MEDITATION FRIENDLY FOR ADD/ADHD

Posted on May 05, 2012 by Mark Julian, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

MEDITATION FRIENDLY FOR ADHD/ADD
By Mark Julian, CPCC, ACC

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years throughout the world. Science is now beginning to record some of the benefits of meditation that are manifesting measurable results. For example, the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research reports that, “…meditation may help such conditions as: allergies, anxiety disorders, asthma, binge eating, cancer, depression, fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, sleep problems and substance abuse.” It’s worth noting that, while meditation is often associated with certain religious or spiritual practices, no such associations are required in order to practice or to gain benefits.

Regarding ADHD/ADD, meditation is recommended by many experts as one of several key tools used to successfully manage unwanted symptoms. As illustrated through modern mental imaging techniques, meditation is shown to significantly reduce activity in the stress producing portions of the brain (the limbic system) while increasing activity in areas associated with stress reduction, as in the pre-frontal cortex (where executive function resides.) The pre-frontal cortex and executive brain function are areas that are implicated in the ADHD/ADD brain type. Releasing attention from stress producing cycles of unproductive, circuitous thought and engaging the pre-frontal cortex is central to ADHD/ADD self-management.

In addition to stress reduction, meditation is seen as a factor in maintaining healthy cognition and creating measurable, physiological changes within the brain. Due to its natural plasticity, it has also been demonstrated that the brains response to meditation training can create neural pathways and physical/neuro-chemical changes, regardless of age. For more on this, see the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging and The New York Times article, How Meditation May Change the Brain, January 28, 2011.

In my work with meditation for ADHD/ADD, I often recommend a training technique called Japa. I have found Japa effective because it is an “active” meditation technique, which I consider more ADD friendly for beginning mediators to practice. In Japa, the sharp distinctions drawn through pointing your attention, coupled with the active attention in this process makes it less subtle, more interesting and seems easier for the ADHD/ADD practitioner to perform.

To those of us with ADD, the benefits of meditation can be obvious and immediate. When thoughts are trapped within old neural pathways, these patterns can create perceptions of life that are repetitive and self-sabotaging, and change can seem hopeless. This condition is illustrated in Carl Jung’s timeless statement: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate.” Meditation can help you temporarily rest the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious mind and gain a more spacious perspective of awareness and access to conscious choices.

ABOUT THE MEDITATION

As mentioned above, the meditation described here is based on the techniques of Japa meditation. Japa meditation first originated in India around 2300 B.C. and is distinguished by repeating a name, word, sound or phrase, known as a mantra. This mantra may be repeated at a volume loud enough to fill a hall, or softly enough for only the practitioner to hear. It may also be spoken silently – purely within the practitioner’s mind. For most beginners, however, I suggest that you practice it aloud, especially in the earlier stages of practice. This helps to delineate transitions in the meditation process and accentuate the focal point of attention within each phase.

During meditation, simply be aware and intentionally scan your body, inviting any points of stress to relax. The same is true of your thoughts. This is an inner journey, so travel lightly, as you already have everything you need. Here, there is wisdom to the truism that ‘less is more.’ Bring only an open, inquisitive and non-judgmental mind – such as that of a child on a clear, cool day, taking in the natural world. To each meditation, offer an open, child-like awareness to your inner world. Your purpose is to be the presence that gently guides your attention back to observing the chosen point of focus.

When practicing any meditation, you may notice shifts of perception, or you may not. Whatever you may or may not perceive, your role is to simply be aware, remain at choice and gently guide your attention back to the point of focus. Allow your focused attention to remain and deepen. If it strays, as it will, mindfully turn it back to the focal point as you might gently steer a wandering child back onto a path. Doing so regularly will strengthen your ability to exercise and train you “muscles” of attention regulation and build greater self-control. In addition, it will lead to clearer processes of thought and a deepening of self-awareness.

THE MANTRA

For this meditation, the mantra you will repeat is the sound of “Ahh.” When making the sound during meditation it is extended, without particular force or effort and follows a slow, natural exhalation. When written out it looks something like: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

The sound of Ahh is unique and used for several reasons. First, you may notice that it is a sound which is produced with very little effort. To make the sound, you simply allow your jaw to relax and your mouth open slightly. Breathing from deep within your abdomen, lightly engage your vocal chords and allow air and sound to mingle and pass by your lips. This sound is associated with the beginning and ending of human life, as it is uttered by the very young and the old alike. Some experts speculate that it may have been among the earliest sounds produced by the human voice. It is not bounded by language and can express pleasure, pain, astonishment, joy, suffering, contentment, delight and even equanimity. For purposes of this meditation, I suggest that you associate the sound simply with a sense of being aware and alive.

As you might expect, the sound of “Ahh” has ancient spiritual roots, even while not being attached to any one religion. The sound is also shown to exist in the names for the Creator, whether primitive, western or eastern. For example, the names God, Buddha, Atman, Krishna, Tao, Ra, Allah, Jehovah, Brahman, Jah, etc., all hold the sound of “Ahh” within each.

THE PRACTICE

This meditation can be done in as little time as five minutes. As you progress, you can lengthen the time by adding to the repetition of letters and the Ahh’s between the letters.

You will be visualizing the first 7 letters of the alphabet, A through G one at a time, and making the sound of “Ahh” two times between visualizations.
When meditating, let go of things around you and focus on the activity at hand. As stated before, if your mind wanders, simply bring it back to the focal point of what you’re doing. Also, please note we do not all experience visualization the same. Some people see images in our mind. Some of us with ADHD may not see images at all, but will more ‘feel’ our way to integrity with a mental picture. Whatever you do in your own mind, take a little time, trust and have confidence that it is exactly right for you!

1. Begin by focusing your attention on taking three deep, cleansing breaths.

2. With your eyes closed, visualizing the letter A in your minds eye. See the letter, however you ‘see’ in your mind and ‘picture’ it as clearly as possible. Hold it in your vision for a moment until you can ‘feel’ the letter.

3. Now, just to the right of the letter A, visualize the next letter, B. See it as clearly as possible, just like the letter A. See it as solidly as you can in your mind’s eye. Keep it in your mental field of view for a moment.
4. Shift back into the space between the two letters, A and B, and vocalize the sound of Ahh. Try to continue the sound for at least 10 seconds, or so, longer if you can. Focus on the sound. Feel the sound leaving your throat. Feel it entering the room. If your thoughts move somewhere else, gently but firmly, bring your focus back to the sound you are making. Keep your focus on the sound of “Ahh”
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5. Make the sound two times, while you’re in the space between the two letters, A and B. Focus only on the sound of “Ahh”.

6. Now put your focus back on the letter B. See the letter in your mind’s eye. Try to picture it as clearly as possible, right in front of your field of vision. Keep it in your vision for a moment.

7. Now, visualize the next letter, C, just to the right of the letter B. See it as clearly as possible, just like the previous letter. See it as solidly as possible in your mind’s eye. Keep it in your field of view for a moment.

8. Shift back into the space between the two letters, B and C, and do Japa. Focus on the sound. Feel the sound leaving your throat. Feel it entering the room you’re in. Keep your focus on the sound of “Ahh”.

9. Make the sound twice while you’re in the space between the two letters, B and C. Focusing entirely on the sound you are making.

10. Continue by visualizing the letter C again. Go through the rest of the letters A – G using the same process.

This is one meditation technique that I recommend for greater ADHD/ADD awareness and self- control. Please note that many other meditation techniques are available and many can be found online. The steps above were modified from a version by Meditation-methods.com.