Improve Brain Processing of Negative Emotions with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation physically impacts the extraordinarily complex organ between our ears. . . . meditation nurtures the parts of the brain that contribute to well-being. Furthermore, it seems that a regular practice deprives the stress and anxiety-related parts of the […]
Reduce Aggression with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “young adults who participated in an app-based meditation training were less aggressive after receiving critical feedback, but not less angry. It suggests that being mindful doesn’t interfere with experiencing emotions, but changes how one responds to them.” – AMRA The human tendency […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness recognizes anger, is aware of its presence, accepts and allows it to be there. Mindfulness is like a big brother who does not suppress his younger brother’s suffering. He simply says, “Dear brother, I’m here for you.” You take your younger brother in your arms and […]
“There is no life to be found in violence. Every act of violence brings us closer to death. Whether it’s the mundane violence we do to our bodies by overeating toxic food or drink or the extreme violence of child abuse, domestic warfare, life-threatening poverty, addiction, or state terrorism.” – bell hooks Aggression and violence […]
Emotions are powerful forces in our lives. They supply the richness and texture to life experiences, producing joy, surprise, love, happiness, elation, and satisfaction. But, they can also be troubling, associated with fear, hate, stress, anxiety, and anger. We are highly motivated by these emotions and in general seek the experience of positive emotions and […]
Improve the Well-Being of Mothers of Children with Autism with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder . . . who engage in a mindfulness-based practice see a decrease in their child’s aggression and challenging behaviors and an improvement in the child’s overall functioning.” – Katy […]
Improve the Behavior of Prisoners and Prison Staff with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “I have seen how men in maximum security prison were able to support not only their own resilience, but also that of their guards, nurses, and other prison staff, through the practice of meditation, mindfulness, and deliberate […]
Reduce Stress and Improve Behavior in Mothers and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disabilities with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness meditation helps people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder reduce their mental and physical problems.” – Yoon-Suk Hwang Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability […]
Withstand Rejection Better with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “People who have greater levels of mindfulness — or the tendency to maintain attention on and awareness of the present moment — are better able to cope with the pain of being rejected by others.” – Brian McNeill Humans are social […]
Improve Psychological Well-Being of Children with Learning Disabilities with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness is a practice that can help children with LD manage stress and anxiety • Daily meditation gives children a relaxation tool they can call upon when stress levels rise” – Marcia Eckerd Learning disabilities are […]