Book Review for

The Secret is to Live in the Moment: A Journey to Self-Healing

There are books that teach healing, and there are books that quietly embody it.

The Secret is to Live in the Moment belongs to the second category.

Corália Rocha does not write as someone standing above her readers, offering formulas for wellness. She writes as someone who has walked through profound uncertainty and has discovered that healing often begins not with extraordinary revelations but with an extraordinary willingness to return, again and again, to the present moment.

At its heart, this is not simply a book about recovery from illness. It is a book about relationships: our relationship with ourselves, our thoughts, our bodies, our fears, our gratitude, and ultimately with life itself. Rather than presenting healing as a destination, Rocha invites readers into a daily practice of awareness that unfolds one moment at a time.

What makes this book particularly approachable is its simplicity. The chapters flow naturally through themes such as mindfulness, meditation, affirmations, gratitude, nutrition, energy awareness, Reiki principles, and the importance of choosing relationships that support healing rather than diminish it. Each chapter builds on the previous one, creating a gentle progression rather than overwhelming the reader with information.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its accessibility and its warmth.

Readers do not need prior experience with meditation, mindfulness, or energy practices to follow Rocha's reflections. She introduces these ideas in a conversational tone, making them feel like invitations rather than requirements. The overall tone is compassionate and encouraging, making this especially appealing to readers who may feel emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, or intimidated by more technical self-help literature.

The accompanying artwork reflects the gentle flow of compassion and the author's steady hand.

The book also succeeds because it never loses sight of hope.

Hope here is not presented as blind optimism or positive thinking. Instead, Rocha frames hope as a practice - something cultivated through attention, gratitude, and returning to the present moment, even when circumstances remain difficult. That distinction gives the book emotional authenticity.

As someone who works professionally in trauma, addiction recovery, and stress management, I particularly appreciated the emphasis on slowing down. Modern culture often teaches us that healing is something to be achieved through constant effort. Rocha gently challenges that assumption by reminding readers that peace is found not by racing toward a better future but by inhabiting the present with greater awareness.

That message is deeply needed.

At the same time, readers should understand what this book is - and what it is not.

This is not a clinical guide to trauma recovery, nor does it attempt to synthesize psychological research or medical evidence on mindfulness or energy healing. Instead, it is an experiential narrative rooted in the author's personal journey and spiritual worldview. The inclusion of Reiki principles, affirmations, and discussions of energy will resonate strongly with readers who appreciate holistic healing traditions, while those seeking a more evidence-based framework may wish to read it alongside books grounded in contemporary psychology or neuroscience. The author appropriately notes that the book is intended for educational and inspirational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical care.

Another strength lies in the book's emotional sincerity.

There is no sense that suffering is minimized or romanticized. Instead, Rocha consistently reminds readers that healing unfolds differently for each person. That humility lends the book credibility. Rather than promising transformation through a single technique, she offers a collection of practices that help readers cultivate greater presence, gratitude, and self-awareness over time.

The book's simplicity mirrors its central message: healing is less about accumulating more information and more about learning to inhabit this moment more fully.

Ultimately, The Secret is to Live in the Moment offers readers something increasingly rare: permission to slow down.

In a culture that constantly encourages striving, fixing, and becoming, Rocha gently reminds us that the deepest transformations often begin when we stop running from the present. Whether readers are navigating illness or emotional hardship, or simply seeking a more grounded way of life, this book offers a compassionate companion.

It offers a thoughtful introduction to mindfulness-centered living, written with warmth, humility, and genuine care for the reader. Those drawn to holistic wellness, meditation,

gratitude practices, and spiritual approaches to self-healing will likely find it comforting and encouraging.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Secret is to Live in the Moment is a heartfelt reminder that healing is rarely found by escaping our lives. More often, it begins when we learn to meet ourselves, just as we are, in the only place where healing has ever truly been available: the present moment.

Elizabeth Kipp, Addiction Recovery, Chronic Pain & Ancestral Healing, and best-selling author of The Way Through Chronic Pain: Tools to Reclaim Your Healing Power.

https://Elizabeth-Kipp.com