Emotional regulation through boxing

One Saturday morning a month, in a small group of three women, these sessions work on emotions through the body, with boxing as a medium. This is neither a sports class nor about “letting off steam”. The work is done with focus mitts and gloves, with no sparring and no performance, in a safe and caring setting, led by a psychologist trained in boxing instruction (Savate Boxe Française instructor).

No level is required. No particular fitness either: we go at your pace, and stop whenever you need to.

What boxing is not: a “release valve”

The popular idea that hitting a bag “gets the anger out” (catharsis) is not supported by research. This approach therefore does not rely on venting. What matters is how the body is set in motion, learning to breathe, and what you do with it afterwards: noticing what is rising, letting it express itself in a contained movement, then putting it into words if you wish.

A sense of capability and reclaiming the body

Boxing is a privileged setting for experiencing the sense of self-efficacy described by Bandura (1977): seeing concretely what you are capable of, then generalising (“if I can do this, I can also…”). It is also a place to try setting a limit, measuring your strength, asserting yourself, which can matter a great deal when the body has long been experienced as something looked at, judged or endured.

This link between the body in action and putting things into words is the principle of psychocorporal mediations, whose value is recognised in clinical practice in France.

Why a group of three, for women only?

• A small group allows attentive support, a containing frame and a real place for each person.
• A women-only group can make it easier to express yourself physically and take up space, without outside gaze or comparison. Many women say they feel freer in their movements and their voice in this setting.
• The group itself matters: feeling recognised by others, without hierarchy, is a powerful form of social support.

Who is it for?

These sessions may suit you if:

• you find it hard to identify or express your emotions in words;
• you feel stress, tension or anger that you don't know where to put;
• you want to reconnect with a body you avoid or that you endure;
• you are looking for a space for self-assertion, without judgment;
• the practice alone is not enough for you, or you want something to complement your ongoing therapy.

Framework and precautions

• No contact between participants: we hit focus mitts, never a person. Equipment is provided.
• Nothing is compulsory: everyone sets their own intensity and can stop at any time.
• Movement is a support, never a goal: no injunction to perform, to “push yourself” or to change your body.
• A preliminary conversation is needed to check that the format suits you. It may not be suitable in certain situations (injuries, pregnancy, a period of crisis, etc.), and an alternative at the practice is always possible.

• Emotion management
• Anxiety
• Alexithymia
• Body-based mediation
• Psychological trauma