ADHD and Yoga
ByAs a doctor who works in the field of ADD/ADHD, I know that the ‘standard’ medical treatments for ADD/ADHD don’t always provide the answers and solutions that people need.
‘Alternative’ or ‘complimentary’ treatments are used very frequently, and most of the time, people don’t talk to their doctor about it. Yet it’s important for both the doctor and yourselves to be aware of the up-to-date research in the area of alternative treatments.
I was recently approached by the organizers of the first ever ‘Virtual World Yoga Conference‘, to speak about Alternative Treatments for ADD and ADHD. I happily accepted.
While I’m not sure if there is any solid research on Yoga helping ADHD, this conference goes far beyond the idea that most people think about when they envision yoga. Most people imagine a thin man or woman, stretching gracefully on a yoga mat (usually in some position that most of us could never imagine getting into!). However, this Yoga Conference goes far beyond that. It is all about wellness, and holistic health.
When I do my session on alternative treatments for ADD/ADHD, I’ll be discussing the research behind neurofeedback, diet changes, omega 3 fatty acids and much more.
The other speakers will cover many health topics, including:
- Relaxation
- Meditation
- How to overcome technology overload
- Nutrition/ healthy eating
- ‘Energetic Wellness’
- Supporting children through Yoga and Creative movement
- Stopping Procrastination
- Intuition
- Meditation for Mood Management
- Business advice for Coaches
- And much more…
In total – there are over 57 sessions!
Don’t worry – if you can’t attend all of the sessions you want to (there are actually two tracks – i.e. two lectures at each time slot). You’ll be able to listen to the recordings in the member’s area for up to 2 weeks after the conference.
How You Can Participate:
Participation in this virtual conference normally costs $197. That works out to less than $4 for each of the expert sessions…
However, because I’m participating in this conference, I’ve been able to get a special coupon code – which will give you a full $100 off the price of admission.
That means – when you use this code – you only pay $97. All you have to do is enter the code at the time of checkout.
Here’s the link to sign up: http://www.contentabout.net/adhdyoga
Here’s the discount code: KNY219
I got this coupon code for you – my blog readers and subscribers.
You’re also allowed to share it with your friends and family (or even your support groups).
This is a unique opportunity for those of us in the ADD/ADHD area to get exposed to so many experts in alternative health and wellness. So, feel free to use this coupon code and share it with your network – i.e. the people you care about.
Do You Want to Attend This Event for Free?
When I agreed to do this event, the organizers were kind enough to give me a coupon code for you – my blog readers and email subscribers.
But I wanted more…
These are tough economic times, and I’m very committed to making sure people get the health information they need – when they need it. (that’s why I run this blog, my podcast, my newsletter, etc.).
So, after some discussion - the organizers gave me THREE (3) free passes to the event.
I’d like to give you a free pass to go to this breakthrough event.
After some consideration – we’re going to have a little ‘contest’ here on this blog – so you can win one of the free passes.
Here are the rules to win a free pass to the ‘Virtual World Yoga Conference‘:
- You must enter a blog comment below (on this post) – and it must be entered before Monday February 15th, 2010 at 11:59 pm eastern time. If your comment is entered later than that, you’re disqualified – no exceptions. Please note – all comments on this blog are moderated – so if you enter a comment, please don’t re-enter it – give us some time to review and approve it – we do this to block spam, not to censor legitimate comments.
- Ensure that you enter your name, and proper email address in the blog comment form. The email address is how we will contact the winners. Please note – no one else can see your email address except for the blog administrators.
- Answer these questions:
- Where do you live?
- Are you interested predominantly in child, teen or adult ADHD?
- Have you tried any alternative treatments before for ADHD? Which ones?
- Did they work well?
- Of the sessions available on the Virtual World Yoga Conference, which one will you be sure not to miss, and why? (you can’t say my session on ADHD, please pick another one – no ‘sucking up’ LOL) — You can access the schedule by visiting here.
The answers provided on this blog will be reviewed by our own appointed judges, and any decisions made will be final. We will email the winners by Wednesday February 17th at the latest – and we’ll post it on this blog.
