Yoga for ADHD
What are the benefits for ADHD?
Yoga is great for common issues such as difficulty with focus and concentration, and high energy.
Like typical people in modern life, children often have to spend more time indoors, when they have energy to let loose! Yoga is a chance to work off energy and practice present moment awareness - slowing the body’s systems down.
Getting to know our breathing is often the first step, and allows us to calm the nervous system and improve digestion.
What happens in the class?
We will work towards a full Hatha yoga class that includes singing, yoga poses, breathing techniques, eye exercises and a deep relaxation.
We go into class with no expectations but to connect, have fun, and relax body and mind!
However, over time the practices can have a very profound and deep effect on all the body's systems, brain chemistry and the emotions.
What if a child experiences very high energy?
The yoga method we practice is gentle and designed to connect with every child.
Children with ADHD usually love the practice, as they are able to come as themselves, try challenging and fun yoga poses and breathing techniques, and build confidence in their ability to learn new things.
Additionally, when a child is breathing erratically, which impacts them a lot, yoga and breathwork helps to steady the breath :)
The Science
The latest key neuroscience of ADHD is that it can impact the size and connectivity of the pre-frontal cortex (PFC).
This brain structure mainly governs executive functioning, enabling us to make decisions and plan. In neurodiverse brains with ADHD, there might be lower connectivity between the PFC and some other brain structures such as the amygdala, contributing to difficulties with concentration and nervous system regulation.
Fantastically, the latest studies show yoga and mindfulness work on firing up these specific neural pathways, and that activating either motor or cognitive networks strengthens the other. For example, by moving into tree pose, we are building calmer mental processes, and the concentration we apply helps to spark greater physical co-ordination too.
Anxiety and stress can have the same impact on the PFC, so this is true for all of us!
Testimonials
