Mindful Movement and Skilled Attention
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience September 11, 2015 Dav eClark, Frank eSchumann, Stewart H. Mostofsky
A review of empirical and theoretical literature proposes that motor control and cognitive control are tightly linked, with skillful movement covarying with skillful attention and self-regulation. In ADHD, deficient motor control correlates with impaired behavioral inhibition, contributing to distractibility and impulsivity. Mindful movement practices such as yoga and tai chi may improve the functional quality of rehearsed motor procedures, cultivating a transferrable skill of attention. The authors endorse a model where motor plans, attention, and executive goals are mutually co-defining aspects of skilled behavior linked by reciprocal inhibitory and excitatory connections. Mindful movement training may benefit individuals with ADHD and other populations.