What Is Neurodiversity-Affirming Yoga Therapy?

If you’ve ever tried yoga and left feeling more overwhelmed, disconnected, or “wrong,” you’re not alone.

Many of my clients — especially late-identified autistic adults, ADHDers, and others with sensitive nervous systems — had previously quietly opted out of yoga for a few reasons:

• Discomfort in the studio environment (small talk, pressure to mask or ‘perform,’ bright lights, heated rooms, crowded mats, strong scents)

• Rigid scheduling expectations (fixed class times, limited or no flexibility if your energy, focus, or capacity fluctuates day-to-day)

• Unspoken rules about being still/quiet that conflict with regulation needs

• Lack of accessible options or welcoming modifications

• Teachers who aren’t trained to work with hypermobility, sensory needs, or chronic pain

• Feeling “less than” when practices described as calming or grounding have the opposite effect

These aren’t personal shortcomings — they’re signs that the typical yoga setup often isn’t built with neurodivergent nervous systems in mind.

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy starts from a different place: if your nervous system responds differently, that’s expected — and the practice should adapt to you, not the other way around.

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What “neurodiversity-affirming” yoga means in this context

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy recognizes that there’s no single “right” way to regulate, feel present, or relate to the body.

In its roots, yoga refers to integration or union — an awareness of connection within yourself and with others. It isn’t about forcing calm. It’s about building steadiness and a relationship with your own system. This approach supports that by:

• respecting neurological differences as natural human variation

• prioritizing autonomy, consent, and choice

• adapting practices to the person, not the other way around

• treating nervous-system feedback as information

The goal isn’t to be “calm” at all costs - it’s to find what actually works for your nervous system - and build the practice around that.

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How this shows up in practice

In a neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy space, you might notice a few things that feel quietly different from mainstream yoga:

• Clear structure and predictable pacing

• Options offered without hierarchy or pressure

• Explicit permission to move, stim, fidget, rest, or opt out

• Language that supports choice rather than compliance

• In groups: flexible participation (camera on/off, doing less or doing it differently is always welcome)

• In 1:1 sessions: multiple ways to communicate needs, including non-verbal options

• A shared approach — adjusting in real time based on what’s actually happening in your body and what you need (physical, sensory, mental, or emotional)

Practices are shaped to support regulation first, in ways that feel accessible and resourcing.

A note on “calming” practices

It’s worth noting that some widely recommended yoga and mindfulness practices — long stillness, silence, closed eyes, sustained inward focus — can increase distress for certain nervous systems.

If a practice ramps you up, that isn’t failure - it’s feedback.

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy takes that feedback seriously and adapts accordingly, rather than encouraging you to push through discomfort in the name of growth or resilience.

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What neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy is not

This approach is not about:

• forcing relaxation or calm

• correcting or normalizing behaviour

• overriding sensory needs

• bypassing overwhelm with positivity

• replacing mental health or medical care

Yoga therapy works alongside other supports and respects scope and boundaries. It’s one piece of a larger care ecosystem.

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Who does this approach often support well?

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy can be especially supportive for people who:

• identify as autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent (diagnosed or self-identified)

• experience sensory sensitivity, chronic overwhelm, or shutdown

• feel disconnected from their body after years of masking or pushing through

• have tried yoga before and felt disregarded or out of place

• want support that focuses on nervous-system safety ahead of performance

You don’t need to fit a label to belong here — resonance matters more than categories.

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A different starting point

Neurodiversity-affirming yoga therapy doesn’t ask you to change who you are in order to participate. It starts by asking:

What does your nervous system need to feel cared for today — and how can we build the practice around that?

If this way of approaching yoga feels relieving rather than intimidating, you’re welcome to explore more or reach out with questions.

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Angie Lamb is a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) offering trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming online yoga therapy for adults navigating stress, anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm. Her work emphasizes safety, choice, accessibility, and co-created practices that meet each nervous system’s unique needs.