Blog

---

If you’ve ever tried to “just focus on your breath” and ended up mentally reorganising your entire calendar, reliving a random argument from 2014, or suddenly remembering the name of that actor you couldn’t place three days ago…I see you.

Yoga is often sold as this magical key to calm, but for those of us with ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence, the quiet, slow, stillness-based version of yoga can often feel…impossible, or worse: like we’re failing at something that’s supposed to help.

But here’s the truth: yoga doesn’t have to mean silence or stillness; it doesn’t have to be rigid or performative; and it absolutely doesn’t have to be something you figure out alone.

When it’s approached with care, curiosity, and support – yoga can become a lifeline, and a way to soothe your nervous system, reconnect to your body, and finally feel like you’re allowed to take up space, exactly as you are.

Why Traditional Yoga Spaces Can Feel So Difficult

Mainstream yoga – especially the way it’s often taught in studios or on apps – doesn’t always translate well for neurodivergent folks. It’s full of unspoken rules: be still, be quiet, and we often believe we need to “do it right”.

It also may be taught in sensory-intense environments: harsh lights, loud music, mirrors, heat. It can feel overly linear, slow, or repetitive in a way that doesn’t regulate, but irritates, and worst of all: it can leave you wondering if you’re the problem.

But you’re not; it’s just that these spaces were rarely designed with our brains or bodies in mind.

You Don’t Need Fixing – You Need Support

If yoga hasn’t worked for you in the past, maybe you were trying to fit yourself into someone else’s version of it.

Maybe you were told to close your eyes when that didn’t feel safe, or you were told to be still when what your body really needed was movement. Maybe you were made to feel like fidgeting, stimming, laughing, or needing more instruction made you “disruptive” or “difficult”.

You’re not difficult. You’re different. And you’re not alone.

When you find a way of practising that meets you – not a version of you that’s quieter or more focused or more palatable to some stranger you don’t even particularly care about – something shifts. Yoga becomes a source of safety, not stress.

What Actually Helps Neurodivergent Nervous Systems

Here’s what’s helped me, and what I now offer my own students – many of whom are neurodivergent too, whether they know it or not:

• Rhythmic movement – flowy, repetitive sequences like gentle vinyāsa or rocking side to side help settle a restless mind
• Breath and sound – tools like sighing, humming, or audible exhales soothe the vagus nerve and support co-regulation
• Permission to choose – you don’t have to close your eyes, you can skip stillness altogether, and you can adapt every āsana
• Short, digestible practices – you don’t need 90 minutes; sometimes five minutes is enough, sometimes just pausing is enough
• Props and containment – bolsters, blankets, cushions, even weighted items can offer sensory feedback that helps you feel grounded and held.

Yoga doesn’t have to look or feel like what you see on Instagram; you don’t need fancy leggings, a quiet mind, or even a mat. You just need a way in.

Why It’s Harder Alone – and Why the Right Teacher Changes Everything

When you’re trying to figure it out on your own – especially with a fast-moving, nonlinear brain – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or discouraged.

You start a YouTube video and abandon it five minutes in; you try a breathing practice and end up more agitated you roll out a mat, sit there blankly, and scroll instead.

And then comes the self-talk: why can’t I stick with anything? Why can’t I just do it properly?

This is where a supportive teacher makes a world of difference.

A teacher who understands neurodivergence won’t expect you to conform; they’ll offer structure without pressure, choices without overwhelm.

They’ll know that your needs might shift day to day – or moment to moment; they’ll welcome your fidgeting, your questions, your laughter, your “messiness”.

Because they get it. Because they’ve been there. Because they care more about you feeling safe than looking a certain way.

You’re not meant to go it alone.

How to Know If a Yoga Teacher or Space is ND-Affirming

Here are a few signs that you’re in a space that might actually support you:

• They explain things clearly, without jargon
• They invite options, not instructions: “If it feels good, try this. If not, skip it”
• They check in without pressure
• They don’t shame you for adapting, asking questions, or needing repetition
• They offer a mix of movement and stillness, and honour your choice to opt in or out
• You leave feeling more connected to yourself – not like you’ve failed

A Personal Note (Because You Deserve to Know You’re Not Alone)

I didn’t always know I was neurodivergent. I just knew that certain things – like sitting still, focusing, switching off – felt much harder for me than for other people.

I found yoga not because I was looking for mindfulness, but because I needed something. A way to feel less overwhelmed, a way to come back to myself.

I didn’t realise until much later that the practices I was drawn to – rhythmic movement, gentle repetition, soft containment – were exactly what my nervous system needed.

I didn’t “stick with it” because I was disciplined; I stuck with it because it made me feel safe, and for neurodivergent people, safety is everything.

Now, I teach in a way that offers that same support to others – because you shouldn’t have to figure this out alone.

You’re Not Broken – And You’re Not Too Much

If you’ve ever left a yoga class feeling like you did it wrong…
If you’ve ever abandoned a practice because your brain wouldn’t slow down…
If you’ve ever felt like your body, your mind, your needs are “too much”…

Please hear this:
You’re not too much. You’re not doing it wrong.
You just haven’t been offered your version of yoga yet.

One that welcomes you exactly as you are; that doesn’t demand stillness, but gently invites it. One that doesn’t try to change you, but helps you feel more you.

You don’t have to go it alone; and you don’t have to push through or mask your way through either. Support is available – and you’re allowed to ask for it.

You deserve to feel calm, clear, and connected. Not in spite of your neurodivergence – but because your nervous system matters.

If this post resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you. You can reply in the comments or send me a message – I truly mean it when I say you’re not alone.

