clothed on massage tables. You will also deepen Self-awareness through meditation, breath practices, journaling, acupressure, and Chakra Tai Chi. Wear comfortable clothing.

3 CEUs: massage therapists, social workers, nurses

SEVA ACUPRESSURE FOR SELF-CARE, Part 1: Saturday, November 23, 2013, 9 AM – 12 Noon, Holmdel, NJ (See above)

SEVA ACUPRESSURE FOR SELF-CARE, Part 2: Saturday, November 23, 2013, 1-4 PM, Holmdel, NJ (See above)

AUTHOR TALKS:

• Barnes & Noble, Holmdel, NJ: September 21, 2013, 4-8 PM
• Barnes & Noble, Freehold, NJ: September 26, 2013, 7-9 PM
• Barnes & Noble, Cherry Hill, NJ: October 8, 2013, 7-8 PM

LIBRARY PRESENTATIONS:

• Little Silver Public Library, September 16 2013, 7-8 PM
• Tinton Falls Public Library, September 20, 2013, 10:30-11:30 AM
• Red Bank Public Library, September 25, 2013, 7-8:30 PM
• Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library, October 2, 2013, 7-8 PM
• Atlantic Highlands Public Library, October 3 2013, 7-8:30 PM
• Middletown Township Public Library, October 9, 2013, 7-8:30 PM
• Ocean Township Library, October 21, 2013, 6:30-7:30 PM
• Monmouth County Library, Eastern Branch, December 9, 2013, 7-8:30 PM
• Monmouth County Library, Hazlet Township Branch, January 25, 2014, 2-3 PM                                                                                                                                                                                             

Summer Lessons, Gifts, and Blessings

I am lucky to live in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where parks and nature are abundant, reminding me of the lessons, gifts, and sacred blessings Mother Earth brings us each day. In Chinese medicine we are considered the bridge between heaven and earth. Trees that inhabit the environment around me demonstrate this — they are deeply rooted in earth while they reach up through their long, tall bodies for light from the sun above. My lesson this summer is a recurrent theme: make time to go outside and “be” in nature, reconnecting with my heart and my human nature.

The other day I passed a farm where sunflowers were growing. I stopped and remembered my intention to “be” in nature and receive her gifts. The sunflowers, like the tall trees, were rooted and reaching toward the sun, their height, strong stems, and beauty a true feat of nature. These tall blossoming wonders reflected Mother Nature’s harvest. Their bright yellow blossoms and seed-studded centers give us delicious sunflower seeds, rich in selenium, magnesium, and vitamin E, and provide food for the huge variety of birds that inhabit our environment.

The sunflowers’ strong stems reminded me of what keeps me spiritually strong, grounded, and connected — meditation, mindfulness, movement and dance, music, nourishing whole foods, drinking lots of water, family, heart-and-soul friends, play, laughter, and giving and receiving love, service, kindness, and compassionate presence. Self-care practices are the sunshine, water, and tending that keep me strong, nourished, and in alignment between heaven and Earth. They help me to consciously walk the mystical path with practical feet. My lesson and challenge is to use and “be” with these practices to remember, when I forget, who and what I really am.

What lessons and insights have you become aware of this summer? What Self-care practices do you use to nourish and tend your heart and soul?