Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms with Qigong By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Evidence is growing for the Traditional Chinese practice of qigong as a treatment for fibromyalgia..” – Adrienne Dellwo Fibromyalgia is a mysterious disorder whose causes are unknown. It is very common affecting over 5 million people in the U.S., about 2% of […]
Exercise on the Eightfold Path By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “it’s possible to merge awareness and physical exercise together as one. This allows you to experience the present moment during your physical activity.” – Adam Brady We often think of meditation or spiritual practice as occurring in quiet places removed from […]
Improve Balance in Parkinson’s Disease with Tai Chi and Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In addition to easing balance problems, and possibly other symptoms, tai chi can help ease stress and anxiety and strengthen all parts of the body, with few if any harmful side effects. . . with Parkinson’s disease.” […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Lower Functional Impairment and Avoidance in Major Depressive Disorder By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “People at risk for depression are dealing with a lot of negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs about themselves and this can easily slide into a depressive relapse. MBCT helps them to recognize that’s happening, […]
Spirituality is Associated with Better Decision Making and Well-Being at End of Life By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “spirituality is an important component of quality of life and may be a key factor in how people cope with illness, experience healing, and achieve a sense of coherence.” – Christina Puchalski Death […]
Improve Mood with Tai Chi or Qigong Practice By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “adding a mind-body exercise like tai chi that is widely available in the community can improve the outcomes of treating depression in older adults. . . With tai chi, we may be able to treat these conditions without exposing […]
Reduce Depression with Qigong Practice By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “practice of the Chinese martial art tai chi led to significantly reduced symptoms of depression in Chinese-Americans not receiving any other treatments.” – Science Daily Clinically diagnosed depression is the most common mental illness, affecting over 6% of the population. Depression […]
Improve Well-Being with a Smartphone Mindfulness App By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “What do you do when you can’t afford therapy but are struggling to handle your mental illness alone? You could download an app. In recent years, there’s been a proliferation of mental health apps available to smartphone users. These reasonably-priced, […]
Improve Type 2 Diabetes with Tai Chi Practice By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai Chi exercises can improve blood glucose levels and improve the control of type 2 diabetes and immune system response.” – Medical News Today Diabetes is a major health issue. It is estimated that 30 million people in the United […]
Mindfulness Reduces Addiction by Improving Pleasure Appreciation in Opioid Users By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness-based interventions could help people dependent on opioids increase their self-awareness and self-control over cravings and be less reactive to emotional and physical pain. Individuals with an opioid addiction could also be taught to change their negative […]