Reduce Stress and Improve Autonomic Nervous System Function with Tai Chi or Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “The rate of individuals suffering from autonomic nervous system dysfunctions is fast on the rise, due to our high stress and stimulative 21st-century lifestyles. However unknown to many practitioners, there are several natural therapies […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Drugs are effective for rheumatoid arthritis, but they don’t affect the stress pathways that are so fundamental to the condition. Stress symptoms activate inflammation and even heighten the perception of pain. “A mindfulness-based intervention, which targets the multiple components of the body’s stress response, can decrease overall pain severity […]
Improve Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It isn’t every day that an effective new treatment for some Parkinson’s disease symptoms comes along. Especially one that is safe, causes no adverse side effects, and may also benefit the rest of the body and the mind. . . […]
Mindfulness Improves Psychological and Physical Health in South Africans By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can be seen as a public health intervention, designed to over time move the bell curve of society as a whole toward greater health.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness training has been shown to […]
Treat Insomnia in Breast Cancer Survivors with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Breast cancer survivors often don’t just come to physicians with insomnia. They have insomnia, fatigue and depression. And this intervention, tai chi, impacted all those outcomes in a similar way, with benefits that were as robust as the […]
Improve the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “While there is no evidence that regular yoga practice has an effect on the systems in the brain that are related to Parkinson’s disease, patients report improvements in their quality of life.” – Lynn Burgess Parkinson’s Disease (PD) […]
Reduce the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia with Tai Chi By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Tai chi mind-body treatment results in similar or greater improvement in symptoms than aerobic exercise, the current most commonly prescribed non-drug treatment. This mind-body approach may be considered a therapeutic option in the multi-disciplinary management of fibromyalgia.” – Wang […]
Improve Mental Health with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “While mindfulness will not solve all of our problems, it is a powerful tool with great potential to help us all transform our relationship with our problems when it is not possible, or desirable, to eliminate them.” – Elana Miller Mindfulness […]
Improve Psychological Health with Dynamic Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Ultimately, engaging in mindfulness meditation cultivates our ability to both focus and broaden our attention, which is a practical way to elicit psychological well-being.” – Jennifer Wolkin Mindfulness training has been shown to be effective in improving physical and psychological health and […]
Reduce Paranoia with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “people who receive Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are taught how to detach from their feelings of paranoia and social discomfort and to recognize that the feelings are simply feelings, and are not reality.” – Jen Wilson Paranoia is a tendency to […]