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 […]
By Dr. John M. de Castro “Mindfulness practice appears to be a safe, drug-free approach to coping with stress and anxiety, which may in turn help reduce your MS symptoms.” – Amit Sood “Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world. more than 400,000 people […]
“Yoga is about exploring and learning in a fun, safe and playful way. Yoga and kids are a perfect match.” – PBS Parents Childhood can be a wonderful time of life. But, it is often fraught with problems that can stress the child. Grammar school aged children are exposed to many stressors including problems […]
“When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.” ~Svatmarama There are two basic forms of meditation, focused meditation and open monitoring. For the beginner, most teachers […]