Spirituality and Religion are Associated with Better Well-Being in Medical Residents By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Most internal medicine residents have positive attitudes toward spirituality, religion, and medicine. They do not have adequate knowledge or skill to care for patients in this area.” – Gina M. Piscitello Stress is epidemic in […]
Yoga Improves Resident Physician Psychological Health But Doesn’t Appear to be Feasible and Acceptable. By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Slammed by long and unpredictable hours, heavy clinical workloads, fatigue and limited professional control, many medical residents experience stress and even burnout. And surveys indicate this burnout can seriously impact physician well-being and patient care outcomes.” […]
Different Aspects of Yoga Practice Affect the Psychological Benefits By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Most styles of yoga are based on the same basic yoga poses (called asanas), however the experience of one style can be radically different than another.” – DoYoga Yoga training has been shown to improve health and well-being. It has also been found […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Improved Coping and Mental Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Right now it’s very easy to let your brain spin out with the frightening possibilities. Practicing mindfulness helps bring us back to the present, and away from the brink.” – David Anderson Mindfulness […]
Improve Stress Responding, Health, and Well-Being with Qigong By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Qigong is an extraordinary tool for reducing the harmful effects of stress. The three pillars of qigong practice are body, breath, and mind. If your body is relaxed your breathing will slow down. When your breath is slow, you […]
Improve the Mental Health of Chronic Pain Patients with Mindfulness Training Over the Internet. By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Daily mindfulness practice can be helpful for people living with chronic pain because sometimes there are negative or worrisome thoughts about the pain. These thoughts are normal, and can affect mood and […]
Tai Chi Practice Changes the Brain Differently than Walking By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “tai chi appears to improve executive function—the ability to multitask, manage time, and make decisions—in people without any cognitive decline.” – Harvard Health The aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, […]
Unique Brain Activity Registers Internal Attentional States During Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Your brain is actually shaped by your thoughts and your behaviors. . . meditation can help boost attention and keep the brain sharp. . . mindful breath awareness may improve attention and help curb impulsive behavior” – Grace Bullock There […]
Improve Attention and Memory with Closed-Loop Digital Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The good news is that its possible to train your attention and gain the associated benefits, and practicing mindfulness offers one of the most accessible and effective approaches.” – Deborah Schoeberlein David There has accumulated a large amount of […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Higher Levels of Empathy By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness is a practice of self–empathy. This kind of self-awareness allows us to develop empathic connections to others. As we experience the landscape of our inner life with more detail and richness, our ability to understand the inner lives of others […]