Stillness for the Restless: How Yin Yoga Can Help ADHD Minds Breathe

peaceloveyogauk
May 8
4 min read

Stillness for the Restless: How Yin Yoga Can Help ADHD Minds Breathe

Let’s get this out of the way first: if you have ADHD, the idea of lying still in a yoga pose for five minutes might sound like some form of medieval torture. You’re not alone. Yin Yoga is not flashy. It doesn’t involve fast flows, sweating, or doing a headstand while chanting to your inner child. It’s quiet, slow, and deeply still. Which—if you have ADHD—might feel about as natural as turning off gravity.

And yet... that’s kind of the point.

ADHD Brains: A Constant Buzz

ADHD isn’t just about being distracted. It’s about being pulled in fifty directions at once, all the time. Your mind is racing, your body’s fidgeting, and even when you’re sitting still, your brain is doing backflips. You crave calm, but when you finally find a quiet moment, it can feel almost unbearable.

Enter Yin Yoga: the unexpected antidote.

What the Heck Is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is a slow, meditative style of yoga where you hold passive stretches—usually seated or lying down—for 3 to 7 minutes. Unlike more active (yang) practices, Yin targets the fascia—the connective tissues—rather than your big muscle groups. But Yin isn’t just about stretching your hamstrings. It’s about learning to sit with yourself.

That might sound cheesy. Maybe even terrifying. But for someone with ADHD, it can be revolutionary.

Why Yin Yoga Works for ADHD

1. It Builds Tolerance for Stillness (Without Forcing It)

If you’ve ever tried meditating with ADHD, you might have felt like a failure. Sitting still and doing nothing? No thank you.

Yin Yoga gives your body something to do—holding a pose—while gently guiding your mind toward stillness. It's meditation in disguise, and for many ADHDers, that’s the secret sauce.

2. It Regulates the Nervous System

ADHD is closely linked with nervous system dysregulation. You’re either wired like a squirrel on espresso or crashing hard on the couch, unable to move.

Yin Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system—aka “rest and digest.” This is the part of your brain that tells your body it’s okay to relax, that you’re safe, and that it’s finally time to stop running from task to task like your brain’s on fire.

3. It Encourages Interoception (Feeling Your Feelings)

Interoception is your brain's ability to notice what’s happening inside your body. People with ADHD often struggle with this, leading to things like forgetting to eat, not realizing you're anxious until you're having a meltdown, or powering through a task until you’re completely fried.

Yin Yoga teaches you to notice what’s happening in your body. That tight hip? That anxious flutter in your chest? You’re invited to just sit with it. Over time, this builds emotional awareness and regulation—key tools for managing ADHD.

4. It’s Permission to Pause

We live in a world that praises hustle. If you have ADHD, you might overcompensate for perceived “laziness” by pushing yourself harder than everyone else.

Yin Yoga is radical in its softness. It says: You don’t have to be productive to be worthy. You don’t have to earn your rest. Just being here—breathing, feeling, existing—is enough.

That message alone can be life-changing.

What to Expect (and How to Survive Your First Class)

Let’s be real: your first Yin class might make you want to bolt.

You might get bored. Twitchy. Frustrated. That’s okay. In fact, that’s expected. But if you stick with it—even once a week—you may start to notice subtle but powerful changes: more patience, better focus, a gentler inner voice.

Pro Tips:

Start small. Try a 60 minute online home sessions before diving into a 2 hour IRL class.
Use props. Pillows, bolsters, blankets—they help your body relax so your mind can too.
Don’t force “zen.” You don’t have to be perfectly calm. Just showing up is enough, let the teacher coach you
Stay curious. Yin is about exploration, not performance. Notice what happens when you stay.

The Yin Side of ADHD

ADHD doesn’t have an “off” switch. But it does have a dimmer. Yin Yoga helps turn down the volume—just a little—so you can hear yourself think. Or feel. Or just be.

If you’ve ever felt like your brain is a browser with 42 tabs open—Yin Yoga won’t close them all. But it might help you stop clicking between them for a few minutes. And honestly? That’s a miracle in itself.

If you need to turn the dimmer down a little JOIN US

MONDAY NIGHT YIN CLUB

LIVE ONLINE YIN YOGA CLASS MONDAYS 8-9pm

Member testimonial

"Routine is good for people with ADHD, especially when it is a routine linked to self care. Monday night yin class with Carly is the one time each week where I get to switch off, forget everything going on around me, and turn my attention inwards. Its a weird kind of magic...you feel like you are not really doing much; it's still, it's quiet, its a practice of surrender...and then, almost without noticing, you slowly find yourself dissolving into this deep peace within the body. It really is blissful....it's like the nervous system breathes a deep sigh of relief to say "thank you" for taking this time to tend to yourself "

Best Regards

Paul G

Monday Night Yin Club info