Why Traditional Meditation Can Feel So Hard With ADHD

05:38

Why Traditional Meditation Can Feel So Hard With ADHD

by Caroline Bakker

Rated

5

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

1

If silent meditation leaves you restless, distracted or more aware of every thought, it does not necessarily mean mindfulness is not for you. This talk explores ADHD-friendly ways to approach meditation using sensory anchors, shorter practices, movement, guided attention and a clear purpose. Learn why returning attention — rather than maintaining perfect focus — can become the practice itself.

Mindful Awareness Sense Door Practice Adhd Meditation Mindfulness Attention Movement Attention Anchor Self Awareness Development

Meet your Teacher

Caroline Bakker

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Meet your Teacher

Caroline Bakker

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Transcript

Hi, I'm Caroline. If you have ever tried meditation and thought, I am terrible at this. I want to offer you a different possibility. Maybe the version of meditation you were given. Was not the best doorway for your nervous system. Many people are introduced to meditation with instructions like this. Sit completely still. Close your eyes, Focus on one thing. Clear your mind and stay there for 20 minutes. But. . . For a busy. Restless or easily overstimulated mind. That can feel less like pace. And more like suddenly hearing every thought at full volume. That doesn't mean. Mindfulness is not for you. It may mean you need more support for attention. Meditation can have anchors. An anchor is simply something your attention can return to. It might be the feeling of your feet on the ground. The warmth. Of your hands. A repeated phrase. Gentle sound. A visual point in the room. Slow movement. The sensation of walking. And importantly, The goal is not. To never get distracted. The practice. Is noticing that attention moves. And returning it. That return is not a failure in meditation. It is the practice itself. For an ADHD mind. I also like meditation to be specific. Instead of sit here and be calm. Perhaps the practice has a job. Come down after overstimulation. Transition out of work. Settle a racing mind before sleep. Orient. When time has disappeared. Recover. After masking. Beginning one task. Now. Mindfulness becomes much less abstract. It becomes a way of meeting the state. That you are actually in. You can also keep your eyes open. You can move. You can use a shorter practice. You can choose guided meditation instead of silence. You can repeat the same practice so many times so that your brain knows what is coming. And you do not have to use meditation. To make every uncomfortable feeling disappear. Sometimes the practice is simply creating enough space to notice. Noticing that I am overstimulated. I am rushing. I am holding my breath. I am exhausted. I need less input. I need one next step. This is the bridge I care about most in my work. Understanding why your mind and body move. Are responding the way they are. And then. Using mindfulness as a practical way to return. Not to become empty-minded. Not to become a different person. But. To become more able to notice yourself while you are living your actual life. If traditional meditation has felt hard for you. Try changing the doorway. Give your attention something tangible. To come back to. You can make the practice shorter. You can move your body if it needs to. And remember. . . Every time you notice that you have wondered. And gently return. You are practicing mindfulness.