Improve Children’s Academic Performance with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness is having a real impact on our students and their ability to focus on the moment, whether in music, sports, exams or just dealing with the pressures of everyday life.” – Jeanette Richardson Childhood is a wonderful time during […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai Chi is a sophisticated form of whole body Neuromuscular/skeletal movement re-education. With good use, the body moves easily – with balance and coordination; both mental and physical. Initially developed as a martial art, it has now become more widely practiced as an exercise for health and […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Because Tai Chi may impact cognitive function via a diverse and potentially synergistic set of mechanistic pathways, it is plausible that it may offer benefits superior to interventions that target only single pathways (e.g., aerobic training or stress reduction alone)” – Peter Wayne The process of aging […]
Prevent Depression and Dementia-Related Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Alzheimer’s is not about the past—the successes, the accolades, the accomplishments… Alzheimer’s is about the present and the struggle, the scrappy brawl, the fight to live with a disease. It’s being in the present, the relationships, […]
Improve Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Everyone has a mountain to climb and autism has not been my mountain, it has been my opportunity for victory.” – Rachel Barcellona Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that tends to appear during early childhood […]
Strengthen the Brain and Improve Cognition in Older Adults with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness training, with its emphasis on present-focused attention and regulation of the habitual, reflexive tendencies of the mind, has the potential to enhance cognitive control operations in the elderly and the neural circuitry associated with it.” […]
Meditation Improves Health and Well-Being Through Epigenetic Mechanisms By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It seems unusual that something as simple and easy as meditating could improve your health, but these studies demonstrate an epigenetic link between meditation and its potential disease-reducing benefits.” – Bailey Kirkpatrick Over the last several decades, research […]
Improve the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease with Mind-Body Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The mind-body connection recognizes that emotional, mental, and behavioral factors can directly affect our health, and mind-body techniques can improve quality of life and may help reduce symptoms of disease.” – Emily Downward Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is an incurable […]
Improve Autism in Adolescents with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness has emerged as a way of treating children and adolescents with conditions ranging from ADHD to anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, depression and stress. And the benefits are proving to be tremendous.” Juliann Garey Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that tends to appear during […]
Improve Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis with Exercise and Mind-Body Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “studies suggest that specific mind-body therapies may help reduce pain and improve physical function in persons with osteoarthritis of the knee.” – Terry Selfe Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease that is the most common […]