What are the Characteristics of the Mindful Personality By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Scientific research has shown that there are things you can do to change your personality. First, changing a large number of habits is basically the same as changing your personality, but there’s a new method that has become very […]
Tai Chi is Better than Physical Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai chi helps patients preserve and improve function by increasing strength, flexibility and coordination while avoiding aggravation of arthritic pain and inflammation. Tai chi is a particularly appealing form of exercise, as it is very low impact […]
Prevent Depression Relapse and Lessen Residual Symptoms with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Through mindfulness, individuals start to see their thoughts as less powerful. These distorted thoughts – such as “I always make mistakes” or “I’m a horrible person” – start to hold less weight. We ‘experience’ thoughts and other sensations, […]
Improve Eating Disorders with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “One of the biggest ways yoga helped me heal from anorexia was the release it provided me. I had stored so much in my body, so much pain and sadness, that often when I practiced yoga I would sob. I wouldn’t know […]
Increase Connectedness by Meditating in Pairs By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Couples meditation provides a great way for you and your partner to tune your instruments to one another. By taking a few minutes to meditate with your partner, you greatly increase your chances of having meaningful conversation and intimate connection. Couples […]
Improve the Symptoms of Stress with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Through mindfulness, individuals start to see their thoughts as less powerful. These distorted thoughts – such as “I always make mistakes” or “I’m a horrible person” – start to hold less weight. We ‘experience’ thoughts and other sensations, but we […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who has gone forth from the household life. (What are the two?) There is addiction to indulgence of sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, the way of ordinary people, unworthy, and unprofitable; and there is addiction to self-mortification, […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The quality of your attention determines whether you are present and alert, or mentally and/or emotionally distracted. The good news is that it’s possible to train your attention and gain the associated benefits, and practicing mindfulness offers one of the most accessible and effective approaches.” – Deborah David […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness meditation promotes metacognitive awareness, decreases rumination via disengagement from perseverative cognitive activities and enhances attentional capacities through gains in working memory. These cognitive gains, in turn, contribute to effective emotion-regulation strategies.” – Daphne Davis Human life is one of constant change. We revel in our […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.” ~Sylvia Boorstein Mindfulness has become a […]