**If you’re sure you want to attend this conference – feel free to register even before the contest finishes. The conference has a no-hassle money back guarantee – so you can order, and if you win on this blog, you can request a refund and get into the conference for free because you won this contest (i.e. judges won’t know if you’ve already registered or not).
So – here’s what to do next:
- Take a look at the page on the virtual yoga conference here
- If it’s right for you – register, using the coupon code: KNY219 (to save $100)
- Go ahead and enter a comment below to enter into a contest to win one of 3 free passes to attend the event (make sure to answer all of the questions!)
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I live in Jackson, NJ. I have a teenage daughter with ADD. I do not trust the medications offered and chose an alternative route. We have been using Native Remedies Focus Formula with some success. I know that my daughter is bright, but she only enjoys her math class and art, in all the other classes she is struggling to pass. We cannot afford to pay for this conference. I never did anything like this before. I believe the one that would be most helpful would be stopping procrastination. Thank you Dr. Kenny for reaching out to us.
?Where do you live? Clinton, MA
?Are you interested predominantly in child, teen or adult ADHD? Adult first, child second
?Have you tried any alternative treatments before for ADHD? Which ones? I have tried ignoring my ADHD
?Did they work well? Not at all.. I need help. I cannot use stimulants because of my heart so am anxious to find something else.
?Of the sessions available on the Virtual World Yoga Conference, which one will you be sure not to miss, and why? Glenn D. Wollman
Sleep Suite , because I do not sleep well and am always tired.
Sue and Carolyn – thanks for joining in right away. I’m very excited that you’ve entered the contest. We have about 1 week until we close this contest – so there will be more competition.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I live in Cape Coral, Florida. I am most interested in treatment for children. I am also interested in learning more about adult ADHD. I have tried behavior modifications and diet changes without medication but didn’t have much luck with either change. I have my son on medication now but in my heart I believe there are things that can improve his quality of life without giving him more medication. I want to learn how to help my son through a more “natural” way instead of giving him a pill everyday even though it does help I want my son to learn that he can have control of his ADHD and that the ADHD does not control him. I believe Yoga has been around for a very long time for a reason ~ it must work and I want to learn more!!! I want to help my son and the rest of my famiy learn to live more peacefully with ADHD.
I would pick the Laughter Yoga as one of the sessions I would enjoy. With ADHD there are so many times I want to pull my hair out that laughing could help with the frustration and also the session on Learning to Savor Sixty Seconds. I want to learn to enjoy all the good times and not agonize over the rough times. There are so many other sessions I would love to be a part of, I would really appreciate and share the knowledge I would learn from attending this virtual conference.
Great answers, Michele. I wish we could just call it done and give the three of you the prize!
However, the rules are set and we will have more people entering.
I don’t envy the judge’s job in a week’s time…
Dr. Kenny
Dear Dr. Kenny, It has been my privilege to help children and adults rise above and overcome learning disabilities and attentional issues, mostly in Alberta, Canada, for thirty years. Responding to your list of questions, in order:
)
(1) I now live in South Jordan, Utah
(2) I predominately work with children, ages 4 to 12.
(3) I and my colleagues tried everything!
(a) Good success with 20 minutes exercise at 65% of maximum heart rate (yielded 2-3 hours of focused desk work immediately following; plus academic test scores went up significantly)
(b) Good success with having children make mental movies of that which they needed to learn or focus upon (the more interesting, colorful, and ridiculous these self-generated mental movies were, the higher the academic achievement)
(c) Good success with multi-modal approaches: diet, nutrition, detoxification, etc., plus adjunctive mental and behavioral strategies (combinations of treatments yielded academic success, whereas single treatment modalities failed if used on their own)
4. I included how well these approaches worked (above,in parentheses)
5. Of the sessions available on the Virtual World Yoga Conference, I will be sure not to miss “Stop procrastination” with John Sovecwhich. Why? Well I wouldn’t want to procrastinate participating in all the other good sessions, now would I? Besides it is time I stopped procrastinating writing my “Helping Kids Learn” book, right?
