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256 Boxing As A Therapeutic Tool | Engaging The Body In Healing: Interview With Aaron Post
Episode 25629th October 2025 • Yoga in the Therapy Room: Tips for integrating trauma informed yoga • Chris McDonald, LCMHCS
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In this episode, we introduce a unique approach to therapy involving therapeutic boxing. Joined by licensed therapist and boxer Aaron Post, this episode explores how boxing can serve as a powerful tool for releasing tension, building confidence, and fostering body awareness. Aaron shares his journey into boxing and how he integrates it into therapeutic practices, especially for clients with trauma, ADHD, and autism. The discussion highlights the parallels between boxing and yoga, emphasizing movement, mindful breathing, and body awareness. Practical approaches to incorporating boxing into therapy sessions, client safety, and the benefits to mental health are also covered.

  • The Therapeutic Benefits of Boxing
  • Boxing Techniques and Training
  • Mindfulness and Boxing

MEET Aaron Post

Aaron is an LCMHC in private practice and a boxer. He trains clients in boxing as a form of psychotherapy. 

The Top 10 FAQs on Integrating Yoga into Therapy

Connect With Me

The Yoga in Therapy Collective

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

Instagram: @chris_mcdonald58

Join the private Facebook Group: Bringing Yoga Into the Therapy Room

Self-Care for the Counselor: A Companion Workbook: An Easy to Use Workbook to Support you on Your Holistic Healing and Counselor Self-Care Journey ... A Holistic Guide for Helping Professionals)

Transcripts

E256_AaronPost_YTR_FINAL

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Chris McDonald: [:

Boxing offers unique ways to engage the body in the healing process. Join me in licensed therapist Aaron Post as we break down the principles behind using movement and mindful physical engagement in therapy and highlight the MINDBODY connection that makes healing feel truly embodied. This episode will get you thinking about movement and therapy.

In a whole new way. Get your boxing gloves ready? Settle in and join us on today's episode of Yoga in the Therapy Room. Podcast, stay tuned.

ating yoga into your therapy [:

So whether you're here to expand your skills, enhance your self-care, or both, you are in the right place. Join me on this journey to help you be one step closer to bringing yoga into your therapy room.

Welcome to the Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast, the non-traditional therapist guide. Integrating yoga into your therapy practice. I'm Chris McDonald, licensed therapist and yoga teacher. I wanted to pause a second before we get into today's episode to remind you that this podcast is winding down. The last episode will be Wednesday, November 5th, so this is a mixed bag of emotions.

ng more into my journey with [:

Is Aaron Post. He is an L-C-M-H-C in private practice and a boxer. He trains clients in boxing as a form of psychotherapy. And remember, movement based approaches like this aren't just about fitness. They're about connecting mind and body, and it gives clients a structured and body way to d. Activation reclaim a sense of personal power and experience what it feels like to move from that fight or flight state into grounded agency.

f tolerance, and finding new [:

Just like yoga. And these help clients reconnect to their bodies safely and powerfully. We'll talk about what this could look like in a session, how to keep it flexible and client led, and how the lessons learned can become a lifestyle practice. Just like with yoga. So tune in. I think you are going to love this episode.

Welcome to the podcast, Aaron.

Aaron Post: Thank you for having me.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. What interested you in boxing? Tell us about your journey.

Aaron Post: I got into boxing later in life than a lot of people get into boxing. So I wasn't doing it like as a kid or anything like that, or training for competition and things like that. I think I got into boxing honestly through my interest in somatic work and Body Mind connection.

I was already a [:

And I went to, I finally got the guts up to go to a, uh, boxing gym and I just walked in and really sort of, that was a very impactful moment for me. I was really in love with it from that moment on.

Chris McDonald: What was it about boxing that you really loved?

Aaron Post: I think something about the authenticity of it, the culture.

werful, just empowerment and [:

Chris McDonald: yeah, I can imagine. So when did you recognize that, wow, this could be helpful in therapy?

Aaron Post: I think immediately.

Chris McDonald: Did you? Mm-hmm.

Aaron Post: I think when I walked into, uh, so the first gym I went into was Inner City Youth and boxing, which is like a nonprofit boxing gym. And I think after the first sort of, you know, training I did, I was kind of amazed at how kind of powerful it was. The psychology behind like what the coach, coach was saying and sort of how they were framing it.

