How does everyone have ADHD and is conversing about it within the context of Yoga worthwhile?  

(6 Tips for Yoga Teachers to Create Inclusivity)

A thousand times YES! Why? 

Doctors and health practitioners consistently recommend Yoga to patients with ADHD who struggle to manage stress, and it is common for teachers to do outside research to learn how to accommodate different bodies and brains. However, there is still stigma and denial around being neurodivergent.    

While the first line of treatment for ADHD is medication, for many it is inaccessible, or preferable to take only when needed, after first attempting to make lifestyle adjustments such as establishing routines, movement, and mindfulness practices that support neuroplasticity. Whether we as teachers choose to respond with understanding can determine if we are creating allyship and inclusivity for our students.

Here is a round-up of six ways Yoga teachers can make their classes more accessible to different bodies and brains:

1- Validation through boundaries:  Resisting the urge to attribute ADHD to a Vedic imbalance, rogue astrological placement, gluten intolerance, or other alternate ideas will show your student that you are a professional and accepting advocate. Since it is not within the scope of the Yoga teachers’ practice to diagnose or question the diagnoses of others, talking to students with evidence-based knowledge while putting opinions, anecdotes, and unwarranted advice aside, is a big step toward establishing trust.

2- Orientation: Both humans and animals have a better chance of thriving when we understand where we are in time and space and what is happening around us (proprioception).  While it may feel natural to fill the time before class with small talk, encourage new students to take a moment to walk around and interact with the surroundings.  Point out where the restroom and all the props are. Kindly, if needed, communicate boundaries around tardiness, cell phones, interruptions, etc.

3- Summarize: Offer a brief and clear breakdown of the class timeline.  Teachers often begin with a theme introduced through a chat or story while people are getting settled in, this is also a good chance to simply say what is going to happen. 

Here is an example:  “Today we’re going to tap into core strength and try side plank variations. We’ll begin with a few playful drills at the wall, and then weave together a vinyasa on the mat using side planks as a transition for heart openers.  We’ll wind down on the ground with forward folds, a brief meditation followed by generous savasana.  If at any point you have a question or would like the temperature or music volume adjusted, just let me know”.  

This meets the students’ need for predictability, if they find themselves having a “when is this going to end” moment in class, they’ll already have the answer.     

4- Offer props:  Options = freedom. Props can have a pejorative connotation in Yoga- many minimalists look down on them or perceive them as “training wheels” for beginner students.  If this is you, consider using the wall or props as proprioception enhancers, refinement, and inclusivity tools that benefit students at every “level”.  The idea that all you need to practice Yoga is yourself, is one facet that makes Yoga beautiful and accessible to all bodies; but clinging to that idea with rigidity is not necessarily creating an inclusive environment for students, while props offer accessibility through modifications, layers of awareness, support, or just a fidget toy for a neurodivergent person to hold in their hands.   

Incorporating a prop invites the brain to connect the inner movement to an outside object, perhaps making it easier to focus. Like thinking of a candle flame during a guided meditation, having a physical representation of an idea can be soothing and helpful for students who struggle with attention.    

5- Find alternatives to child’s pose: We often suggest balasana (child’s pose) as the place to be in between vinyasas and portions of the class. Many students don’t love it or find it restful, for those with knee, hip issues, or gas, it may range from uncomfortable to entirely inaccessible.….. Telling a student that they “should” feel relaxed without considering these factors, in general, seems like an honest oversight that might drive students away.   

Yoga mats are rectangular, but I promise your practice doesn’t have to be confined to a yoga mat.  What if we opened up the possibility of a stroll around the room, a sip of water, a nice cool wall sit, lying down in a restorative bridge, or a dead bug pose?  Thinking outside this rectangular boundary and simply giving students the freedom and permission to step away from their space or do something different for a couple of poses, helps create mutual trust and understanding- that not everybody likes to rest or pause in one of two ways, or in stillness at all.       

6- Clean-up cues:  For anyone striving for clear and direct communication in life.  If your students struggle to follow sequences, it might be a chance to slow down and simplify.     

Always use correct names and pronouns and request consent for hands-on adjustments.

Let’s keep working to nurture Yoga as a practice that has always been accessible to all brains and bodies- by embracing the empathy and non-judgment that attracts many to it in the first place.  As an “alternative” lifestyle practice many Yogis reflect not fitting in with the mainstream narratives of our world and how embodiment and movement are defined for us. That is exactly how neurodivergent people feel all of the time! I hope we can bridge this gap to create more inclusion in wellness spaces and experience more freedom and acceptance in the beautiful and amazing ways that we can move and think.  

In a culture that positions women in fear and competition with one another, rather than understanding and shared success, if stigma around neurodivergence isn’t improving our teaching skills, helping us reach more students, or deepening the relationships with our current students, who is it helping?