Improve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness can be conceptualized as a facilitator of transition, enabling people to adapt to living with a long-term condition, and that this transition is associated with improved, self-directed management, important to both people with long-term conditions and healthcare providers.” – Daniela Semedo […]
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 the Physical and Psychological State of Breast Cancer Survivors with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “A brief mindfulness-based intervention has a positive short-term effect on psychological and behavioral measures as well as proinflammatory signal markers in younger breast cancer survivors,” – Joyce O’Shaughnessy About 12.5% of women in the U.S. develop invasive […]
Change the Brain for Healthy Aging with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “With recent neuroscientific findings, meditation as a practice has been shown to literally rewire brain circuits that boost both mind and body health. These benefits of meditation have surfaced alongside the revelation that the brain can be deeply transformed […]
Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Dealing with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) isn’t easy, but the stress (and the symptoms) involved may be lessened with mindfulness meditation.” – Andrew Weil Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder with worldwide prevalence […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “As we learn more and more about the connections between the mind and body, it becomes clear that spirituality, religion and faith can help some individuals live well with mental health conditions. Some individuals and families turn to faith in times of crisis to help in their […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “tai chi provides benefit by improving muscle strength and coordination, which leads to better joint stability. In addition, the mind-body aspects and breath control promote mental calmness, which may help to break the cycle of arthritis pain.” – Harvard Health Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “research is beginning to show how mindfulness decreases depression and anxiety during pregnancy and boosts positive emotions.” – Mindful Depression occurring after delivery of a baby is well known, documented and discussed. Less well known but equally likely is intense depression and anxiety during pregnancy. But, between […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The emotional soup that follows a stressful event can whip up negative stories about yourself or others that goes on and on, beyond being useful. Mindfulness reduces this rumination and, if practiced regularly, changes your brain so that you’re more resilient to future stressful events.” – Richard […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “For people with cardiovascular disease, meditation provides a technique for reducing stress and focusing on things they can do to be healthier. Meditation is a way of allowing you to come to balance in your life. It can also help you to sleep better, which is a very important […]