Yoga and ADHD: 11 Ways To Find More Ease When Its Hard

There’s a lot of talk about how yoga is for everyone. And while I truly believe that’s possible, I also know, from lived experience, that it can feel anything but that when you’re navigating life with ADHD, autism or trauma.

Yoga and ADHD can be a challenge, and acknowledging this is the first step toward finding your unique approach to practice.

Over the past few years, diagnosis rates have soared, especially among adults. Many of us are only just beginning to understand our neurodivergence. Myself included. And while there have been times where yoga felt like a deep exhale, like coming home… There have also been times when practising yoga with ADHD & Trauma has felt like I was losing my mind on the mat. Where the silence was too loud. Where being in my body felt too much. Where the philosophy felt like it belonged to someone else entirely.

In many instances, Yoga and ADHD can make the journey seem overwhelming, but there are some things we can do to make the practice more accessible for those with neurodivergent brains.

This blog isn’t a step-by-step guide. It’s more of a reflection. A gentle lit path through the things I’ve discovered along the way, things that might help you, or someone you love, feel a little more seen in their practice.

Because yoga doesn’t need to be perfect. And neither do you.

Here are 11 reasons why yoga and ADHD, Autism or Trauma can feel hard, and what we can bring into our practice to help things feel a little easier.

1. Racing Thoughts

If you live with ADHD, autism or trauma, chances are your mind is already incredibly active, often holding two or three overlapping thoughts at once. Then you get to yoga, and you’re asked to sit still and “observe your thoughts.”

Sometimes that can feel grounding, but other times? It’s too much. Way too much.

If sitting with your thoughts starts to feel overwhelming or like it’s tipping you into a spiral, you have full permission to shift your focus. You don’t have to follow every cue exactly as it’s given. Maybe come back to your breath. Maybe tune into a sound or a texture. Something that anchors you gently, rather than pulling you further into the storm.

2. Sensory Overload

For those of us with sensory processing sensitivity, being asked to “feel into the body” can sometimes feel anything but soothing.

There are days when turning inward feels excruciating. When being in your body is like sitting in a room with the volume up too high, on everything. Heat, pressure, fabric on skin, the sound of your own breath. It’s not always calming, and that’s okay to name.

So if the invitation to “feel” feels like too much, don’t force it. Tune into something else that’s more manageable, maybe a sound in or outside the room, the feel of the mat under your hands, a word that you can repeat in your mind. You’re still practising. Just in your way.

3. Big-Picture Thinking

Many neurodivergent folks are deep thinkers. You might notice yourself constantly zooming out, asking big questions, spotting contradictions, and exploring tangents. That can make certain aspects of yoga philosophy feel hard to digest.

You might find yourself questioning things that others seem to accept at face value. That’s not a flaw. It’s your brain doing what it does best, being curious, and seeking truth.

But if you start to feel untethered or spiralling in thought, gently bring yourself back to grounding. Use your senses. Rub oil into your feet. Hold a stone in your hand. Feel the floor beneath you. It’s okay to think big, just remember to come home to the body too.

5. Fatigue

One of the most overlooked aspects of being neurodivergent is the physical exhaustion that comes with it. From sensory processing to masking and mental overdrive, your body is carrying a heavy load, and it’s tired.

I spent six years in deep burnout before I realised I was neurodivergent. And during that time, my yoga practice had to shift completely.

If you’re in a class, give yourself permission to rest, often and without guilt. If you’re practising at home, try gentle, nourishing options like Yoga Nidra or supported poses that help you restore rather than deplete. You don’t need to push through. And sometimes it’s ok not to practice and come back another day. The fact that you showed up with intention is more than enough.

6. Demand Avoidance

For some of us, especially those with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), even gentle suggestions can feel like pressure. The moment something becomes an instruction, even internally, it can trigger resistance.

This isn’t you being difficult. It’s your nervous system trying to protect you.

So loosen the expectations. Let your practice be more like a conversation and less like a checklist. Let your movements be invitations, not tasks. If something feels like too much of a demand, step back and follow your own rhythm.

8. Santosha – Contentment and Acceptance

It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind in a yoga class or even in life, like everyone else is doing it better, stronger, and more gracefully. Especially when your energy fluctuates or your focus is scattered.

But this is where the practice of santosha comes in. It asks us to meet ourselves with contentment. To soften the constant striving.

What if your practice today wasn’t about being more flexible or focused? What if it was simply about showing up? That’s enough. That’s more than enough. Practising santosha doesn’t mean giving up; it means giving yourself grace.

9. Stimming and Self-Regulation

Repetitive movements like rocking, tapping or fidgeting are often seen as distractions in a yoga space. But for many neurodivergent people, these are actually grounding tools.

Stimming is a way the body self-regulates. It’s not a mistake, it’s wisdom.

So if you need to move in small, rhythmic ways during class to stay present, do it. Whether it’s rolling your shoulders, gently swaying, or wiggling your fingers, it counts. It’s all yoga if it helps you come home to yourself.

9. Hypermobility and Going Too Far

If you’re neurodivergent, there’s a good chance you might also be hypermobile. It’s a connection that’s being talked about more now, and for good reason. On the outside, hypermobility can look like you’re super flexible or “good” at yoga, but the reality is often very different.

When joints move beyond their natural range, it can lead to pain, instability and fatigue. So it’s really important to stay within your limits, even if the shape looks smaller or less dramatic. That’s not a weakness—it’s wisdom.

Try not to chase stretch or depth. Focus on strengthening around your joints instead, creating support from the inside out. Your body needs steadiness more than spectacle.

11. Black-and-White Thinking

Many people on the autistic spectrum experience black-and-white thinking. Things tend to feel right or wrong, good or bad, safe or unsafe. It’s not about being rigid or difficult; it’s often how our brains naturally make sense of an overwhelming world.

But then you enter a yoga space, and suddenly you’re being asked to sit with the “in between.” To hold contradictions. To embrace paradox. To merge opposites like effort and ease, light and dark, stillness and movement.

It can be confusing. Sometimes even distressing.

Yoga philosophy often speaks in abstract layers. And when you’re someone who craves clarity or structure, it can feel like trying to hold water in your hands.

If that’s you, take what makes sense and let the rest be. You don’t have to stretch your mind beyond what feels safe. Over time, the edges might soften. Or they might not. Either way, you’re allowed to relate to the teachings in your own way.

There’s wisdom in your need for clarity. Trust that. And let the practice meet you where you are.

Yoga and ADHD don’t always sit easily together, but over time, the practice can become a surprising doorway into self-understanding

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Practising with ADHD, autism, or trauma means the rules don’t always apply. And that’s ok. The more we understand ourselves, the more we can adapt the practice to support us, not shame us.

In the end, it’s about acceptance and autonomy. Taking what works. Leaving what doesn’t. Trusting your inner compass more than someone else’s idea of the “right way”.

If you feel safe to, speak to your teacher. Let them know what helps you feel at ease in class. You never know, it might spark a powerful conversation. One that creates more space, not just for you, but for others too.

Forget the rest of the room. Come back to yourself. You showed up. That’s already enough.

And like the Bhagavad Gita reminds us, we are only ever responsible for the action, not the outcome.

Just be here. As you are. That’s where the practice begins.

Want to explore yoga in a way that actually works for your nervous system?
My classes are built with care, slowness and choice at the centre. If you’re neurodivergent, living with trauma or just craving a more mindful way to move and rest, you’re so welcome.

You can check out my class timetable here. You can also check out my On-Demand Library with plenty of short (and longer) accessible classes. Come as you are. No pressure, no performance. Just space to explore, in your own time.

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