Improve Self-Compassion with Residential Mindfulness Programs Conducted Either Inside or Outdoors By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The power of nature to bring us immediately to the present must be primally wired into us.” – Christopher Willard Modern living is stressful, perhaps, in part because it has divorced us from the natural […]
Mindfulness-Based Therapies Effectively Treat Cardiovascular Disease By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “What’s good for the mind also tends to be good for the heart. The mind-calming practice of meditation may play a role in reducing your risk of heart disease.” – Harvard Health Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer. A […]
Produce Lasting Improvements in Resilience and Well-Being in Pre-Retirement Employees with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “workers who took the mindfulness class reported feeling much better. They had less prolonged fatigue — that feeling of exhaustion that doesn’t go away even after having a chance to rest. They also felt less […]
Improve Somatic Symptom Disorder with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Somatic symptom disorder . . . symptoms cannot be explained by general medical conditions and significantly affect one’s functioning.” – S. Actas According to the American Psychological Association “Somatic symptom disorder involves a person having a significant focus on physical […]
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Plus Loving-Kindness Mediation is highly Effective in Depressed Patients By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “MBCT can provide a viable relapse prevention intervention for people with a history of recurrent depression.” – Catherine Crane Clinically diagnosed depression is the most common mental illness, affecting over 6% of the […]
Improve the Psychological Well-Being of Medical Students with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Medical students are being trained to have 100 things on their mind at all times. It’s harder and harder to focus on one thing explicitly. [Mindfulness] gives you that skill to know that you can focus on everything […]
Improve Elementary School Children Behavior with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Research shows that mindfulness skills improve memory, organizational skills, reading and math scores, all while giving kids the tools they need to handle toxic stress.” – Michelle Kinder Elementary school environments have a huge effect on development. They are […]
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 […]
Increase the Energy Metabolism of the Brain with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “As a form of mental training, meditation improves core physical and psychological assets, including energy, motivation, and strength. Studies on the neurophysiological concomitants of meditation have proved that commitment to daily practice can bring promising changes for the […]
Improve Physical Function in Chronic Pain Patients with Mind-Body Practice By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mind-body practices like tai chi, yoga, mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy can all relieve lower back pain effectively.” – Wayne Jonas We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, but hopefully it’s mild and short […]