Reduce Pain and Relax the Autonomic Nervous System with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When we impose a litany of negativity upon our pain, it only becomes worse, and potentially elicits other difficulties including depression and anxiety. When we become more aware of what we are actually experiencing, without the overlay of […]
Improve Pain, Sleep, and the Mental Health of Chronic Pain Patients with Internet Mindfulness Training By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In the context of chronic pain . . . meditation can help you to stop your mind wandering back to your pain when you are trying to focus on something else, therefore […]
Improve Physical and Mental Well-Being with Mindfulness Meditation-Based Interventions By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness meditation is related to improved mental health across a variety of disorders, including different anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and chronic pain symptom reduction.” – Jennifer Wolkin Over the last several decades, research and […]
Decrease Defensiveness and Increase Psychological Health with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. . . People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep […]
Reduce Opioid-Treated Pain and Opioid Dosage with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mind-body therapies — including meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis — were associated with improvements in pain and reduced opioid doses.” – Erin Michael We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, but hopefully it’s mild and […]
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. […]
Improve Chronic Low Back Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy often work better than pain meds and other medical treatments for chronic back pain.” – Nancy Shute Low Back Pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects between 6% to 15% of […]
Meditation Alters Gut Microbes for Better Health By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In calming your stress response, meditation can help prevent the slowed digestion speed, altered gene expression, intestinal permeability, and disruptive changes to gut microbes caused by stress.” – Crystal Star Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders are the most common disorders of […]
Relieve Pain with Brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The mechanisms behind how mindfulness reduces pain . . . continue to include mindfulness meditation’s ability to provide pain relief by cultivating the ability to parse between the objective sensory dimension of pain, and the more subjective judgement that we attach […]
Meditation and Yogic Breathing Techniques Improve Respiration and Psychological Well-Being By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga, meditation and other relaxation techniques all depend on focusing on the breath. There are many benefits of meditation and proper breathing is an important part of learning how to calm the mind and body.” – Home Care Assistance […]