We tried some natural remedies omega three and keeping out stuff with sugar. They didn’t help much, although less sugar kept the hyper aspect down. The newer drug Vyvanse is helping a lot although he is very talkative. I think some of the meditative aspect is really good because of it’s calming aspect. Melatonin does help with the sleeping too. I am a senior, so affording the conference is a problem. I also loved the medication mastery tape. I only wish I could hear the tips and explanations about it. As I’ve had a problem with skipping and not replaying. Thanks for being the only one who takes the time to help us with you programs and blogs.
Hi Dr. Handelman,
I live in Milton, Ontario.
I am most interested in ADD in adults as my daughter has been diagnosed with this (along with other mental illnesse).
She is currently on ADD meds but was taking numerous naturalpathic herbs for about a year – not for ADD as she didn’t know she had it at that time, but to try and treat/detoxify her body of the side effects of numerous psychotropic meds for bipolar disorder (none of which were terribly effective). Not sure if the herbs worked or not but the number of capsules she had to take became prohibitive (as well as the cost)and she stopped taking them.
I am most interested in the session “Create a healthy approach to eating with Dr.Reenah McGill and Suzanne Monroe” as my daughter also struggles with disordered eating.
Thank you Dr. Handelman for all your work and effort at educating about ADD/ADHD!!
I live in Galesburg IL. I am interested in Adult ADD. I am currently taking Concerta but there are some days that a pill can only do so much. I have never tried alternative medicine for add. I think the Learning to savor sixty seconds segment would be the most benifical for me because I get frustrated and angry when there is too much going on around me and if I can learn to take a minute to settle myself down, maybe my family will not recive the aftermath.
Good Morning.
I live 10 miles north of Boston, Mass. and am predominantly interested in adult AD/HD, including older teens/young adults in college.
I find meditation and Reiki helpful with my AD/HD. Meditation helps to calm my thinking and Reiki is great for vitality. I have just begun to explore Yoga.
A program I would not miss is “Take a journey into consciousness, healing, and self mastery with Dr. Enrico Melson with Dr. Enrico Melson.”
Christine
I’m really interested in this conference, and I found the website overwhelming. I scrolled down, down, through lots of exclamation marks and marketing material but couldn’t find the schedule. As far as I can tell, that’s available once you register.
I live in Cambridge, MA. I’m interested primarily in adult ADHD, with some interest in child ADHD. I’ve stumbled upon yoga as a treatment before, not with a deliberate approach. I had some success, but it required commitment and structure that wasn’t always consistently available.
Without being able to see the list of events, I’m not clear which I’d attend. I can make up that I’d want to attend one that explains what it is about yoga that has it be effective and how various yoga poses work together to support optimal functioning in ADHD.
I have experiemented with breathing and yoga asanas and children over the past few years, as my own yoga practice has matured. I work primarily with families and children who have experienced losses and sometimes abuse. I have found some small postures to be helpful for some children in getting them “grounded” and more focussed. They have to be willing to try it, that seems to be the trick, if the heart is open I believe anything is possible.
this conference is very interesting to me in general but I suppose I would be more drawn to helping children through creative movement and Yoga. I love how the mind and body work (or don’t work) together.
Ariane,
Thanks for your comment. Sorry the website seemed overwhelming. There is a tab at the top of the page for the schedule of events, if you want to look at it in more detail.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
I live in Virginia. I am interested in learning more natural techniques for myself (I was diganosed as an adult) and 2 of my three children. We have tried Omega 3 without discernible results and have seen success with Focalin and Strattera. I would prefer a natural approach to helping them with their learning differences. I am especially interested in anything which will help with mood changes and sleep initiation. I would be interested in the sessions called Meditation for Mood Management and Stopping Procrastination, as well as most of the other topics. Thanks for sharing this information with us.
