Can aspies benefit from yoga or meditation? Very stressed

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ladyasd
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27 Oct 2010, 6:08 am

I am really stressed all of the time and I don't have techniques to"switch off". I have tried a yoga class in the past and found it very frustrating because my mind was going at 100mph still and I was annoyed that I was away from my notepad and pen so I couldn't write things on my to-do list as I thought of them. Also the room was too dark and it hurt my eyes. Also, as I regularly exercise, I feel like if I'm going to be in sweatpants I should be sweating. So doing gentle movements seems very counter-intuative to me!

I wondered if anyone like me had found benefits from yoga or meditation or anything like that, and if so, I'd appreciate any tips on how to "chill out". :(

xx



gassy
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27 Oct 2010, 6:22 am

ladyasd wrote:
I am really stressed all of the time and I don't have techniques to"switch off". I have tried a yoga class in the past and found it very frustrating because my mind was going at 100mph still and I was annoyed that I was away from my notepad and pen so I couldn't write things on my to-do list as I thought of them. Also the room was too dark and it hurt my eyes. Also, as I regularly exercise, I feel like if I'm going to be in sweatpants I should be sweating. So doing gentle movements seems very counter-intuative to me!

I wondered if anyone like me had found benefits from yoga or meditation or anything like that, and if so, I'd appreciate any tips on how to "chill out". :(

xx


I meditate quite a bit. Though i dont know if its "true" meditation. I just start listening to music, it really helps me to focus and i struggle to do much without it. Then i just close my eyes, lie down, take deep breaths and sort of lose track of everything. Though not falling asleep, almost being in a state of semi-consciousness.

I do it just after I wake up in the morning for about 15-20 minutes, and sometimes in the afternoon/evening depending on my tiredness and stress levels.

EDIT Just to be more specific i do it in my bed with a big duvet. It helps a lot if im quite warm. And if i do it during the day I usually wear at least 3 layers of clothing when doing it too.



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27 Oct 2010, 7:07 am

ladyasd wrote:
I wondered if anyone like me had found benefits from yoga or meditation or anything like that, and if so, I'd appreciate any tips on how to "chill out". :(

xx


Yeah. Set aside a small period of time, 5 to 10 minutes if you are starting out, and have the intention to meditate and do nothing else. Setting a timer helps. Sit somewhere quiet, let go of physical tension in your body, and focus on your breath. Feel it coming and going, be fully with it. If thoughts of wanting to write things on your to do list come up, notice them, but pay no heed, and bring your mind back to the breath. If you need to, remind yourself that you can go and write things down afterwards, it's only a few minutes.

If you find a lot of your meditation time is taken up with thinking, don't worry. It's a training, and it takes a while to get 'good' at it.

The thing about the yoga is that you're supposed to be getting completely absorbed in your movements, not thinking about your to do list. Having that intention to be fully with your yoga session and not with your to do list would be a good idea. Just like the meditation I described, when distracting thoughts come along, just bring your attention back to desired area of focus; the yoga activity.

It sounds almost compulsive, that need to write. Is that one of your coping strategies? I often write things down, terrible memory. Meditation can be a useful tool for analysing and breaking compulsions, among other things.

Guided meditations can be really useful... here's some I think are very good specifically for relaxation

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-meditation.htm

You want the Malcolm Huxter files.

May you find the peace you seek.


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ladyasd
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27 Oct 2010, 10:21 am

Thank you very, very much for your replies. I've never considered it before, but I think yes, writing thingsdown is probably both a compulsion and a coping strategy for me. I like the idea of setting a timer for 10 mins to start with, and hour class is a really long time for me, maybe that's been the problem - starting too hard.

Thank you

x



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27 Oct 2010, 12:14 pm

Yeah, do that for a while, and then see if you can increase the time.

