Reduce Mild Aging Cognitive Decline with Yogic Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The healthier and more active one’s lifestyle, the more likely he or she will maintain cognitive performance over time. And meditation may be a key ingredient for ensuring brain health and maintaining good mental performance.” – Grace Bullock […]
Improve Health with Tai Chi or Qigong By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The health benefits from Qigong and Tai Chi comes about both by supporting the body’s natural tendency to return to balance and equilibrium and also gently yet profoundly creating strength, flexibility and balance in the muscles and joints through gentle […]
Relieve Anxiety following Surgery with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness trains you to view your thoughts differently. You learn to recognize and stop “mental time travel” — worrying about the future and ruminating about the past. Instead of following a worrying thought down the path of all possible negative outcomes, you […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “An improved understanding and respect for individual spiritual practices can help shape personalized medical care for older adults, and improve health outcomes.” – Helen Lavretsky Psychological well-being is sometimes thought of as a lack of mental illness. But, it is more than just a lack of something. […]
Improve Quality-of-life and Stress Responses in Caregivers for Patients with Dementia By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness also happens to be a salvation for caregivers facing the ongoing stress from caring for a loved one with dementia. There is another reason mindfulness practice can be a game changer for dementia caregivers. Mindfulness […]
Focus in Meditation for Cognitive Effects but Open Monitor in Meditation for Physical Effects By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In focused attention meditation, the focus of the mind is placed only on one thing. This implies that you have to stop everything you are doing and designate time for this type of meditation. […]
Change the Brain with Different Meditation Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Most people tend to believe that all types of meditations are the same. It is common to hear about the benefits of “meditation,” but most people don’t know that there are different benefits to be obtained based specifically on the […]
Decrease Stress Hormones with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Individuals who scored high on the mindfulness questionnaire also had low levels in cortisol, both before and after the retreat. Subjects whose mindfulness score increased after the retreat also showed a decrease in cortisol.” – Tonya Jacobs Stress is an integral […]
Modulate Brain Processing of Emotions with Religious Chanting By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mantras – properly practiced – turn negative emotions into life-enriching creativity. It’s that simple and that powerful.” – Eric Klein Alternative and Complementary techniques have been growing in acceptance and use over the last couple of decades. With […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “As we learn more and more about the connections between the mind and body, it becomes clear that spirituality, religion and faith can help some individuals live well with mental health conditions. Some individuals and families turn to faith in times of crisis to help in their […]