By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Before we can teach a kid how to academically excel in school, we need to teach him how to have stillness, pay attention, stay on task, regulate, make good choices. We tell kids be quiet, calm yourself down, be still. We tell them all these things they […]
Kick Opioid Dependence with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Ultimately, mindfulness drives at the root of compulsive behaviors by undermining the assumption that inner experience is intolerable and therefore requires immediate relief through substance use.” – Jennifer Talley Substance abuse and addiction is a terrible problem. It isn’t just illicit […]
Mindful Cure for Insomnia By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “By taking this mindful attitude, sleep is facilitated by simply being aware of the moment-to-moment experience of relaxing into the bed, without judging or being critical of that experience, so that the mind can gently slip into sleep.” – John Cline Modern […]
Improve Alternatives to Incarceration with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness training helps youth consider more adaptive alternatives. It creates a gap between triggers for offending behavior and their responses. They learn to not immediately act out on impulse, but to pause and consider the consequences of a potential offending and […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. Orgasm is the involvement of the total body: mind, body, soul, all together. You vibrate, your whole being vibrates, from the toes to the head. You are no longer in control; existence has taken possession of you and you don’t know who you are. It is like a […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Through practicing mindfulness we become more aware of subtle changes in our mood and physical health, and can start to notice more quickly when we are struggling. Rather than waiting for a full meltdown before we take action, we can read the signals of our minds and bodies […]
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 of silent meditation retreat. Click on the numbers to follow the […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Skeptics, of course, may ask what good are a few brain changes if the psychological effects aren’t simultaneously being illustrated? Luckily, there’s good evidence for those as well, with studies reporting that meditation helps relieve our subjective levels of anxiety and depression, and improve attention, concentration, and […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Yoga is not just about the physical side, it’s also about the mind-body connection. I think having that awareness and accepting their condition can help them when they go out into the world, and lift up their self-esteem. Life is fast – yoga can help them be calm […]
Improve Psychological Health of Veterans with a Mantra By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Asking for clarity provides a way to begin to see a path out of the pain of personal issues. With spiritual support the pain begins to be released, the path becomes clearer and the next step to create the […]