BYRON CENTER, Mich. — Rock Steady Boxing, a Byron Center gym focused on workouts tailored for people battling Parkinson's disease, has introduced a new type of session to help participants process their emotions.
Grief can be an overwhelming emotion for people to deal with, especially if stems from a loss of life.
“It was a good friend that had been fighting cancer for quite a while, and just dealing with that sadness, and not really anger, but mostly the sadness,” said Jane Munn. Jane, who has been attending Rock Steady Boxing for eight years with her husband, recently began a new class called grief boxing.
“It feels good, that release that you get when you are physical, just from past experience,” Jane noted, reflecting on her emotions related to her friend Shelly.
Shelly had a hard-fought battle with cancer that she recently lost this year, and it took a big toll on Jane.
“I cried a lot of tears, and I'm grateful that I have that outlet, because I think tears are so healthy and just a good release of emotion as well,” she added.
And it's stories like Jane's and Shelly's that have been heard for years by Coach Amy Hooyer, a big reason why she introduced the concept of grief boxing to provide a therapeutic outlet.
“You have to let it go, otherwise your health is going to suffer; your relationships are going to suffer. You can't do it. ... It's just really detrimental to your health and well-being,” Amy emphasized.
Amy understands that grief manifests in various ways.
“It doesn't have to be just a death. It can be a loss of a job; it can be loss of a dream. It can be, you know, a diagnosis that you don't like. It can be so many things,” she explained.
Jane relates to this perspective through her husband's experience with Parkinson's disease.
“With Parkinson's being a chronic progressive disease, there's always something that you're losing, or your person with Parkinson's is losing, which affects ... both of you,” Jane said.
The act of boxing serves as a release of emotions that is needed for anyone dealing with grief.
“When you're hitting the bags, it's like you're taking over some control that you've lost in whatever grief that you have,” Amy explained.
Jane concluded, “It's hard to explain, but it just helps release some of that heaviness that maybe you feel after a loss.”
After each session, Amy offers resources to help participants remember their loved ones and reclaim their grief in Byron Center.
If you are interested in signing up clickhere.
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