Awareness training is any type of activity that increases your awareness of yourself in your environment. Popular types of body awareness training include meditation, martial arts, tai chi, and some types of yoga.

While body awareness therapy is a complementary or alternative therapy, many adults with ADHD find that incorporating it into their daily life helps improve their ability to pay attention and relieves stress, tension, and anxiety.

The Benefits of Walking Meditation

While there are many different types of meditation, one of the easiest for adults with ADHD to master is walking meditation. Unlike other types of meditation that require that you hold a pose — which can be difficult or impossible for hyperactive ADHD adults — walking meditation uses the natural rhythm and hypnotic pace of walking to help you relax, unwind, clear your mind, slow racing thoughts, and release negative thoughts and emotions.

While you can engage in walking meditation practically anywhere, many adults with ADHD find it especially effective when done in nature. If you live near a park or river, strolling amidst inspiring scenery can enhance the restorative effects of walking meditation and increase your overall feelings of well being. Exercise also releases endorphins, or “feel-good” hormones that temporarily elevate mood and reduce anxiety and stress.

Using Yoga and Tai Chi to Achieve Serenity

Yoga and tai chi can also help you release negative emotions by encouraging deep, steady breathing. You center your mind and focus on the present by repeating a mantra, and you enhance body awareness by slowing down and respecting your own internal rhythms. While some forms of yoga require holding a pose for long periods of time, active yoga can help you release negative emotions through action and movement. Because walking meditation, yoga, and tai chi all focus on helping you develop more awareness of your body, they keep your focus in the present and help you learn to pay attention to your feelings, thoughts, and behavior.

While body awareness training alone can't treat the symptoms of adult ADHD, because these techniques encourage you to slow racing thoughts and explore your behavior, they may complement other types of therapy in helping you replace negative thoughts and actions with positive ones.