Neurodiversity-Affirming Mindfulness Practices with Sue Hutton and Jan Wozniak

Moved To Meditate Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, you'll hear from two experts on neurodiversity-affirming mindfulness practices, Sue Hutton and Jan Wozniak.

We’ll be talking about how Mindfulness Meditation programs can be offered in a more inclusive way for autistic adults, those with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence.

My guests, Sue Hutton and Jan Wozniak, work together at the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) in Toronto. The Azrieli Centre is a first-of-its kind organization in Canada that does research with the neurodevelopmental disability community.

You’ll hear about:

• addressing social anxiety and sensory issues that can come up for neurodiverse meditation students in a class setting
• the importance of offering multiple ways to practice a technique like Mindfulness of Breathing or Loving-Kindness Meditation
• stacking anchors to help students connect with the kinesthetic, visual, or auditory aspects of meditation, on their own terms
• being aware of how different verbal instructions may (or may not) work for everyone
• how Sue and Jan approach mindful movement or walking meditation for neurodiverse groups.

Sue and Jan each share about their backgrounds in meditation, and what led them to offering mindfulness practices through this lens. In particular, Jan speaks about how he turned to mindfulness to help manage the anxiety and sensory overwhelm arising from having to navigate neurotypical settings. The conversation also touches on several ways that the traditional presentation of mindfulness can be problematic for neurodivergent individuals, or simply fail to resonate with what they might like to address through meditation.

If you are a meditation teacher, I hope this episode will heighten your awareness of neurodiversity, so that you can offer practices and create spaces that are more user-friendly for diverse minds.

And, for those listening who identify as neurodivergent, I hope you’ll come away with new resources that lead you to useful (and enjoyable) meditation practices, tailored to your unique needs.

Guest Bios:

Sue Hutton has been a long-term practitioner and teacher of Mindfulness Meditation. She trained professionally with Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. She focuses her work these days on supporting mindfulness in neurodivergent communities, working with a research team at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her perspective as a social worker and her experience in disability advocacy informs the way she shares traditional mindfulness techniques.

Jan Wozniak is a licensed philosophical counsellor whose interests in Eastern philosophy, Buddhism, and neurodevelopmental research led to his pursuit of psychology and mindfulness-based practices. As an autistic adult, Jan combines theory, practice, and lived experience to support fellow neurodivergent community members through participatory research, informed programming, and advocacy initiatives. Jan serves as a Program Engagement Co-Facilitator at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and is planning to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology in 2024.

-----

Sue’s website with offerings related to all things neurodiversity and mindfulness (free streaming meditations, groups and resources): https://www.suehuttonmindfulness.com/

For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.

Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).