Just that it's so much about, it is about like energy and not necessarily about winning, but about a practice or like a way of life or something. So

Chris McDonald: tell me more about that. So it's not about winning. 'cause I would think like if you're boxing someone that that's what you're thinking about is the winning

Aaron Post: Well, you mean when you're boxing someone?

ke jumping rope. Doing a lot [:

Chris McDonald: and that was it.

And that was it.

Aaron Post: Yeah.

Chris McDonald: That's curious.

Aaron Post: Yeah. But, oh, what was the question?

Chris McDonald: It's about, about winning, because you said it's not about winning.

Aaron Post: I think that, yeah, boxing is very. Non-competitive if you're taking it serious. It's a lot more like something like yoga where it's more about a practice.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Because I know you said the word practice, so that immediately made me think of yoga because we call it a yoga practice, but I see the parallels 'cause we say a lot of times to develop a yogic lifestyle, right, to support wellbeing.

And I would think that boxing could be something that could support a lifestyle and wellbeing as well.

so, you know, I kind of got [:

And then eventually I sort of really put a lot of work into it because I wanted to be able to use it therapeutic. And so I sort of pursued it real hard and then got certified through USA boxing as like a trainer. But I would say a lot of what I do is. When I use it, it's mostly with middle schoolers with autism or really bad a DH adhd.

And so some of those people, you know, or, or if you have someone who say, has neglected their connection to their body for, for through trauma. It, it is like yoga, a system of wellness. You know, there's a whole kind of system around boxing and that's because it's so dangerous, you know, so there's this kind of very scientific, you know, that's what they call boxing is the sweet science.

ecause it's dangerous, it is [:

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Can you walk us through what this could look like in therapy?

Well, you know,

Aaron Post: some people I tried, I tried to come up with different protocols, different. Curriculums and ways of approaching it and, and there's other people doing this too, but from what I could tell, no one in North Carolina.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, that's very unique for sure.

Aaron Post: Somebody in Florida, somebody in Israel, somebody in Canada's doing really good.

And whenever I find someone, I call 'em up and I talk to 'em. For a while.

Chris McDonald: Good. Yeah. So you're building your own community.

d Left Right Hook, and where [:

Assault and abuse and, uh, had really severe PTSD and she was doing this group and, and she teaching 'em how to box. And then a lot of the data came also out of like rock steady boxing for Parkinson's.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, I've heard of that. Can you share what that is real quick?

Aaron Post: That is boxing as an intervention for mitigating some of the symptoms of Parkinson's because it strengthens the spinal column and it also just improves happiness.

So, so I would say that, you know, I thought a lot about it and then I kind of stop doing any of that. And I would say that, you know, some people come to me and they just want a box.

Chris McDonald: And when you say box, is it using a bag for boxing or how do you, some of the other practices or,

Aaron Post: so, so it depends on if it's how, on how old.

Chris McDonald: Okay. So the middle schoolers, how would that work? A middle

et's say a middle school boy [:

A lot of times it will end up that someone has a di, you know, either a diagnosis, they're high functioning autism or A DHD, they'll, but they'll come box with that dude. So it depends on where they're at. Like I say, I would say that sometimes it's just an extension of my play therapy that I'm doing with, you know, kids and it's just a healthy aggression thing.

But sometimes I might have middle schoolers who wanna train more in a more structured way, so then I might train them a little bit. And then I've got some high schoolers who. Also with autism where I've, you know, almost kind of really put them through some authentic boxing training. Wow. And gotten 'em to the point where they have some skills.

And for some of them, [:

Chris McDonald: Yeah. 'cause you know. That could build that confidence. And, and I know you mentioned empowerment.

Have you seen that a lot with the boys that you work with?

Aaron Post: Well, I think, yeah, I mean, I think that boxing is healing. You know, I think that one of the, you know, foundations of what makes trauma kind of, you know, so, uh, so it's like a disease. You know that it's sort of is stuck in us is that the essence of it is about being stuck and and powerless.

lenge, it's empowering. One, [:

Kind of like yoga. Yes. Mm-hmm. You can get pretty good at basketball if you're five, five, no doubt. But the majority of people playing basketball are tall. But really, anybody can box. Anybody can box. So that's something that's good about it. When it comes to teaching it, it is such a gradual, but sure, but like clear process, like you will start in one place.

