Adult ADHD: Open Up With Heart Opening Yoga Poses

Om and OMG! A Yogi’s Adult ADHD Doodle Diary

 

Hey, You There…Adult With ADHD. It’s Time To Open Up With These 7 Heart-Opening Yoga Poses

Dear ADHD Doodle Diary,

Today, I embarked on a mission to explore heart opening yoga poses as a coping strategy for my Adult ADHD.

In fact, I got so excited by this mission that I doodled the cartoon below…

I know. I’m sure there was something far, far, far more important I could have done. But, hey. I’ve got Adult ADHD, which is a licence for getting side tracked!

So, diary, I have a hunch that if I can unlock the secrets of these poses, I can find the key to unlocking inner peace – or at least remember where I put my car keys so I can unlock my car. Either way, it’s a win-win.

First up, let’s chat about why heart openers are so marvellous for my ADHD brain.

Heart openers allow us to feel vulnerable and open up to the world.

When writing this diary entry, I started to think what Heart Openers had ever done for me, which made me think about think about the Life Of Brian film where someone says: “What have the Romans ever done for us.” I somehow resisted the temptation to find a YouTube video of the film (the Saffron Tablets and Adult ADHD Coping Strategies must be working!).

What Have Romans Heart Openers Ever Done For Us? 

Before we dive into the heart opening poses, let me set the scene.

Imagine you’re in ancient Rome.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Roads, aqueducts, sanitation systems…

Okay, focus George.

Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked.

Umm, I mean…

What have heart openers ever done for us?

Heart Opening Yoga Poses Allow Us To Feel Vulnerable

Heart openers allow us to feel vulnerable.

Vulnerability is key because if you have Adult ADHD, you instinctively want to hunch your shoulders and bow your head – like a turtle, or maybe a hedgehog, or a woodlouse, or a field mouse has curled up into a little furry ball.

Hunching your shoulders is a a learned defense mechanism humans use, especially humans with Adult ADHD, to protect us from the world’s chaos.

You see that pink little stick figure up there in my cartoon with his head down, shoulders hunched and little skiggles eminating from his head. Well, that’s me on most days. Though, I’m not that pink. I’m a pasty, been-indoors-in-front-of-a-laptop-for-too-long kind of white.

Missile Launcher As A Defense Mechanism

Scroll back up to my amazing cartoon.

I’m gonna spice things up your world with a visual.

Your defense mechanism is like a missile launcher. Always ready, always on guard. But maybe, just maybe, it’s time to disarm.

If You’re Feeling Blue (or pink like the stick figure in my doodle), Get on Your Yoga Mat and Practice HEART OPENERS to Unlock your Heart

7 Heart Opening Yoga Poses – Pick One And Practice It Now

Scroll back up to my cartoon. See those heart-opening yoga poses, here they are:

Click on the images for videos of the poses.

Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Sit with your legs extended and your back straight. Simple, right? Except I got distracted thinking about dinner halfway through. Focus!

Staff Pose with Arms Raised

Extend your arms overhead. Feels great until your arms get tired.

Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

This one’s intense. You push up into a backbend and suddenly feel like a God. Surely no other human being can do this pose! It’s absurdely, insanely, widely difficult.

Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana)

Stand strong and proud, like you’re ready to conquer ancient Rome. Or at least tackle that daily to-do list.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Lie on your back and lift your hips. This one’s comfy. I could nap in this pose. Hmmm, can I incorporate napping into my yoga routine?

Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana)

Step into a deep lunge. Clasp hands behind you. Feels good on the hips. Perfect for stretching and wringing out the oodles of stress built up over the day.

Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

My nemesis. Hips screaming, but my heart is open. I think I heard my left hip say “What the hell are you doing,” but that’s okay.

While dipping in and out of those heart-opening poses, my ADHD brain allowed the world in. By making myself vulnerable, I opened up.

I felt less anxious.

I felt brief moments of stillness.

I felt a glimmer of that elusive thing called peace.

Emotional Openness: Unlock Your Heart

Heart opening yoga poses aren’t just about physical flexibility; they’re about emotional openness too.

Heart openers help us unlock our hearts, lower our defenses and connect with ourselves and others.

And for those of us with ADHD, that connection can make a world of difference.

So, if you find yourself bouncing around like a spring-loaded toy, give these heart openers a try. Unlock your heart, embrace the world, and maybe order a pizza after your practice. You’ve earned it.

If you’ve made it this far, you either haven’t got Adult ADHD, or something else hasn’t distracted you yet. Bravo! Though, I’m not going to push my luck. It’s time to wrap this diary entry up.

Namaste (my soul high-fives your soul),
George Watts

P.S. Dear Diary, thanks for letting me write in you. And dear reader, thanks for reading.