Managing ADHD with Yoga and Ayurveda

The Journey to Wholeness - Moving from chaos to clarity

Managing ADHD is messy. No two ways about it. It’s also a lifelong process, not something you can fix or cure. This means embracing the journey and enjoying the ride. Otherwise, you will spend your life waiting for perfect to come, and we all know that ain’t happening!

But know that accepting yourself as you are is not the booby prize; it’s the main event. It’s where the treasures lie. Here’s what that journey might look like.

Step 1

The first step to healing is getting honest with yourself. This might feel dark and terrifying, but light shines in once you’ve taken this step, and you’ll find the way forward.

Take time with this process, and don’t leave any stone unturned because the next step will be letting go of what is not serving you.  If you haven’t named it, you can’t let it go! Accept what is and who you are, and then create a plan to ‘un-become’ all you no longer want to be.  Be patient with this process, and give yourself as many fresh starts as needed. Remind yourself daily that the journey is important and there is no destination.

It’s important to distinguish between the things that make you YOU and are just differences and the things dragging you down. Don’t ‘make yourself wrong or bad’ for the differences; they are to be celebrated.

Step 2

You will identify your big WHY - why you need to make these changes.  Then, you will fiercely defend your why and protect your new choices. You will commit to saying NO to anything that takes you in the wrong direction.  You will practice setting and maintaining boundaries that prevent anyone or anything from tempting you back to old ways. 

Step 3

Open your mind, let go of perfectionism and be patient

Next, you will open your mind to new choices and practices.  You will learn that recommitment is way more important than commitment.   You will heal and evolve into the best version of yourself.  There will be challenges and setbacks, but you will understand this is just part of the journey.  There can be no growth without discomfort, and you will learn you can do hard things.  You will embrace change, but have patience as you do it.  It will be a process, and it will take time.  Step by baby step.  Slip ups and setbacks are learning opportunities, if you have one, you need it because there is something left to learn. As you progress, you will learn to stop questioning your decision to make better choices.  You will keep your eyes on the road before you and keep going. You know you are on the right path, and this excites you. 

Step 4 -Caring for all of yourself

You will learn to care for your body because it is the only one you get.  Your body is a sacred vehicle for this lifetime, so you learn to love and nurture it well.  You will also learn how to protect your energies and not allow yourself to be in situations that are not good for you.  You’ll learn to create and love having a healthy lifestyle. 

You’ll learn how to calm your mind. You’ll become aware of the power of your thoughts.  You’ll understand that your thoughts give rise to your feelings and actions.  Your actions become your habits, and your habits become your destiny. 

So, to create the life you want, you know you need to be very careful about the thoughts that you choose.  You begin to listen to the quiet voice of your higher self instead of the noisy mental chatter.  This helps you to improve your mental focus.  You stop doing so many things at once and develop mindfulness.  You learn to give your full attention to one thing at a time. You open your mind to love and to Universal wisdom.  You become willing to question the status quo in favour of trusting your inner knowing. 

Step 5 - Be Yourself

Becoming your truest self is the greatest gift you can offer yourself and others.  This starts with radical self-acceptance and finding the answers within.  They are all there, and your inner light guides you.  As you awaken to your true nature, you will realize that you are perfect and whole, just as you are.  Warts and all.  Touching this truth daily helps you to stay calm and compassionate.   You make a point of getting silent and still regularly so you can tune into that tiny voice within.  You learn how to quieten and shrink the false ego and rise and feel strong in your true Self. 

You begin the practice of softening your heart and letting go of negativity.  You open your heart to Life’s magic because you know you are worthy.  You are worthy just because you are here on planet Earth.  You are a child of this Universe and have every right to take up space.  You stop doing the whole chameleon thing and find your true voice.  You master the art of standing up and speaking up for yourself. Your most important goal is to be as authentic as you can be.