Improve Mental Health with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “While mindfulness will not solve all of our problems, it is a powerful tool with great potential to help us all transform our relationship with our problems when it is not possible, or desirable, to eliminate them.” – Elana Miller Mindfulness […]
Improve Psychological and Physical Health in End Stage Renal Disease with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation could be a valuable, low-cost, nonpharmacologic intervention for reducing blood pressure and adrenaline levels in patients with chronic kidney disease” – Kurtis Pivert End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a serious and all too […]
Reduce the Symptoms of PTSD with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It can be very difficult to stay in your own body when you’re getting flashbacks. The lighting changes, and you feel like you’re not even in the room. . . . [Yoga] reminds me that if I just keep plodding […]
Improve Sleep with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When we lose awareness of the present moment, our minds get stuck in maladaptive ways of thinking. For example, you might be trying to go to sleep but your mind gets lost thinking about all the groceries you need to buy. Deep, relaxed breathing is […]
Sustain Attention, Vigilance, and Energy in Nurses with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “As attention is rooted more firmly in the present and less on the past and/or future, depression, rumination, and anxiety decrease,” the article explains. “The resulting effect is energy that was once spent clinging to the past or […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Fewer Worries about Cessation of the Use of Sleeping Pills for Insomnia By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “If insomnia is at the root of your sleepless nights, it may be worth trying meditation. The deep relaxation technique has been shown to increase sleep time, improve sleep quality, and make it […]
Improve Psychological Well-being in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Given the proven role of stress in heart attacks and coronary artery disease, effective meditation would be appropriate for almost all patients with coronary artery disease.” – Joon Sup Lee Cardiovascular disease is the […]
The Power of Retreat 6 – Darkness, Light, and Nothingness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Silent retreats are a kind of crucible that reveal the workings of the mind in a unique and illuminating way.” James Baraz This essay is the 6th of a continuing series of essays about the experience […]
Improve College Students Responses to Stress with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga is a practice of uniting the mind and physical body as one. It combines breathing exercise, meditation, and physical positions. This combination is believed to reduce many physical and mental ailments that are caused by stress.” – Rebecca […]
Improve Psychological and Physical Health During Cancer Treatment with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga for cancer patients—what better way to manage anxiety, gain strength, increase flexibility, and create feelings of well-being! A growing body of research points to the potential of yoga for supporting cancer patients, both during and after treatment.” – […]