Hi, I’ve been enjoying your newsletter and site for awhile. I live in the Atlanta metro area. I’m interested in adult ADHD because “I is one,” and child and adolescent ADHD because I am a retired special ed teacher who is now tutoring, including ADHD, and beginning a part-time hypnosis practice. Personally, the alternatives that have helped me the most are self-hypnosis and meditation, regular aerobic exercise of 30 minutes at 80% of heart rate, and spending time in nature. In working with children and teens in special ed, I had success incorporating hypnotic techniques such as relaxation and visualization, as well as targeted suggestions. I have worked with several tutoring students with ADHD using these techniques, and hypnosis clients as well with success. These children can be hypnotized and go deeply! I read the program and found quite a few very interesting programs, especially those related to meditation and harnising the power of the mind. If I had to pick one, I think I would pick “Leading Powerful Workshops with Lasting Impact.” The reason for this is I’m gearing up to lead a workshop on “Hypnosis to enhance Health” at a natural foods store. Unfortunately, I had to cut my full-time career short because of some chronic health issues, which also exacerbated the ADHD I didn’t know I had.(I’m doing much better now!) My retirement salary is therefore lower. Right now I can’t afford the virtual workshop because of this and the bills I have from advertising and other costs of starting a business.I would appreciate the scholarship.
Good Morning. I live in Studio City California.Particiapting in this conference would be a wonderful gift to myself. I am interested in adult ADHD. I definitely have tried alternative treatments but if they did not work after ten minutes I would be on to the next..until I tried hypnotherapy and became a certified hypnotherapist myself. It has changed my life in many ways. Discipline is not one of my virtues but I have had to learn to surrender. The sessions I would be most interested in is Chant Powerful Mantras due to the tremendous amount of energy I tend to have and Nutrition Healthy Eating due to wanting to learn to balance my attention back to myself and my well being. Thank you for this opportunity of expression.
I am a special education teacher with three young adults with ADD/ADHD. We live in central Missouri. My husband and I are struggling to get them through college even though they are quite cognitively capable so I am interested in the adult ADHD. We have already made a huge investment in time and money to this end.
We have tried Straterra with no remarkable improvement. We have not followed any formal diet or exercise program but aspects of each do seem to have had marginal benefits mostly with the latter. Biofeedback was too expensive and did not seem to offer much lasting benefits. Concerta after a period of time seemed to produce some depressed tendencies. We have had success with minimal dosages of Adderall XR and evening amphetamine along with much structure and routine when they were at home. However, all this changes with college life even with 504 support and medication for the youngest. The oldest has declined medication and has the most problem with procrastination. The middle is more goal oriented and uses medication as needed. The two using medication report heart racing and some depression issues so I would like to seek out alternatives. Both my husband and I have post graduate degrees and are professionals so we know it can be done, with lots of work, but are unsure how to help direct you adults.
I would like to hear the “Stopping Procrastination” or the “Energetic Wellness” but I think a plan is needed outline how to put all these pieces of the puzzle together in a simple workable way. Therefore I am looking for any reasonably useful measure to achieve this.
I would love to win a free ticket to the Virtual World Yoga Conference, but since I never win anything I won’t hold my breath. LOL.
I live in Kent, WA and I’m interested in child and teen ADHD since I have two adopted children with ADHD – daughter is 10 and son is 13.
We have them both taking Omega 3 supplements every day. A long time ago we tried gaba and 5HTP with our son and the teachers didn’t feel it was effective. After trying Adderal and Straterra, we finally found Concerta to be effective for him. With out daughter, we have tried four and haven’t found anything to be effective yet (Vyvance, Focalin, Daytrona, and Concerta). We have given up on medication for her at this time.
Although it all sounds good (especially yoga given my daughter’s anxiety disorder), the session I most want to hear is “Laugh Away Your Stress” with Jill & Dan Johnson. Why? Because raising kids with ADHD is stressful. And it feels good to laugh. And sometimes those two things have difficult coexisting. I lead an ADHD Parent Support Group in my community – and I want to be able to share some things with them to give them hope and make them laugh. I believe attitude is everything. I believe that this ADHD “disorder” can be viewed as a gift. We can support each other and begin to laugh at these things that cause us so much frustration – and when we do that we will be more open to finding solutions and looking for the bright side. Laughing is important – the endorphins released can be magical. I would love to lighten up and relax more and help others to do the same. That’s why that session is one of the many that I will be sure to tune into.