You know, I'll put you through 50 workouts and by the time you're done with that 50th workout, you will be able to box. Wow. Yeah. You know, and it's like anybody you know can do it. 'cause you don't learn it through your mind. Like you know the way you learn other sports where it's more cognitive and then you feel it, you learn it through your body and then you become more technical.

ugh it is what's empowering. [:

Chris McDonald: That's why I wanna ask you about breath. So I guess part of this, is there part of a breath work component with boxing too?

Aaron Post: Mm-hmm. Breathing is a huge part of boxing, even on really advanced levels. You know, when you're people who are competing on high levels, I mean, they're basically teaching themselves to sip on air while they're under water, you know?

And if you're boxing competitively. Which you don't need to do to get the benefits of it. I mean, it feels like you're drowning. You can't breathe. That's what they call the oxygen wall in boxing. And a lot of things play a role in the oxygen wall. People who don't know boxing, they watch it on tv. They don't understand what they're really watching, but it's like, uh, people don't realize that someone might faint.

er. And they might take a, a [:

And they go. And that is the difference between them making it that round or not.

Chris McDonald: Wow, I had no idea.

Aaron Post: You can take someone who's a very good boxer and has trained a lot. You put 'em in with someone way better than that person could not even be hitting them, and that person might do what we call 'em boxing gassing out where they hit that oxygen wall.

They just don't have any more, I mean, they're just, they're at, they're totally outta breath. It looks like they're getting knocked out. A lot of times people get knocked out and they're like, oh God, they got knocked out. Actually, they just ran out of a oxygen. They could not even be hitting them that much and the person might have to, might gas out before the round is over because of the adrenaline.

I mean, when you compete, you really feel what you call the adrenaline dump and that is like something else. And if you go through that and come out the other side of it, you will feel more confident in your ability to deal with stress.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, I bet. So I could see how this transfers over.

t: Yeah. Yeah. But you don't [:

I think that. The tendency. So it is a very vivid, you know, a lot of times what I'll do, here's what I'll do with like a middle schooler to some degree. I'll have 'em lay down and I'll actually do breath work with them, and I'll have 'em hold, you know, holding on their stomach and their chest and doing some of that.

Kind of trauma focused CBT breathing stuff, you know, and doing various breath work exercises, getting 'em to breathe fast and then slow, and then like having, talking to 'em about their fight, flight, freeze response and their nervous systems and stuff like that. And then I get 'em up and I might start having them hit the pads, you know, so I'm teaching them boxing and they're punching and having them roll.

Chris McDonald: So you got your hands up. So you had pads on your hands. Yeah, I used to take Kickbox and I remember doing that. That was really fun. Yeah, exactly.

Aaron Post: You know, and I just sort of start to do stuff with them and make it a little more challenging, get 'em to block a little bit, and then if they start to get out of breath, I start to cue 'em to use some of those.

know, you can take a, a kid [:

Like DBT skills, they're gonna resist it. Not to say that like, well, this will force 'em to do it. Uh, in a way it's kind of a fun way of forcing 'em to do it. I mean, once you start, once you got those gloves on and I'm making you punch and stuff, you're gonna wanna, you're gonna want me to help you breathe.

Chris McDonald: Yes.

Aaron Post: You want, I mean, they're, I say breathe and they do it. So their, exactly. Their mom tells 'em to breathe and they scream at 'em. True. But if I tell 'em to breathe, they breathe because they need to breathe because, you know, it's a more, more

Chris McDonald: experiential than just, let's go through this skill sheet.

Aaron Post: Well, yeah, and just teaching 'em, like, you see how you're calming down, like, relax your shoulders, relax your jaw.

You can't throw [:

Yeah. And then so I thought, well surely there's a lot of people, there's a lot of boxers who turned into psychologists and, and are bringing this in. And I thought, and surely there are people who, I mean, surely there is a group of people doing this. I started looking and there isn't. And I was like, what is going on here?

Nobody, yeah. Is seeing this. And then I thought, well, I guess that just means I'm crazy. You know, you're not. So then time went on and yeah, you know, I'd have a client and I, they would be talking to me about all this stuff and I'd just be thinking, man, they just need the box. So eventually I just couldn't help it.

