Improve Creativity with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness meditation is a great technique to learn to help improve creativity. There have been studies done specifically to measure the cognitive rigidity of people who meditate and their ability to solve problems in novel ways. The research shows non-meditators had greater cognitive rigidity than […]
Alter Brain Networks and Cognitive Ability with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. ” Another great benefit of Tai Chi is that it’s accessible to people of all ages and fitness abilities. It’s the focus on the subtle movements that exercise the brain and boost cognitive abilities.” – Karl Romain […]
Improve Creativity with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness meditation is a great technique to learn to help improve creativity. There have been studies done specifically to measure the cognitive rigidity of people who meditate and their ability to solve problems in novel ways. The research shows non-meditators had greater cognitive rigidity than […]
Meditation Practice Alters Brain Networks in the Elderly By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “A growing body of research supports the immediate benefits of meditation, such as reduced stress and anxiety levels, lower blood pressure, and enhanced happiness. Studies on mindfulness interventions show these effects are common in as few as eight weeks. […]
Change the Genes and the Brain for the Better with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Scientists looked at how mindfulness practice affected genetic differences between one group of expert meditators compared with a control group of untrained meditators. “most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of […]
Improve Neural Regulation of Negative Emotions with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation might help depression, stress and anxiety but it’s not a ‘positive thinking’ tool that pretends everything is fine when it isn’t. It’s a way of being able to be with things as they are, in pain or in […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Our minds wander, on average 50 percent of the time. The exact rate varies enormously. . . . Noticing where your mind has gone – checking your twitter feed instead of working on that report – gives you the chance for a second thought: “my mind has […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yet until recently little was known about how a few hours of quiet reflection each week could lead to such an intriguing range of mental and physical effects. Now, as the popularity of mindfulness grows, brain imaging techniques are revealing that this ancient practice can profoundly change […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation is the best approach we know of allowing the mind to relax and have the ability to make a surge of insight wisdom. One does not power through an “Aha! Moment” with strain and determination. Thinking and more thinking does not generate that moment of brilliance that […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The practice appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits – from changes in grey matter volume to reduced activity in the “me” centers of the brain to enhanced connectivity between brain regions.” – Alice G. Walton The higher centers of the human brain are contained in […]