By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Making office yoga exercises a part of your routine can work wonders as they wipe away body pain, fatigue and tension and increase overall muscle strength and flexibility, keeping you fresh and revitalized through the day.” – The Art of Living Sometimes in the workplace employees […]
Reduce Aggressiveness in Militant Extremists with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “yoga helps to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression in prisoners, and crucially, decreases impulsivity—a known factor in much prison violence.” – Georgia Pike As Mahatma Gandhi has recognized “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is […]
Improve Social and Emotional Skills in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “in addition to benefits typically associated with yoga—improved strength and flexibility, and an increasing sense of peace—autistic children also experience a reduction of pain, anxiety, aggression, obsessive behaviors, and self-stimulatory activities. And there’s more […]
Yoga Practice Can Improve Prisoner Well-Being and Improve Rehabilitation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Inmates are more likely to be dealing with negative emotions—anxiety, fear, despair, anger, depression, and trauma—than a practitioner not behind bars. With a present reality that hinges on past events, as well as an environment of hostility and […]
Improve Adolescent Mental Health and School Performance with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “school-based yoga cultivates competencies in mind-body awareness, self-regulation, and physical fitness. And classroom teachers benefit as well. Taken together, these competencies may lead to improvements in students’ behavior, mental state, health, and performance, as well as teacher resilience, […]
“When you are angry, when you feel despair, you practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, to generate the energy of mindfulness. This energy allows you to recognize and embrace your painful feelings.“ – Thich Nhat Hahn By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. It is a sad fact that late adolescence and young adulthood […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “once children are in a more calm state, they can remember or be more mindful of actions, thoughts, and words from the heart — a more helpful behavior as opposed to self-centeredness.” – Kelly Wood Yoga practice has been shown to have a large number of beneficial […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Today’s students face tremendous pressure to achieve within a world that is often overwhelming. The tools of yoga and mindfulness offer proven methods of developing the inner resilience needed to navigate physical, mental and emotional stress. . . and can increase their capacity to learn effectively, manage challenging emotions, self-regulate behavior, […]
“The effort to separate the physical experience of childbirth from the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of this event has served to disempower and violate women.” ~Mary Rucklos Hampton Depression is quiet common during pregnancy. More than 20 percent of pregnant women have an anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms, or both during pregnancy. The […]
Mindfulness Training Reduces Posttraumatic Stress Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “People with PTSD may sometimes feel as though they have a hard time getting any distance from unpleasant thoughts and memories. . . Mindfulness may help people get back in touch with the present moment, as well […]