what if being chronically late isn’t just a bad habit?

This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.

The Question

I keep reading advice about breaking the habit of being late, like just trying harder or arriving early on purpose. But what if chronic lateness isn't just about willpower? How do we talk about punctuality in a way that acknowledges neurodivergence and different relationships with time without making people feel broken?

— from a MJH note

Our Response

Some people experience time differently. Not metaphorically. Actually. If you have ADHD or other forms of neurodivergence, time blindness is real—your brain doesn’t track duration the way neurotypical brains do. No amount of “trying harder” fixes that.

The “just be early” experiment works great if your issue is anxiety or productivity culture. If your issue is neurological, you need external scaffolding. Alarms. A person who texts you. Systems that don’t rely on your brain doing something it structurally can’t do reliably.

This is actually why Mysore works for a lot of neurodivergent practitioners. You show up when you show up within the window. Nobody’s waiting. You’re not holding up a counted class. The structure is firm but the container is wide.

Being honest about needing help—when I work with my friends Cory and Heather they really pin me to a schedule. I’m so grateful- I need the help- and need ing the help is not admitting failure. It’s admitting reality. Sometimes we have to be somewhere when we need to be there. Some people need glasses. Some people need alarms and accountability partners. Build the support, skip the shame. All you have to do is leave at the exit time. Don’t stay a minute late, and you’re going to be right on top of your yamas and niyamas (surrender, stealing people time, not being honest, etc etc).

And yeah, eventually someone’s going to tell you if your lateness affects them. That conversation is easier when you’re already working with what’s real instead of pretending willpower will solve a wiring issue.