Improve the Psychological Health of Survivors of Childhood Maltreatment with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Because traumatic experience is often driven by avoidance of one’s core self, memories, and emotions, many people with unresolved or resolving developmental trauma struggle to remain present with themselves and others. . . Various forms of meditation, […]
Improve Psychological Well-Being with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Taking a few minutes to meditate every day with the goal of becoming more mindful, or focused on and accepting of the present, is a great way to relieve stress. But it’s even more powerful than you think. Mindfulness meditation helps ease mental […]
Reduce Anxiety and Improve Attention in Pre-Teens with Yogic Breathing By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Pranayama is an incredibly effective, important tool to teach children so they can control their energy, their mood, and their impulses.” – Amanda James Breathing is essential for life and generally occurs automatically. It’s easy to […]
Enhance Enjoyment of the (Winter Solstice) Holidays with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Any picture-perfect image of the holidays we build up in our minds, filled with expectations of how life should be, rarely gets met for long..” – Mark Bertin The end of December marks transitions. It marks the […]
Mindfulness Training is Effective with Widely Diverse Populations By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “In the last two decades, references to mindfulness-based treatments have proliferated. Its benefits are touted for many medical conditions and seem to be universally accepted as a technique to improve mental health across diverse populations.” – Sara Davin […]
Improve Psychological Functioning with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. ” the positive potential benefits of mindfulness practice are more attentional control, more effective emotional regulation, enhanced social relationships, reduced risk for physical ailments, enhanced immune system functioning, and better sleep quality.” – Jason Linder Over the last several decades, research and […]
Improve Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors with Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “From the philosophical and religious traditions from which mindfulness comes, it’s been long understood that practicing meditation, and cultivating mindfulness, in particular, can conduce to virtuous action.” – Daniel Berry Humans are social animals. This is a great […]
Improve Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms and Lower Rumination with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness-based practices have proved to be helpful in promoting mental well-being, especially by reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety in various populations.” – Han Ding Over the last several decades, research and anecdotal experiences […]
Mindful Independence Day By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “If today is a celebration of freedom, I think we as a nation, as a people, have squandered an opportunity. We have sought outer freedoms and ignored inner freedoms. We have pursued these freedoms with scandal, exploitation, and domination. Today, instead, I urge you […]
Improve Mental Well-Being with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “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 Over the last several decades, research and anecdotal experiences have accumulated an impressive evidential case that […]