Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Stress Depends Upon Baseline Levels of Anxiety and Sleep Disruption By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Chronic stress can impair the body’s immune system and make many other health problems worse. By lowering the stress response, mindfulness may have downstream effects throughout the body.” – American Psychological Association […]
Improve Gastrointestinal Health with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Humans were never designed to be stressed out all the time, and when we learn to calm our nervous systems, our health improves dramatically. Our nervous system and the gut are inextricably linked.” – Buffy Owens Stress affects gastrointestinal function. Short-term […]
Change the Brain to Increase Sustained Attention with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “as the popularity of mindfulness grows, brain imaging techniques are revealing that this ancient practice can profoundly change the way different regions of the brain communicate with each other – and therefore how we think – permanently.” – […]
Improve Anxiety Disorders with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “[Anxiety Disorders] primarily involves unrelenting worry. With meditation, you can learn to accept those worries without letting them upset you, which is likely to diminish your stress.” – Arlin Cuncic Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting […]
Improve Adolescent Psychological Well-Being with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “with all the uncertainty in the world right now, teens can definitely benefit from taking time to quiet the noise and meditate. It’s a handy practice that can help them through all kinds of confusing and stressful situations in life.” – […]
Increase Brain Activity with Brief Exercise and Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditating for a few minutes might help rein in those wandering thoughts and help you stay focused throughout the day. But meditating can have an even bigger impact. Some studies show that it affects the brain in various ways, […]
Combined Meditation, Yoga, and Ethical Education have Additive Effects on Well-Being By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When practiced together, yoga and meditation strengthen the connection between mind and body, thereby improving overall fitness and wellbeing.” – Peaceful Dragon Mindfulness training has been shown to improve health and well-being in healthy individuals and those with medical and psychiatric conditions, Similarly, yoga […]
Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms with Loving Kindness Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “You probably know that symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often include anxiety, unwanted memories, anger and avoidance. But did you know that meditation may be able to help? Meditative practices have been linked to decreases in […]
Meditation Alters the Brain in Conjunction with Alterations of Awareness 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 been […]
Reduce Pregnancy-Related Anxiety with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness practice provides an opportunity for the discovery of previously unrecognized inner resources of strength and resilience. By the time the workshop is over, women’s confidence levels increase and their fears begin to dissipate. They realize that even if giving birth is […]