Thanks,
Janelle Reber
Kent, WA
We live in Toronto, Canada & are interested predominantly in child ADHD treatment. In conjunction with your presentation we are specifically interested in Rosemary Todd Clough’s ‘Ten Ways to Support Children through Yoga
and Creative Movement’ There are many more that we are interested in aswell.
In the past we have tried Native Remedie’s Focus Formula & Brain Spark & we were sadly disappointed as it did not work at all. Currently we are using Concerta which seems to be helping. Ideally we want to use natural treatment(s). Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins on a daily basis & to eliminate this exposure as much as possible would be beneficial.
I think yoga is very interesting, although I don’t know much about it. Since he is in school and is better with the latest med. His behavior is much better. It does wear off and he gets restless and too talkative demands a lot of attention but melatonin does help with sleep plus a story and a song. I wish teachers wouldn’t always want to have a label for a child before they could get them the appropriate help they need.We have him in scouts and an afternoon program as well as skating and basketball and the activity really helps. He loves to have something to do including baking. I wish I could afford this, but I can’t.
Hello!
I am from Minnesota and interested in adult ADHD. My partner is 55 and I have been trying to help him keep his ADHD under control for over 20 years. I really think it is getting harder and harder with our fast, overstimulated world. He has decided not to carry a cell phone and spends limited time on the internet. What we have found works the best is diet–no sugar or white flour, and other highly processed foods. We juice and take supplements: B vitamins and EFA’s, C, and a mineral supplement. It get’s spendy but the alternative is lost time at work and life. Recently (past 2 years) we started doing yoga and breathing, and walking in the morning and I think it has helped a lot. He has to work this weekend but I would love to get a pass to the yoga conference and the top 2 sessions I would attend would be Unplug to Plug In and anything related to nutrition and relaxation. Any tools that I can learn to share with him are gift to me, and ultimately the world.
Blessings to all and may we overcome.
I live in the Mid-Cities area of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas metroplex.
There are two life-points that currently capture my interest re adhd: How do we see it show up in younger children (and how do we smooth the road for the natural child as well as “treat” what needs reguiding, all the while cultivating confidence and awareness of strengths? Second life moment of interest is one I believe is just coming into general conversations — How does an adhd brain style impact ones later decades of life from 60 forward to 100? That’s the next frontier and it’s going to be an amazing ride!
Best techniques for brain guidance I’ve found have been massage, deep meditation and yoga. Plus regular hard exercise mixed with active, outdoor play such as hiking, biking or really anything that gets one laughing and noticing joy. Often sharing with others these moments enhances further.
The workshop I would choose is Julie Lusk’s Relax Deeply with Yoga Nidra. I believe that eventually we’ll understand scientifically how many get cellular change doing some of these therapies/activities. Such a blessing because we all in this together….
The contest for free tickets to the Yoga Virtual Conference is closed.
Any comments submitted after this comment will not be considered for the prize.
We will announce the winners shortly.
Thanks for participating.
Best,
Dr. Kenny
Thank you all for participating in this contest to win a spot in the Virtual Yoga Conference.
I really appreciate you being a reader of my blog and subscriber to my email list, and I’m honored that you took the time to read this post and share your experiences with me and the community that reads this blog.
I really wish that I could award each and every one of you a pass to the Virtual World Yoga Conference, but I can only award 3 passes.
After careful review – our judges have awarded these 3 people the passes to the Yoga confernce:
1) Sue Pontoreiro
2) Carrie
3) Cheryl
Our team will email each of you with the code that you can use to redeem your free registration.
For anyone else – registration is still open, and you can still use the 50% off code to register at a discount.
Here’s the link to sign up: http://www.contentabout.net/adhdyoga
Here’s the discount code: KNY219
I’m looking forward to sharing my perspectives on Alternatives for ADHD in my session on Saturday morning, and I hope to ‘see you’ there.
Best,
Dr. Kenny