“Yoga helps our entire system slow down. Our bodies are programmed to heal naturally, and what stops that healing are all the stressors of daily life. Yoga dissolves those stressors for the time during practice and usually the effects last for hours after.” – Elena Brower Yoga practice is multifaceted. It is a physical […]
“Needless anxiety and stress cannot burden us if the thoughts don’t enter our mind. And fortunately, we are only capable of focusing on one thing at a time. When you’re aware of only what you’re working on and the sensations of your body, conscious worry is not possible.” – Jordan Bates Anxiety disorders are […]
“Metta is the priceless treasure that enlivens us and brings us into intimacy with ourselves and others. It is the force of love that will lead beyond fragmentation, loneliness and fear. The late Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba often said, “Don’t throw anyone out of your heart.” One of the most powerful healings (and greatest […]
“I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.” – Steven Wright We spend a tremendous amount of our time with our minds wandering and not on the task or the environment at hand. We daydream, plan for the future, review the past, ruminate on our failures, exalt in our successes. […]
“Of course, genes can’t pull the levers of our behavior directly. But they affect the wiring and workings of the brain, and the brain is the seat of our drives, temperaments and patterns of thought.” – Steven Pinker There are large differences between people in both their physical and psychological characteristics, including their levels of […]
“We consistently teach a practice to provide prisoners with a skill to become more sensitive to how they feel in their bodies. When you develop a close relationship with your own sensitivity, you are less apt to violate another. This is empathy. And empathy, when encouraged, leads to compassion. Gradually, the cycle of violence is […]
Aging brings a myriad of physical and mental changes including altered amounts and patterns of sleep. Older people have the same sleep needs as when they were younger but they have more difficulty falling and staying asleep and do not sleep as deeply. In addition, aging individuals wake more often during sleep, tend to go […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “People do not realize that Alzheimer’s is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer’s every day.” – Melina Kanakaredes The normal aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, the brain […]
Improve the Cognitive, Social, and Psychological States of Mild Alzheimer’s Patients with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “You have to be patient with Alzheimer’s. Once you understand that it’s a medical condition, you become a little more compassionate. You get less frustrated.” – Kim Campbell The normal aging process involves […]
Prevent Depression and Dementia-Related Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Alzheimer’s is not about the past—the successes, the accolades, the accomplishments… Alzheimer’s is about the present and the struggle, the scrappy brawl, the fight to live with a disease. It’s being in the present, the relationships, […]