And you're welcome. :)


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nthach
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27 Oct 2010, 4:46 pm

I think yoga can be beneficial to aspies. I try to practice once a week, it does help with me getting into a better "state of mind" and I can also modulate my locus of control better when I'm not aware of the outside world.



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27 Oct 2010, 8:50 pm

Yes, meditation is great and really, really helps me. You could also take a look at what you're eating as some things are calming. Try root vegetables like potatoes (not too many though - a little goes a long way). Get some EFAs in your diet, too (salmon in any form is calming) and taro. All of those will calm you, then you need anti-inflammatory foods like green vegetables. Try not to over indulge in dry foods like dried beans, crackers, cold cereal, coffee, tea, etc. They'll just irritate already frayed nerves if you eat tons of them.



ladyasd
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03 Nov 2010, 7:22 pm

Hmmm, you could be right about food. I'm vegetarian but I have a very restricted diet, I only eat a few things and tend to eat the same things every day. I'm making myself eat fresh fruit every day at the moment but in general I pretty much live on pasta, potatoes and All Bran.



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03 Nov 2010, 7:46 pm

Martial arts. Aikido.



leozelig
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20 Nov 2010, 9:07 pm

when I went to yoga a few months ago, I did it once a week and I felt much more connected to my body. I felt more "present," like more connected in mind-body, i guess. There's no other way to describe it. My concentration can be really good when I just focus on my breath. It take practice though, I used to meditate a few times a week. I want to go back to yoga but I kinda hate going to the studio with all the women.



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22 Nov 2010, 9:03 pm

I developed a meditation system for myself and others on the spectrum:

http://echoing.neurelitism.com


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22 Nov 2010, 11:39 pm

I do Asthanga yoga every morning,it really has benefitted me in numerous ways.There is a pose for every mood,everything you can imagine.I also do meditation.It really helps to focus,clam,strengthen and guide you in your journey as your self.I have a lot less fear and a LOT more love towards myself after having been on my yoga journey for four years.It is one thing I think every person can add to their life which will change them positively and permanently.



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02 Dec 2010, 12:03 am

Hi,

I've benefitted heaps from meditation and yoga.

I recommend talks by Ajahn Brahm found here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA

They are very entertaining and lead you into relaxation/meditation.

I hope that helps.



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02 Dec 2010, 8:48 am

floating wrote:
Hi,

I've benefitted heaps from meditation and yoga.

I recommend talks by Ajahn Brahm found here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA

They are very entertaining and lead you into relaxation/meditation.

I hope that helps.


I love Ajahn Brahm! I listen to his talks daily on YouTube and on my ipod in my car. His talks have helped me a great deal. He's so funny. :)



asdmonger
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02 Dec 2010, 12:34 pm

Not sure how old you are but someone once told me 'Youth is flexibility'. Time has proven to me how true this is. Stick with the Yoga, you will thank yourself for it years from now.

I've used Silva Mind Control for meditation. It's a powerful, simple system you can do on your own, you can buy the book on amazon for 8 bucks. Silva has given me a tool I have used to overcome some of my deepest fears.

But whatever you choose to do, I think you are going to have to make a conscious decision to 'let go' of your obsessive mental activity in order to find out what it's like to truly meditate. Think of it as an adventurous little vacation - you can always get back to your lists later.

FYI I'm also a compulsive writer - I don't do lists, but whenever I have a thought I think is important or useful, I start scribbling it out on a yellow note pad. This seems to help me give more 'weight' to the thoughts that I like out of the random madness that my brain constantly generates.



jamiethesilent
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02 Dec 2010, 3:46 pm

I mediate whenever I feel stressed, in noisy situations etc. It is quite funny at the St.John devision I go to when we do unconscious casualty. I just fall into a deep meditation so the others think I am unconscious because my limbs are floppy and I do not talk, or twitch or breath to deeply. Even though I am extremely ticklish. I was told by the ed-pysck that for Dyspraxics like my self, yoga is not to good because it stretches the already to strechted ligiments.

James


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