Concentration/ADHD help

[Chumbimba]

Hello all:

i have been meditating for 3 years on and off but more on than off. I have had some amazing experiences so far but my concentration is still shit. I got diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age and I currently have medication like Vyvanse and aderall  to help me with my concentration but I don’t take It because of the side effects and i have a negative attitude towards being on pills.

It makes me feel like there is something wrong with me. This effects my school work, meditation and a lot of other things to the point nothing gets finished in my life. I tried Leo’s exercises on concentration but they didn’t work very well. 
 

any tips to help me would be greatly appreciated:)

 

[onacloudynight]

Do a dopamine fast for a week. Cut out all sources of external stimulation, music, tv, video games, phone, internet, youtube etc... A big reason why you can't focus on things is because your mind is addicted to all these easy sources of instant gratification. You need to train your mind to work for things in order to get a dopamine spike.

[Evoke]

I would suggest cardiovascular exercise for 45 minutes five times a week as it increases dopamine and other neurochemicals that are crucial for optimal brain health.

[Chumbimba]

What about diet during the dopamine fast ? Any specific foods to say away from ?

[purerogue]

Seriously awareness practices can fix it, just try it.If you have questions PM me.

[inFlow]

On 12/12/2019 at 7:31 PM, Chumbimba said:

any tips to help me would be greatly appreciated:)

 

Kriya Yoga. Stops the monkey mind very quickly. The mind works with the breath. If you breathe very slow, lets say 2 times per minute your mind is shut down by force. After a while your mind will be able to be silent for longer duration of time. Meditation can do it, but you are using your will power to not think, Kriya works with your body, you are silencing your own mind by using your own body.

Kriya works like magic for me. It also brings more benefits than just a silent mind.

[purerogue]

4 minutes ago, inFlow said:

Kriya Yoga. Stops the monkey mind very quickly. The mind works with the breath. If you breathe very slow, lets say 2 times per minute your mind is shut down by force. After a while your mind will be able to be silent for longer duration of time. Meditation can do it, but you are using your will power to not think, Kriya works with your body, you are silencing your own mind by using your own body.

Kriya works like magic for me. It also brings more benefits than just a silent mind.

It is more then just  monkey mind, ADHD makes you lose control of your actions without you noticing, just switching focus, you need strong awareness.

Not just empty mind. 

 

 

 

[inFlow]

@purerogue Empty mind = awareness. The more empty mind you can get the more aware you can be of the coming thoughts and actions that you take.

[purerogue]

Just now, inFlow said:

@purerogue Empty mind = awareness. The more empty mind you can get the more aware you can be of the coming thoughts and actions that you take.

No, not at all, empty mind is just no thought, awareness is completely different thing. 

[inFlow]

@purerogue What are you trying to prove here.....?

[purerogue]

Just now, inFlow said:

@purerogue What are you trying to prove here.....?

Not trying to prove anything, awareness has nothing to do with your thought process in general, you can have monkey mind and have strong awareness and see thoughts as they are. 

[inFlow]

@purerogue

On 12/12/2019 at 7:31 PM, Chumbimba said:

so far but my concentration is still shit.

 

On 12/12/2019 at 7:31 PM, Chumbimba said:

This effects my school work, meditation and a lot of other things to the point nothing gets finished in my life.

He can't do anything cause of the constant stream of distracting monkey mind. He just gets distracted from one work and can't finish it even if he wants to. Also he can't concentrate which is why I'am recommending him Kriya in the first place. I've been there, I know what is needed. Kriya works like magic.

[purerogue]

13 minutes ago, inFlow said:

@purerogue

 

He can't do anything cause of the constant stream of distracting monkey mind. He just gets distracted from one work and can't finish it even if he wants to. Also he can't concentrate which is why I'am recommending him Kriya in the first place. I've been there, I know what is needed. Kriya works like magic.

Yes I see that you push Kirya everywhere, I am not sure what teachings of Kyria you are even talking about, but it does not matter, as none of them on them self has anything to do with awareness practices as main focus, not to mention that it is hard to find any good information on how to do it , as it is supposed to be done with teacher in person.

Kyria is energy work, that increases your awareness with time, but it is not teaching on itself that focuses on it, he will have to step in allot of other things to even get anywhere near, not saying it is bad advice, but you could as well said any practice, as they all involve awareness. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by purerogue

[Chumbimba]

Im doing Kriya it’s powerful. I also meditate. 
 

@purerogue what type of awareness work are you talking about 

[Leo Gura]

You need to research all the cures that have been found for ADHD.

They are out there. Many of them. Do the research and get your health in order.

If you have an underlying physical issue like heavy metal toxicity or some vitamin deficiency, no amount of meditation technique is going to overcome that. Meditation technique assumes you have a solid healthy body/brain/mind to work with.

Don't just assume that ADHD is some genetic condition handed down to you by God. It's probably a consequence of improper lifestyle.

[ravlondon]

@Chumbimba You might be high in openness. I have a similar experience in my own live where all I want is excitement, creativity and fun and find it difficult to sit still, my mind is constantly on tangents.

[Aaron p]

Saying that you cant meditate because you have ADHD is like saying you can't lift weights because you have small muscles. Start small, and lifting weights *will give you bigger muscles*.

Similarly, with meditation, make sure your not trying to do too much, but still the same time pushing yourself to grow and the meditation will sooth your condition. At least it did with me. Lifting weights enables you to lift weights, meditating enables you to meditate

[kieranperez]

As someone with really difficult ADHD I can tell you that it’s not as big of an obstacle that it appears. I found Culadasa’s perspective rather helpful but as far as enlightenment goes, yeah it’s not an issue. 
 

I have found Hatha yoga shatkarma practices very helpful as well. 
 

I study with a Very highly enlightened Zen master who had ADHD so bad in the 60s he resorted to methodone to try and stop his internal craziness and yeah... when I look at him it’s very clear it’s not an excuse or anywhere near as much of a setback. 
 

It really is just a matter of doing the work though. I recommend cleaning up your diet to what works for you.

Again though, as far as enlightenment, it’s not an obstacle. Truth realization is not dependent on state as crazy as that may sound. 

[kieranperez]

18 minutes ago, Arzola said:

Ralston?

Ralston is not a Zen master as he is not part of any tradition. So no. 

[kieranperez]

@Chumbimba Though I’m no follower of JP, this is the most insightful thing I probably ever found on ADHD after 16 years of homework.