Strengthen the Brain and Improve Cognition in Older Adults with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness training, with its emphasis on present-focused attention and regulation of the habitual, reflexive tendencies of the mind, has the potential to enhance cognitive control operations in the elderly and the neural circuitry associated with it.” […]
Different Meditation Types Alter Brain Connectivity Patters Differently Over the Long Term By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “[Meditation], regardless of each individual’s chosen object of attention, increases functional connectivity within attentional networks as well as increases connectivity across distributed brain regions serving attention, self-referential, and visual processes.” – Zongpai Zhang There […]
Meditation Strengthens Brain Attentional Networks By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation practice appears to positively impact attentional functions by improving resource allocation processes. As a result, attentional resources are allocated more fully during early processing phases which subsequently enhance further processing.” – Peter Malinowski The nervous system is a dynamic entity, […]
Increase Relaxation with Focused Meditation while Increasing Activation with Open Monitoring Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness meditation consists of focused attention meditation (FAM) and open monitoring meditation (OMM), both of which reduce activation of the default mode network (DMN) and mind-wandering.” – Masahiro Fujino Meditation training has been shown […]
Improve Brain Processing in Mood Dysregulated Adolescents with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness-based interventions—practices that promote non-judgmental attention to the present—can help individuals respond with acceptance to challenging circumstances or emotions and is a promising approach to treatment of mood lability.” – D. M. Hafemann Adolescence is a time […]
Meditation Increases Functional Connectivity of Brain Networks By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It seems the longer you do meditation, the better your brain will be at self-regulation,” – Bin He Mindfulness training has been shown through extensive research to be effective in improving physical and psychological health and particularly with reducing the physical and […]
Meditation Changes the Brain Areas Underlying Executive Function and Mind Wandering By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation nurtures the parts of the brain that contribute to well-being. Furthermore, it seems that a regular practice deprives the stress and anxiety-related parts of the brain of their nourishment.” – Mindworks Mindfulness training has […]
Improve Brain Function and Mental Health in Chronic Pain Patients with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “With the ACT approach, learning to let go of behaviors, memories, thoughts, and emotions creates space to explore new experiences, including acceptance of chronic pain sensations.” – Rosemary Black We all have to deal with […]
Change the Brain to Improve Chronic Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “we should consider one’s level of mindfulness when calculating why and how one feels less or more pain.” – Fadel Zeidan We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, but hopefully it’s mild and short lived. […]
Change the Brain to Improve Emotion Regulation in Bereaved Individuals with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It takes a boat load of self-compassion to allow oneself to feel whatever it is you are feeling at any given time, without judgment, without comparison relative to another’s explicit portrayal of their own process. […]