This is a powerful acceptance and commitment therapy,
Meditation for ADHD.
And in it we will create space for focus.
If you live with ADHD,
I do,
You might find your thoughts,
Emotions or impulses pulling you in many directions.
This practice isn't about stopping those feelings,
It's about creating a sense of calm and clarity,
Being alive and aware within the flow of your experience.
So find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
And it's fine to fidget,
To move,
And if you can,
Do come to some kind of stillness in the body,
But no problem if that's really difficult for you.
You can be mindful when you're moving,
Just as easy as you can when you're still.
So start by bringing your attention to the breath,
There's no need to change it,
Just notice how it feels in the body,
How it flows in and out.
You might feel air entering your nose,
Or your chest or abdomen expanding,
And then you'll feel it gently leave the body.
And now take a moment to notice,
Either the pressure of your feet on the floor,
Or the weight of your body,
Wherever it rests,
Just feeling that contact of ground with your body.
And feeling that change,
Feel that that moves,
That's not static and still.
And if you'd rather do move,
Maybe move side to side and feel the weight of the body change from one position to another,
And the different levels of pressure that this causes in the body.
As you breathe,
Imagine you're sitting on the edge of a stream,
And each thought that you have,
Each feeling,
Or impulse,
Is like a leaf floating down on the water.
You don't need to chase or control the leaves,
Simply notice them as they pass.
If a thought grabs your attention,
Gently name it,
Thinking,
Feeling,
Or maybe there's an urge to do something,
To stop this practice even,
And notice that.
Say in your mind,
Urge,
And feel that urge.
Whatever you're feeling right now is fine,
There's no particular way to feel here.
You don't even have to try to relax,
Relaxation may happen,
Or it might not.
You may notice that some thoughts or feelings seem uncomfortable or distracting,
And instead of pushing them away,
Take a moment to acknowledge them with kindness,
And say to yourself,
It's okay to feel this way.
Imagine space around these feelings,
Give them room to breathe,
They don't need to disappear,
They just need space to exist without overwhelming you.
So we're opening up,
Everything's welcome,
Everything's an opportunity to be here in the present moment.
And now ask yourself,
What's most important to me now,
Here in this moment?
Maybe it's being present with someone you care about.
And don't go judging yourself for your mind just taking you away from situations,
This practice is going to improve that,
But it will also improve your acceptance of it.
Maybe it's important right now to be focusing on one small task at a time,
Or perhaps it's simply showing compassion and kindness to yourself.
So think through what I've said,
It may be something completely different for you,
Just choose one value,
Something that's important to you,
Or a goal,
And imagine placing it gently on a stone beside the stream,
And let this be your anchor,
Something to return to whenever your mind feels scattered.
So we'll close the practice now,
So take a deep breath in,
And then slowly let it go.
And know that it's okay to have a busy mind,
There's actually great advantages if we can come into the present moment and gain some stability within that busy mind.
It doesn't define your ability to act or to focus on what matters.
So when you're ready,
Open your eyes,
And carry this sense of awareness,
Acceptance,
And clarity with you,
And remember even in moments of distraction,
You always have the power to create space and to choose what's meaningful for you.
And it doesn't matter if you feel that you are barely here for the practice,
If your mind was constantly drifting away,
That's fine,
That's even normal for neurotypicals.
Just know that practicing this regularly will bring you these little moments of clarity,
Guidance,
And direction that will begin to seep into your life,
And make you more aware of what's happening,
And where to take that.
Have a wonderful day.
