Mindfulness Improves Depression by Affecting Trait Anxiety By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When you become aware of the present moment, you gain access to resources you may not have had before. You may not be able to change a situation, but you can mindfully change your response to it. You can choose a […]
Meditation’s Reduction of Pain is Independent of Brain Opioid Systems By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Bit by bit, as I sat noticing my breath and body sensations, I began to feel the deep knots of pain in my body start to untie themselves.” – Avi Craimer We all have to deal […]
Improve Social Anxiety Disorder with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Using mindfulness, we can begin to notice what happens in the body when anxiety is present and develop strategies to empower clients to “signal safety” to their nervous system. Over time, clients feel empowered to slow down their response to triggers, […]
Improve Mental Health with Yoga Nidra and Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga nidra promotes deep rest and relaxation that isn’t found in your average meditation practice. The stages of body scan and breath awareness alone can be practiced to calm the nervous system, leading to less stress and better health.” […]
Increase Pain Tolerance and Spirituality with a Brief Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Bit by bit, as I sat noticing my breath and body sensations, I began to feel the deep knots of pain in my body start to untie themselves.” – Avi Craimer We all have to deal with pain. It’s […]
Improve Diabetes with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “As a therapist who works primarily with people with diabetes, I have found that those who have a deeper understanding of themselves and have the ability to cope well with stressful life events simply live better with diabetes, both in terms of diabetes […]
Improve Anxiety Disorders with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “it’s clear that mindfulness allows us to interrupt automatic, reflexive fight, flight, or freeze reactions—reactions that can lead to anxiety, fear, foreboding, and worry.” – Bob Stahl Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults, or […]
Improve Anxiety and Depression with Online Mindfulness Training By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “So many people who want and would benefit from mindfulness meditation training do not ever receive it because of schedules, location, and / or an aversion to being in live groups. Offering mindfulness training in an Internet format allows […]
Improve Cognition in Breast Cancer Patients with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Between diagnosis, treatment, recovery and ongoing treatment, living with cancer is a stressful roller-coaster set on repeat. Meditation is a very useful and powerful tool that can help you get in touch with your thoughts and emotions, cultivate compassion and […]
Improve the Psychological Well-Being of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation has been shown to decrease cortisol levels and improve sleep in both beginning and experienced meditation practitioners. Since stress has been linked to MS relapses, and meditation has been shown to relieve biological markers of […]