I started to do some of it and it's not for everybody, but for the right person it's, it's good. But who, who is the

cDonald: right person? Yeah. [:

Aaron Post: I think it's the right person also and it happening at the right time and yeah, and it's not for.

I don't know if I can say, oh, there are certain personality traits or temperaments that are, it's hard to tell. I think that sometimes parents call me and they want their child to come do some boxing training, and I usually say, sure, we can do that. You know, and see if they're wanting just more therapy or if they're really wanting that.

I usually do explain to parents. I'll say, most people quit in the first. Couple sessions. It's, it's hard.

Chris McDonald: I was gonna say it is hard. I took kick kickboxing, which was using both arms and legs, and I remember hitting that wall. I thought I was gonna die. Where you're just like, your heart rate is so high and

Aaron Post: Yeah.

Yeah.

Chris McDonald: It takes a lot out of

hat. That much work can just [:

Uh, you know, there's a saying you don't play boxing, which is true, but for some people we just, you know, little kids, they just wanna put the gloves on and run around and stuff, and I'll kind of weave in little things like that for 'em. But it's more just. But I would say that people that I've done real therapy with, it's usually been in the realm of usually a trauma case or a teenager with high functioning autism.

Chris McDonald: Well, it sounds like you're very client centered and trauma focused too.

Aaron Post: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I would like to eventually do some groups.

Chris McDonald: I was gonna say, this could be amazing in a group,

person [:

Chris McDonald: Yeah, because I could see how we. You could really tie in a lot of psychology with this too, and like you said, with the body work, with breath work, I would think mindfulness would play a component with this as well.

Aaron Post: Mm-hmm. A lot of mind. Can you talk

Chris McDonald: about that? Yeah. How that, how is boxing integrated with mindfulness?

Aaron Post: I mean, usually I have. Clients just practice mindfulness, you know, the conveyor belt meditation. I think that you get mindfulness from boxing training just because of the repetition, but that, I don't know, it might be a more advanced skill. I mean, I think mindfulness is how you wind up tolerating the. The training, but I don't know of any specific mindfulness

Chris McDonald: exercise.

So I would think you'd have to be present with it. Right. To, to be in your body and not be thinking, okay, what am I gonna do after this session today? That you'd have to really stay focused.

Aaron Post: [:

Chris McDonald: Yeah,

Aaron Post: yeah. You're gonna learn a lot of mindfulness because if you don't, you won't be able to do it. You can't, you have to become so aware of self-aware of your, the state of your body, what, how when's the last time you ate and how much you know, the blood sugar. 'cause boxing is such a kind of specific thing.

It's pretty

Chris McDonald: high

Aaron Post: intensity. Yeah. Or you have to at least be prepared for that high intensity and, but also, you know, to deal, to make it positive also and to approach it with that empowerment, which is why I think a lot of times. Group settings are, are better. But, um, I think mindfulness, it's an important part of being able to like, relax your shoulders while you're, while you're working.

So that body

Chris McDonald: awareness,

le you're working like that. [:

Chris McDonald: Therapists, are you wanting to bring yoga into your therapy room? But feel unsure what is allowed, what really works, and you wonder where to start.

I hear you. I've put together a free guide just for you. The top 10 FAQs are frequently asked questions on integrating yoga into therapy, what every therapist needs to know. Inside, you'll find clear, practical answers to the most common questions therapists have so you can feel more confident, grounded, and intentional in offering yoga informed care.

Inside, you'll find simple ways to get started. Considerations for integrating with trauma, what a session actually looks like when integrated with yoga practices and so much more. This guide gives you practical strategies to start your journey to integrate yoga practices with integrity. Get your free copy today@hcpodcast.org slash top 10 questions.

That's TOP, the number [:

Aaron Post: Oh, I mean. Boxing will essentially rewire your nervous system. I mean from one rewiring your cerebellum or something, you know, like that will make you very balanced and coordinated and feel very kind of strong in your, just, in your posture, you know, will change your posture.

you do have to have a degree [:

To complete the things. So I think that, but you know, it's just tremendously, uh, intense exercise is very regulating for a lot of people.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Because I wonder if this could help with opening that window of tolerance too mm-hmm. For clients.

