The only thing that stops me feeling driven (an ADHD thing which can be very intense), that allows me to live in a relaxed way is when I diligently do my daily meditation practice. I was wondering why it was so noticeable in me, like turning off an engine. Does meditation give you a dopamine hit, I wondered? Yes. It does. Another reason why it is so very good for those with ADHD – where low levels of dopamine are a problem.
‘Levels of dopamine (the neurotransmitter of pleasure), serotonin (the neurotransmitter of happiness), and GABA (the neurotransmitter of calmness) all rise in response to meditation. And in people who practice on a daily basis, they send signals more routinely. But it’s not one big, er, brain dump. “It’s more that there are overall changes in these combinations of neurotransmitters that reflect a more positive, relaxed, and even contented direction,” Lumba-Brown says in an article in the Stanford Magazine.
But getting started meditating isn’t that easy for someone with ADHD. I used to give up on meditation because it bored me. Watching the breath was simply too dull for my ADHD brain. Then I rediscovered a form of practice that actually held my attention: imaginative meditation. It borrows the visualisation tools of Vajrayana—mantras, images, focused actions—without the religious structure, and I’ve simplified it so you don’t need decades of training to benefit.
In the video below I guide you through the Loving‑Light practice: first we invite nourishing light into the body, then we fly up and merge with that light until we become it, and finally we dissolve the image and rest in open awareness. It’s a practice that trains attention at the same level as our thoughts and emotions, so you’ll find the benefits leak into everyday life: more focus, more energy, and a quieter, kinder relationship with your mind.
And because you’re bathing yourself in loving light, you get a particularly big hit of dopamine, serotonin and GABA.
If breath meditation felt impossible for you, try this one before you get out of bed — it’s short, flexible, and built to fit a busy, creative life.
A written version of the meditation is in the book below.
Song lyrics
[Verse 1]
Take a deep breath in
On the outbreath, drop your mind
Like a pebble falling into water
Rest in that space for a moment
[Verse 2]
Visualise your mind as a blue sky
Open, endless, crystal clear
Gather all the wisdom of the universe
A star sparkling in the vast sky
[Instrumental break]
[Chorus]
The star becomes a noble being
Made of clear light, pure awareness
Your wisest, most loving self
The essence of your mind and reality
[Instrumental break]
[Verse 3]
From the heart of light, love pours in
Filling you with healing, warmth, and grace
You are loveable, you are loved
Your worries dissolve, your energy grows
[Instrumental break]
[Bridge]
Rest in the flow of loving light
Until you are love itself
Merge with the being of light
You are floating in space
[Instrumental break]
[Chorus – Repeat]
Your mind is the mind of awakened beings
Wide open, endlessly aware
Unfailing compassion, all-encompassing
Rest in unity, rest in peace
[Instrumental break]
[Verse 4]
Send healing light from your heart
To all suffering beings
The universe sends love back to you
An endless nurturing circle
[Outro]
Light in on your inbreath
Light out on your outbreath
Boundless wisdom, unceasing grace
Rest in perfect balance
[Instrumental break]
[Final Verse]
Dissolve the world into light
Draw it into your heart
Dissolve yourself into nothing
All that remains is awareness
[Instrumental break]
[Final Chorus]
Endless, open, all-encompassing
Calm, clear, compassionate
Become aware of awareness
Shine the light, let thoughts dissolve
Rest in pure awareness
Rest in pure awareness
[Instrumental outro]
