ADHD-Friendly Way to Meditate

I have ADHD. While I personally know how important meditation is for people with ADHD, I also know how ADHD-unfriendly the traditional way of teaching meditation is. So, let me share some tips on meditation tailored to my fellow ADHDers.

Before I do, let’s get a few things straight: We have ADHD. Most people don’t. We should not try to be like most people. We just need to be ourselves, which we already are, and do things in the way that works for us.

For example, the sitting. It makes sense to start learning meditation with the sitting posture. However, don't try to sit for long periods. Do begin with very short sessions, like 5 minutes. Remember: Meditation is the work of the mind. So, it’s not how long you sit that matters; it’s how well you meditate, which has nothing to do with sitting. By the way, you don’t have to sit cross-legged. You can sit on a chair.

We want to remember to be aware, to be conscious, instead of being lost in thoughts. So, ask yourself, “What am I doing now?” or “How am I feeling?” You don’t have to answer those questions. They are merely meant to lead your mind to pay attention. If you are paying attention, you are meditating.

Now, you may ask, “Pay attention to just anything?” Nope. Pay attention to what you’re doing or how you’re feeling now. Whatever that is is fine. The important thing is that you remember to be aware instead of being lost in thoughts.

You don’t have to do this while sitting. You can do the same while walking too. In fact, you may find it easier to meditate while walking.

Better still, meditate during any daily activity. If you are aware of what you’re doing or how you’re feeling, you are meditating. In fact, this should be your goal. The more you can remain aware, the more composed or collected your mind becomes.

It takes skill to remain aware at all times. You need to learn how to be aware in different situations. This will take some time to master. To make it fun, make this effort your game. Invent your own ways to stay aware.

Ask yourself any of the two questions mentioned above as often as you need. The more you tend to forget, the more you need those questions to remind you to be aware.

Be kind to yourself. If you get lost in thoughts, so be it. When you know you’re lost in thoughts, you no longer are—you have become aware. Be happy about that instead of criticizing yourself for it.

Don’t force. The ability to remain aware is not cultivated by force. It’s cultivated by wisdom. So, don’t force yourself to remain aware. Instead, think of how to remain aware.

Remember to relax. The more relaxed your body is, the calmer the mind becomes; then the easier it is for you to remember to be aware.

Parting Words

Remember, we’re not aiming for perfection. What we want is to cultivate our minds so that the negative tendencies of ADHD are subdued. When that happens, it can seem as if we don’t have ADHD at all.

The above instructions are just the basics to help you get started. To really master meditation, you need a teacher—preferably one who understands ADHD, like me.

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