Aaron Post: Well, yeah. I mean, it teaches people to regulate themselves. It teaches you, you know, if you're gonna go spar someone, even if you know it's not gonna be dangerous, you can't help but sort of start breathing faster, you know, and you can't participate.

If you're breathing too hard. So you really just have to really figure out how to stay calm under pressure. And that's a lot of what I do, is sort of teach them how to and prompt them to use certain calming skills while I'm I'll use pool noodles, which is a lot of times how a lot of boxing trainers pool noodles 'cause hitting them and stuff with the poodles, having them, you know, a block and throw punches and Oh, okay.

at. I'll sort of ramp up the [:

It's a safe place to practice that, so you know, you're not, it's. It's stress, but it's not real stress and it's also fun. They're learning how to breathe and most people, if they get good at that, are gonna, might even intuitively pull that skill out, you know, when they're taking a test.

Chris McDonald: That's true. So it could be applicable to a lot of stressful situations.

other people, boxing can be [:

They're really toxic ones and they're really. Thoughtful and they're toxic boxing gems. And I think for the most part, there's something about it for me that is therapeutic because there really isn't a lot of room for ego. Anybody can, it's a very respectful place. People are, culture is, you know, we respect everybody because we all know what it's like to, I mean, anybody can be humbled, you know, like, I think, I forget who said it, Terrence Crawford said something like, you know, the ring is the, it's the truest place in the world, or something like that.

all of my clients. Um, a lot [:

I have a lot of background in play therapy. There is something, if somebody wanted to use. Boxing as a psychological intervention, though there is something about it that I think other sports don't have that that makes it a psychological intervention. Yeah. One of those things is like the experience of real boxing.

If you go, if you get to the level where you were gonna spar, it's, it's just interesting, like if you see other things, people will cut corners in training and things. You know, we wanna. Cut across the field when the coach isn't looking and stuff like that. But in boxing, you can't do that because you just get punched in the face and, and everybody can see, like if you get in the ring and you're getting too tired, everyone's like, look, they, they cheated.

They didn't do it.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, that's true. I mean,

Aaron Post: there's no hiding and it's really just. Such a raw place that people tend to be very real with each other and very respectful. So that's something about it that I really, really like.

Chris McDonald: [:

Aaron Post: You know, a lot of people ask me that.

You know, that's been people's concern a lot, but it hasn't really been very difficult to tell you the truth. I mean, if I have a really, really like hyperactive person, you know, I'm probably, they're just grabbing the gloves and like punching, punching my boxing bag, you know, and it's a pretty soft bag, you know, so that's not really dangerous if it's someone who's like pretty athletic and actually pretty interested in the boxing component of it, and they wanna do that some or.

Some people, like, they're not gonna talk, but they'll do that for a while and then they actually will talk about things or training them through the boxing is like a lot of talking about their emotions. It can be like that. Uh, I don't know. There aren't, there aren't really safety issues. You know, I'm using pool noodles, uh, pads, um Right.

little bit of like technical [:

Mm-hmm. I mean, when you, when you train people into that level, just in general, like if I had a group, you know, going, or if I ever have a gym, you know, there's a lot of, a lot of people ask like the safety part, but there's a lot of steps that go in between training and so it's hard to explain to people that like, you're really gonna.

You're never gonna be surprised. You're gonna make, you're gonna go as far as you want to go. You're never gonna be in a situation that's more dangerous than you want to be in. It's very, very controlled. So I would say that none of my clients were doing anything dangerous. When people in boxing in general start to enter dangerous territory, they're doing it with eyes wide open.

e Oh no. Kind of building on [:

Aaron Post: no, no. I mean, there's a lot, I mean, if I'm training someone in boxing, I mean, they're not even gonna have gloves on probably for the first several sessions.

And then they're gonna learn how to move automatically, you know? And then, uh, but, and how to breathe and stuff. But you know, when you start doing stuff like that, you're doing drills. Then you might have two people, similar level, kind of just throwing jabs at each other, you know? And then you might say, okay, now jab, and you know, uh, this 32nd rounds.

And then you're doing drills like where they're covering up and then they're taking a turn and the other person's covering and then doing a certain defensive drill back and forth with each other, you know, 200 times or something like that. And it's very, very gradual, you know. And then they're doing modified, these kind of different sparring gains or drills.

are better than others, but [:

Boxing.

