Part of the goal in my stress reduction program is to get my ex-wife out of my head. My healer put me in touch with a former Golden Gloves boxer by the name of “Big Sugar Ray,” as he likes to be called. His expression is, “No pain no gain in the Big Sugar Ray training.” He has trained with many known boxers and has lots of stories and quotes he shares during a work out to help motivate me in a positive way.
Sugar Ray helps in my daily life in various ways: we interact man to man, he understands the personality of my ex-wife with validation that I may not get from other people. We add a simple spiritual component to our work. He puts me though a variety of drills in an hour, from weights to non-contact boxing. Non-contact boxing for a person on the spectrum benefits from increased motor skills, confidence, social skills, core strength, and overall well-being. Sugar Ray has worked with many men that have been in mentally challenging marriages. He also works with people that have have Parkinson’s disease and depression. In working with me, he focuses on my Aspergers, anxiety, depression, and building confidence. My focus, endurance, balance, and spirit have improved over time with our workouts. When I work out I keep my focus on the task at hand and not the problems of the outside world.