Just For Today: Pocket Meditations For ADHD Part 2: BodyScan

A Soft Start To Meditation for ADHD And Busy Minds.

Learning to meditate with ADHD can feel overwhelming. I used to believe I wasn't able to meditate at all - my mind was too busy, too loud. It took me some time to fall in love with the practice - to stop feeling like I was doing it wrong.
In this short series of three short sessions, you will get a gentle, no-pressure introduction to meditation and we will explore:

- What meditation is - and what isn't.
- How to connect with your body.
- How to work with your thoughts and not against them.

Transcript

Welcome back!

In this short session,

We will explore something powerful,

Your body.

For many of us with ADHD,

We spend a lot of time in our heads,

Bouncing between thoughts,

Ideas,

Tasks,

Emotions,

And things can be very overwhelming.

But the body holds a lot of information too,

And if we learn to listen gently,

It can tell us so much.

Your body is not something that you have to control,

Something to fix.

It's like a map of sensations,

Of states,

Of signals.

So,

Let's explore that map together through a light body scan.

You may find a position that feels comfortable to you.

Sitting,

Lying down,

There's no right way to be here.

The only rule is the comfort of your body.

Now,

Just gently bring your attention to the soles of your feet.

There's nothing in particular that you need to feel right now,

Just notice.

Maybe there's a texture,

Or warmth,

Tingling,

Or nothing at all.

And whatever is there,

It's okay.

Now,

Begin to move your awareness upward into your ankles and calves.

Try to notice any sensation or absence of them and do not name it,

Just feel it.

Next,

Bring your attention to your knees and your thighs.

Notice them.

Notice whether they're holding any tension or pain,

Or just there.

Now,

Your hips.

Do they feel heavy?

Do they hold on to anything?

You can just breathe gently into them,

Letting them be as they are.

Move your awareness to your belly.

Notice if it feels relaxed or tight.

And going up to your chest,

Feeling the breath rising and falling.

You may notice your breath is different or harmonious.

It's okay,

It's enough.

Shift into your shoulders,

Down to your arms,

Into your hands and your fingers.

Notice any tingling,

Any heaviness,

Any movement.

Gently bring your attention to your neck and your jaw and your face.

Let your expressions soften.

Bring a gentle smile to your face.

Feel the release on your cheeks and your forehead.

And this is how we begin to meet our bodies again.

Not to fix them,

Not to force them,

But to witness them with love and acceptance and bring awareness into your body.

Into the sensations within,

Just noticing them.

Focusing on the trust between you and your nervous system,

Your body.

On all those connections.

And that's enough for today,

Just for today.

This is only an introduction to meditation,

Your soft beginning and I hope you will stay for the next session.

Thank you.