Chris McDonald: Right. What about accessibility for pe for some kids that may not be able to do some of the practices you're mentioning?

Aaron Post: You mean physically?

Chris McDonald: Yeah, physically.

Aaron Post: Yeah, there's always really a accommodations and ways to make it adaptable. I mean, people, like I said, I mean rock steady boxing is huge program.

That's true. And those people can't even walk. I mean, they're just Exactly. You know, it really is. You can really start anywhere. Boxing is. It's really great like that. It's very, it's easy on the body. People don't realize that it's, um, it feels good to the body. If I go play tennis for two hours, I can't even walk for like three days, you know?

I've never had a situation where someone couldn't participate.

Chris McDonald: Do, do you ever work with girls?

Aaron Post: Oh yeah. Yeah.

Chris McDonald: And they're participating too.

Aaron Post: Oh yeah. Yeah. Girls love to do it. Some of them like it more. I mean, really. Yeah. I can see

Chris McDonald: how that could be empowering.

ot of my trauma clients have [:

I've had women coming out of domestic violence relationships have done some training with me. Just not that they're gonna go def, you know, like, oh, now I can fight. But just because it's empowering.

Chris McDonald: Exactly.

Aaron Post: Um, and it releases something from, it's like. Maybe not metabolized like in them to just know that you can throwing punches or something about it somatically that does something to us.

So, yeah, no, I've definitely had a lot of, and I've had middle school girl clients with autism who have had a lot of struggles and stuff at school, and I've done a lot of boxing with them. I mean, some of those. People too. It hasn't necessarily been that I'm like doing boxing or not boxing. It's not like I'm training 'em in boxing, but they get curious about the boxing stuff in my office and we do a little bit of it and they like it and then, and then they'll be like, oh, I wanna do something.

single time. And then I have [:

Chris McDonald: That's what they do the whole time. Okay, gotcha. So it sounds like it's adaptable.

Aaron Post: Yeah. And I've had clients where. I've said, you know, you're 16 years old. What if you come twice a week for eight weeks? If you really wanna learn how to box and I'll train you hard for a time, then you'll really know how to box after that. And they've done that and been like, yeah, that was cool.

Chris McDonald: That's

Aaron Post: really cool.

So just, yeah. Let's see

Chris McDonald: your, uh, office, if you don't mind, highly unusual part of our podcast for social media. So he has in his office those that are just listening to, so you have your own little area in your office

Aaron Post: here. All my boxing gloves. The bag gets playing a lot every year, but a lot of the training I do with them, depending on how old they are.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. So tell us what you got, what kind of equipment you have.

Aaron Post: Well, just a boxing bag, another boxing bag, a uh, a. Looks like

Chris McDonald: a hanging one.

comes back at you, you know. [:

Chris McDonald: Oh, okay.

Aaron Post: So it bounces back at you if you back his head, isn't it? You know, this swing bag, bunch of gloves.

Chris McDonald: Oh, okay.

Aaron Post: Bits got some weights. And then a lot of times if someone's really into it, I'll, I'll train 'em outside. I'll just take them out in the, here you can see the parking lot.

Chris McDonald: Yeah. Okay. So you got some trees in nature.

Aaron Post: Yeah, yeah. But yeah, there's like a trail over here, so sometimes I'll take them, um, outside and have 'em like jump rope and stuff.

Just, it depends on how into it they are. Like some want more, they want more of that or not. And I'll just sort of meet people where they are.

Chris McDonald: Yeah, because see how you really let the client lead and follow them where, where they are. And

Aaron Post: it's kinda like, I was just like, I'm just gonna get really good at doing boxing sessions with people.

I've just developed a way of [:

So I use, um, what to leave out and what to, what to keep in. And then I'm so kind of, I'm such a talker anyway, that when I start teaching people boxing, I just start doing therapy with them. Even with some of the things that they say, you know, I'll just start to, okay, do it. And so I stopped trying to do it a certain way and just started being like, you know what?

Like I've got boxing stuff here I am a therapist. I know how to use the boxing stuff. Come on in. Let's see if some of this, see what happens. Ends up being helpful for you. And usually that is for, you know. A teenager or middle schooler who's struggling with a neuro-diverse issue. Yeah.

Chris McDonald: Someone

Aaron Post: with trauma, they usually wanna come just for that.

