Focusing on A.D.D

Adults and children living with Attention Deficit Disorder know the daily struggles of hyperactivity, social isolation, and drug side effects. But yoga may help control these symptoms as well as reduce long-term dependency on medication.

By Fernando Pagés Ruiz

But beyond its role in physiological equilibrium, researchers are discovering that the vestibular system plays a vital role in behavioral and cognitive stability. "There's a fundamental kind of coordination that patterns behavior so it makes sense and flows together, which is believed to be deficient in those with ADD," says Eugene Arnold, M.Ed., M.D., an ADHD specialist at Ohio State University and formerly with the National Institute of Mental Health.

To this end, Randolph employs asanas like Tolasana (Scales Pose) and an exercise she's dubbed Roll Asana, in which the student rocks back and forth on the floor like a teeter-totter. Each new position in yoga provides a different plane of stimulation for the neurological circuits of the vestibular system. Inverted positions, such as Sirsasana (Headstand) and Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand) are especially beneficial because they also calm the nervous system and help curb hyperactivity while training the attention system. Near the end of class, Randolph guides Clayton through a series of relaxation poses to calm his breath, quiet his mind, and prepare for meditation. Meditation lasts approximately one minute—which can seem like a lifetime for ADD children.

After four months of yoga, Clayton can finally complete a half-hour yoga session, flowing from one posture to the next with minimum interruption. Though Clayton's significant progress in yoga has not yet translated into better concentration at school, it's difficult to imagine that the focus he has developed in yoga would be confined to the sticky mat. On at least one occasion, Clayton says he used techniques learned in meditation to train his attention during a mathematics exam. On another, his mother spotted him practicing Bakasana (Crane Pose) in the outfield during Little League—although, unfortunately, he wasn't paying much attention to the game.

His yoga teacher accepts this gradual pace as a fact of life. "Quieting the mind is a long haul for any of us," says Randolph. "It can be an epic journey for those with ADD, but they need it most." Talking with Clayton about his yoga practice, one gets the sense that he's found something important and personal at which he can excel—a refuge for his spirit and a tool for establishing harmony between his body and mind.

After several years of yoga, Askew knows it takes that kind of full-time commitment to manage the symptoms of ADD. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes yoga has helped Askew cope with her condition. It gives her confidence to know she can gain mental clarity on her own—without a pill. "Yoga," says Askew, "involves learning how to manage attention and learning how to move fluidly from focusing on the details to the big picture."

Contributing Editor Fernando Pagés Ruiz wrote "What Is Consciousness?" in the September/October 2001 issue of Yoga Journal. He lives and writes in Lincoln, Nebraska, and can be reached at Fpages@neb.rr.com.

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