When diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) three symptoms are considered: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Children with ADHD have one primary challenge – focus – whether lack of, fluctuations in, inability to refocus, or obsessive focus. Yoga asanas (poses) and breathing techniques can dramatically improve the ability to focus and can be used anytime, anywhere.
Students with ADHD who regularly engage in yoga are able to develop coping skills. Their self esteem improves as disruptive behaviours are reduced. They are also better able to understand themselves and appreciate who they really are, and the contributions they can make.
Yogic practices of visualization, affirmations, and relaxation can prove especially powerful as behaviour therapy techniques. These can help increase attention span, improve the ability to relax, help regulate emotions, and teach stress management skills. In addition, they will reduce stimulus overload by providing a sense of calm and inducing the relaxation response.
Partner and group poses further yoga’s effectiveness in helping students with ADHD as they provide a forum for social skills training. The controlled environment with a short specific task, followed by positive reinforcement is ideal for teaching the application of social skills.
Children with attention-deficit challenges benefit greatly from regular practice. Two to three times a week is optimal. Use pose cards such as The Kids Yoga Deck: 50 Poses and Games by Annie Buckley or make your own using drawings or pictures of the poses (a dog, a snake, a mountain). Children can then pick different groups of cards or poses for each session.
More information on how to assist students with ADHA can be found at the Canadian Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resource Alliance (CADDRA) and the Centre for ADD/ADHD Advocacy, Canada.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
This is great Donna. YES, many great new research articles out there on this topic also – just google yoga for ADD/ADHD. It’s impressive! An additional recommendation for a kids yoga card is the Yoga Pretzels deck. I like it even better than the Kids Yoga Deck as it clearly defines where the floor is with the use of a yoga mat. Personally, I think they are a little easier to use, especially with kids.
My own son has a diagnosis of ADD. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of knowing how to take a deep breath when we feel an imbalance. Jack is now the king of that!
Thanks for sharing another great blog article Donna!!!