Improve Psychological Well-Being and Labor Duration with Pregnancy Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Prenatal yoga is a great way to stay active during pregnancy. It’s both gentle and low impact, while offering physical and mental benefits.” – Karisa Ding The period of pregnancy is a time of intense physiological and […]
Manage Hypertension with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “brisk walking, reducing salt intake, and practicing yoga can each benefit people with high blood pressure.” – Markus MacGill High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is an insidious disease because there are no overt symptoms. The individual feels fine. But it can be deadly […]
Improve Walking in the Elderly with Knee Osteoarthritis with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The most common type of arthritis is called osteoarthritis (OA). . . Fortunately, lifestyle changes such as gentle yoga have been shown to improve OA symptoms.” – Robin Madell Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease […]
Improve Lung Function in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Physiotherapy and Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It’s not just about the physical movement, although that can really benefit people. Yoga is more about the inner experience than the outer experience. For people who have disabilities, I focus on deep breathing and […]
Yoga Practice Improves the Symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “regular yoga poses and stretches can help ease those restless legs syndrome symptoms and help you sleep better, feel less stressed, and even lower blood pressure.” – Everyday Health Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is characterized by an urge […]
Yoga Practice Improves Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga can do more than just relax your body in mind — especially if you’re living with diabetes. Certain poses may help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels while also improving circulation, leading many experts to recommend yoga for diabetes […]
Tai Chi Practice Changes the Brain Differently than Walking By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “tai chi appears to improve executive function—the ability to multitask, manage time, and make decisions—in people without any cognitive decline.” – Harvard Health The aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, […]
Improve Low Back Pain with Walking and Mind-Body Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness training teaches us to be aware of, and accept, moment-to-moment physical sensations of discomfort, while letting go of our usual negative reactions. So instead of spending hours each day thinking about how much we hate our back […]
Yoga is the Preferred Exercise for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “By increasing muscle mass through strengthening poses, yoga can improve your metabolism, helping you maintain a healthy body weight. Studies suggest that regular practice helps normalize blood pressure and cholesterol levels. By inducing a feeling […]
Improve the Symptoms of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a Rare Lung Disease, with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The daily practice of yoga can help in strengthening the muscles of the chest, increase lung capacity and boost oxygen intake.” – Ayurvalley Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a very rare lung disease “caused by the abnormal […]