Have You Tried Vedic Meditation for ADHD?

What it is and why it works!

If you have ADHD and have tried to meditate, you are probably familiar with the playful Buddhist concept of “monkey mind.” This phrase describes what happens when we try to clear the mind of thoughts. We all know how that ends. Thoughts get louder and multiply until the brain feels like a feral monkey encampment. With restless, critical and random thoughts bouncing around, it’s not easy to be all Zen.

Trying not to think does not work; a new strategy is required. Here’s plan B!

Give the Monkey One Banana

In this strategy, we try to work with the monkey. We give one specific and repetitive task - or just one banana to focus on and think about. Monkeys with nothing to do cause chaos. But if you give them a job, they will calm down and let you meditate.

Depending on which school of meditation you subscribe to, you can choose one or more jobs for your monkey. Jobs could include mantras, mudras, mala beads, counting, focusing on the breath, or observing anything the senses perceive. You might also use an app or a guided meditation as the banana. In Vedic Meditation, the banana is the mantra.

Vedic-Style Meditation

Vedic Meditation is based on the teachings of the Vedas, a large body of sacred wisdom teachings from India, over 5,000 years ago. The word Veda is Sanskrit for knowledge. Vedic Meditation is an effortless path to experience inner peace and calm.

In Vedic Meditation, you sit comfortably in a chair with your back supported, your head free, and your eyes closed—no need to be in the lotus position. Be comfortable, and don’t worry if you itch, cough, sneeze, or the dog licks you!

Allow yourself to settle and start thinking your mantra silently. The mantra might be given to you by a teacher or guru, or you could use a universal one such as so hum or OM.

The Sanskrit word “mantra” can be broken down into two syllables: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means vehicle. In other words, a mantra is a vehicle that delivers you to a deeper and stiller state of consciousness or meditation.

You don’t even have to know what the mantra means. It is almost better not to know but to switch off and focus on the sound. Ancient mantras are believed to accumulate a tiny power charge each time they are repeated. And since they have been chanted, thought and sung billions of times over the past 5,000 years, they are now highly charged and capable of some seriously powerful cleaning and clearing magic.

So basically, that’s it. Well, that’s a very abbreviated version anyway. There are many teachers and courses available if you are looking for instruction. But you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a mantra, and you can make a start on your own.

To begin, you can choose a mantra that speaks to you. OM is perfectly acceptable and easy to remember. Then sit down, close your eyes and quietly give the monkey its job - to think the mantra. It’s best to do it for about 20 minutes twice a day, ideally during the two vata times of the day. These are from 2 to 6 am and pm. This will help calm vata down. Just drop into the cycle of thinking and returning to the mantra.

Celebrate when random and annoying thoughts interrupt your mantra. This means that they are presenting themselves to be cleansed and cleared. Rejoice that you’ve done another little bit of healing, and then get back to thinking the mantra.

I love the simplicity and efficacy of this style of meditation. I noticed results after less than a week. I was calmer, more focused, less anxious, and made better choices.

You don’t have to ‘try’ to do it perfectly; whatever happens is OK. There is no such thing as a bad meditation. Be with what is rather than trying to get it right.

What if there is more than one monkey in my ADHD brain?

If you have ADHD, you may have more than one monkey causing a riot at the intracranial party. Does this mean using more than one banana?

Possibly. Try it and see. If you are finding it challenging to find stillness, try giving the monkeys two or three bananas. For instance, you could use mala beads to count each mantra. You could combine both of these with the breath. Or you could simply focus on the breath and coordinate the mantra with the inspiration and expiration.

Experiment and evolve. Please don’t give up too soon. The effects are cumulative and exponential. Meditation will help with sleep, emotional regulation, focus, anxiety and depression, decision-making and overcoming habits and addictions. You’ll find that the longer you do it, the better your life will be.