Mindfulness in Nature Group for Adults with ADHD
A glimpse into our Adult Mindfulness Group
Our 5-week Mindfulness in nature group for adults with ADHD started on May 20, 2023. Our group contains a total of 4 participants who each bring with themselves a unique experience of ADHD which creates a sense of connectedness and belonging.The group co-facilitators are Heather, our registered Social worker and an OT Student, Wagma. Heather facilitates sharing her knowledge treating adults with ADHD and brings forth a unique perspective as she herself has an ADHD diagnosis.
“Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it”
Week 1
In Week 1, the group focused on an introduction to ADHD and Mindfulness. Here is a brief overview of what the group covered:
Established group norms and promises.
Introduction to daily mindfulness and ADHD and how mindfulness treatments are especially useful for adults with ADHD
Mindfulness work included Mindfulness of Breath and using our 5 senses in nature.
One participant coined the term “percolating” in reference to when they are having thoughts come up every now and again related to events or activities that have come up for them while they work through this.
“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul”
Fidget Items
Week 2
The group focused on Mindful Awareness of ADHD Patterns. An overview of what the group covered during this week is below:
Introduction to the mindfulness of breath exercise
Worked on non-judgmentalness, acceptance and change, radical acceptance and how these tools can be used in relation to ADHD.
Mindfulness of movement exercise and making it more accessible to ADHD traits
“As special as we might be, we experience something that other people do but just at a much higher frequency” - participant testimonial
“ Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.”
Overview of the day in Week 2.
Week 3
Mindfulness of the body scan practice to inform our well-being
Mindfulness of thoughts to encompass concepts around meta-awareness and cognitive defusion
Mindful "awareness of thoughts" exercise by viewing our mindful awareness as a spacious blue sky
A meaningful discussion around self-talk/affirmations
“It was interesting to note that sometimes our emotions mask the sensations in our body as a sort of a survival mechanism” - participant testimonial
This summary aims to give those who are interested in joining our 5-week Mindfulness in Nature Group for Adults with ADHD an opportunity to better understand the ins and outs of the program and to get excited about future opportunities to join this group! While also giving future participants a chance to learn more about the group through their personal experiences and testimonies.
Join our waiting list to keep informed of when we offer our next group!