'm meeting with someone that [:

Chris McDonald: exactly. They know I'll train them. Yeah. Yeah. So if any therapists listening are interested in doing what you're doing, so what do you recommend is the first place to start?

Aaron Post: I mean, I think if you want to integrate boxing into your practice. You first have to be good at integrating somatic work into your practice first period. And I wasn't always good at that, but you know, I don't know, like when I did the trauma focused yoga training with that guy who wrote that book, um, and is the trauma person over it?

Boston Trauma Center with like Bessel VanDerKolk and all that.

Chris McDonald: Oh yeah. Mm-hmm. You

t I was, I was a little bit. [:

Chris McDonald: Yeah, no, I was gonna say, you're paving a path. I think you gotta give yourself more credit when that too, people are now

Aaron Post: all talking about body, mind, and Exactly. You know, I was kind of going, people were thought I was froufrou, you know? And then I think the same thing about boxing. I mean. I don't know.

I've been saying we need to get some, these kids boxing and most people have said, oh, that could be traumatizing. Which is really more of a clash of class systems and stuff. Actually, people say that and now you're seeing it pop up. I mean I'm, you know, so, but I would say that if you're not so, so I've been doing like yoga and stuff, you know, trauma informed yoga and stuff for probably 12, 13 years.

head and get really good at [:

Chris McDonald: or you can't do

Aaron Post: it. Yeah.

Yeah. Now there

Chris McDonald: are, and I feel the same with I, same with yoga. Yeah. I feel like you should not be using yoga in session unless you are doing yoga,

Aaron Post: basically. I'm saying you have to know how to really box. There are a lot of people, I mean, I've seen some people offering programs about you don't need to box.

Train boxing. I teach you how to hold mitts. I saw someone the other day offering therapeutic MIT holding sessions. I, I messaged them, Hey, I am interested in this, you know, field. Do you wanna talk sometime? And, and never messaged me back. And that, I think I saw that listing like, taken off of there, like site or something.

Yeah. I mean, it's just like, but really. There's nothing you can do if you're not going to be a boxer. And you can't even just be like a kind of, you can't even just be like, I did four months of boxing and I got the basics. Um, because that won't give you the fluence. You have to be able to speak it.

Chris McDonald: There's more to it. Do what I

ain boxing, you have to have [:

Chris McDonald: exactly.

Aaron Post: But I will say that one of the ways, now that I think about it, that I got into this, actually, I think when I started thinking about this, was when COVID starts, because I was doing all that play therapy and everyone went virtual, but I was like, man, you know, I can't attune to my clients like that.

You know, I need, I need to like. Use my nervous system to help their nervous system slow down, you know? And so I put this big wedding tent in the parking lot, um, and started seeing people in there. And, um, then I just put a boxing bag in there. Yeah, so then I started like boxing with people in there and I think that's kind of how I started actually.

So really that was like, oh, that's

Chris McDonald: clever. Yeah, I think

st, I think that was probably:

Chris McDonald: Yeah. I love that. So what's the best ways for listeners to find you to learn more about you?

Aaron Post: They can email me or, or just go to my website, Aaron post lc mhc.com.

Chris McDonald: Okay. All right. We'll have that in the show notes as well.

a make some groups, I think, [:

Chris McDonald: Oh, okay. Yeah. That's great. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. This has been great.

Aaron,

Aaron Post: you know, I appreciate your curiosity and your willing to talk about what I'm doing. It's not totally developed yet, but I really appreciate you hearing.

Chris McDonald: Absolutely.

Aaron Post: I'm still figuring this out and I appreciate it.

Chris McDonald: It's okay. Thank you. Thank you, listeners for being here as always. It means the world to me that you have followed this podcast for so long and are still here listening.

needs to know inside, you'll [:

Inside you'll find simple ways to get started, how to support your client's nervous system regulation, considerations for integrating with trauma and so much more. This guide gives you practical strategies to start your journey to integrate yoga practices with integrity. Get your copy now. Go to HC podcast.org/top 10 questions hc podcast.org/top 10 questions.

kind of professional advice.[:

We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. Yoga is not recommended for everyone and is not safe. Under certain medical conditions, always check with your doctor to see if it's safe for you. If you need a professional, please find the right one for you.

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