Yoga, meditation and qi gong

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Yoga, meditation and qi gong is something I ve studied and practised since 2010 and it has always helped me to quiet my mind (monkeymind as it is called). I also teach it from time to time.

Before I started to read about autism and later self diagnose myself I was curious why the different techniques worked so well for me. I m not 100% sure but I understand that silence, repetition, deep breathing is very beneficial when my very creative and active brain needs rest. My brain has also a tendency to trigger fear/anxiety but when I read Temple Grandins book on the autistic brain many things fell in place.

How about have been helped by yoga/meditation/qi gong exercises? Or do you have other things that calm you down. Reading, listening to music and painting can be very peaceful for me too.

It would have been more helpful if I wasn't definitely also ADHD. It can be a particular challenge to remember to meditate. But, I do have a singing bowl that's rather useful and mindfulness is something that can be practiced anywhere at any time.

I suspect that with our typically poor executive function that we're somewhat susceptible to hypnosis as well. But, I haven't really tried that on anybody else yet.

Meditation has been very useful.for me.

Guided mediation(recorded),mediation focused on breath and walking meditation especially.

I haven't tried yoga or qi.gong but I am interested in trying them.

I also read, listen to calming music and paint.

Going to research singing bowls also. That sounds interesting.

I rarely meditate, but I do notice that it helps. However I had an experience once when I was quietly focusing and clearing my mind and I was hit with a wave of grief for someone close who had died not long before and it just about knocked me over. That made me kind of skittish about meditating.

Slow breathing helps a lot by itself. There are many different ways of breathing to calm yourself. One that I use is inhale through your nose for about a count of 4 and exhale through slightly open lips for about a count of 8, over and over. (The exact timing is not important, do what feels natural but keep it close to those times.)

But one of the best distractions for me is to watch a TV program that I can get absorbed in, and it kind of makes me forget myself. I like detective dramas, especially British ones.

And riding my bike, very slowly and leisurely, around the neighborhood.

Yoga is too physically taxing for me. I tried Tai Chi and it too was too physically demanding. I haven't tried Qi Gong.