---

“I’d love to do yoga, but I’m just not flexible enough.”

It’s the line I hear more than any other, and it always makes me smile, because the very reason people think they can’t start yoga – stiffness – is the very reason they should.

If you’ve ever thought yoga wasn’t for you because you can’t touch your toes, struggle to sit cross-legged, or feel more like a rigid clothes hanger than a graceful yogi – this post is for you.

Yoga Isn’t the Finish Line – It’s the Starting Point

Let’s get this out of the way: flexibility is not a requirement for yoga.  It’s something that may develop because of it.

Think of it like this: saying you’re too stiff to do yoga is like saying you’re too thirsty to drink water; the need is the reason.

Yoga was never intended to be a performance. Traditional yoga (rooted in Indian philosophy and embodied wisdom) was always about how you relate to your body and mind – not what weird shapes you can contort into.

The image of the bendy, serene woman in a perfect backbend on a mountaintop? That’s branding, not yoga.

Your practice begins exactly where you are – stiff shoulders, tight hamstrings, aching back and all. That’s the point. Yoga meets you there.

Where Does Stiffness Actually Come From?

It’s easy to blame tight muscles, but stiffness isn’t just a physical thing – it’s often a combination of:

• Sedentary habits (desk jobs, commuting, screen time)
• Chronic stress (which causes your body to tighten up as a protective response)
• Overuse or underuse of certain muscle groups (hello, upper traps and hip flexors)
• Unaddressed emotional tension (grief, anxiety, and fear often show up in the body)

In other words, stiffness is your body doing its best to hold you together under pressure, it’s not a flaw – it’s a message. And yoga is a brilliant way to listen, respond, and gently unwind what’s been stuck.

“But I Work a 9–5, Sit All Day, and Barely Move…”

Exactly.

This is why yoga can be such a powerful antidote. Sitting for hours shortens and tightens the hip flexors, rounds the spine, weakens the core, and restricts the breath.

By the end of the day, your body feels like it’s been folded in half and forgotten.

You may notice:

• Shoulder and neck tension
• Low back pain
• Stiff hips
• Shallow breathing
• Constant fatigue

Yoga addresses all of this, and no, that doesn’t mean leaping into a sweaty vinyāsa class or balancing on your hands. It starts with simple, supported, accessible movement.

You Don’t Need to Be Flexible — You Need to Be Willing

Willing to move, to breathe, to feel.

That’s it. That’s the whole requirement.

Some of my favourite students have arrived feeling completely disconnected from their bodies – stiff, overwhelmed, self-conscious, unsure; and they’re often the ones who experience the most powerful transformation.

Because the first step isn’t about the pose. It’s about reconnecting with your own sense of embodiment.

In a world that constantly pulls you out of yourself – into your inbox, your to-do list, your worries – yoga brings you back in.

Try These: Yoga ĀSANA (Poses) for Stiff Bodies

If you’re curious to start, here are some beginner-friendly, highly adaptable āsana. These are the ones I return to again and again for students who feel stiff, stressed, or just exhausted.

1. Supta baddha koṇāsana (Reclined bound angle pose)

Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall open. Support the knees with pillows if needed and focus on deep belly breathing to gently release through the hips and groin.

2. Apanāsana (Knees to chest pose)

Still on your back, hug your knees in to your chest and rock side to side to massage the lower back. It can be lovely way to relieve spinal tension and encourage your body to soften.

3. Balāsana (Child’s pose)

With knees wide and a bolster or pillows under your chest, allow your body to drape forward. This is great for calming the nervous system and releasing through the spine and shoulders.

4. Ardha mukha śvānāsana (Downward-facing dog) – but at the wall

Place your hands on a wall at shoulder height and walk back until your spine is long with your hips straight behind you, lower your head so your ears are comfortably between your upper arms. It’s a great modification if being on the floor feels inaccessible, and still opens the shoulders, lengthens the spine, and supports better posture.

5. Seated side bend or gentle spinal twist

Sit on the floor or in a stable chair, lift one arm overhead and bend gently to the opposite side; or cross one leg over the other and see whether it’s better for you to gently twist gently towards or away from it, allow the pelvis to move with your twist. This moves the spine in different directions without strain.

All of these can be done in under 10 minutes. No mat, no Lycra, no chanting. Just you, your breath, and a small decision to care for your body.

Mind Over “Should”

Often, what holds people back isn’t just physical stiffness – it’s mental resistance.

• “I’ll look silly” (You won’t)
• “I’m not a yoga person” (Yoga isn’t a test. There are no gold stars or red pens.)
• “What if I do it wrong?” (The only “wrong” way to do yoga is to ignore your body and push through pain. Everything else is exploration.)

So… Are You Too Stiff for Yoga?

No. You’re exactly ready.

If you’re stiff, sore, or feel like your body’s working against you – that’s your invitation.

The people who think yoga is only for the flexible are missing the point: yoga is for the human, the tired, the tight, the tangled, the trying-their-best.

You don’t need to bend. You need to begin.

Want a Little Support?

If you’re not sure where to start, or you’re nervous about going to a group class, I offer gentle, beginner-friendly lessons – both online and in person – created for people who don’t feel like typical yogis (because what even is that, anyway?).

My classes are grounded in tradition, led with compassion, and built around you feeling better, not just more bendy.

Message me if you’d like to try a session – or just have a chat about what’s possible.

You’re not too stiff. You’re right on time.

After a refresh gone wrong, it seems all my blog posts have been eaten. I will endeavour to to replace/update as many as I’m able to, and will continue to add new posts on my regular schedule.