A few weeks ago I had the privilege to sit on a panel of experts at a Town Hall meeting on bullying in Norhthampton, MA.

The forum was co-hosted by WHMP who provides audio coverage of the entire two hours on their website here.

The event was also sponsored by The Daily Hampshire Gazette. Gazette editor Larry Parnass has made good on his commitment to keep the conversation about bullying in the public eye by creating The Aspire Project. With weekly print-edition essays and frequent blog updates, the Aspire Project gives voice to diverse perspectives in our community and encourages hope and action in the face of violence.  I’m proud to be part of it

My first blog entry addressed how to nurture a spirit of self defense in our kids. This is a great opportunity to share my thoughts on self protection strategies with parents throughout our community. It is an expansion of the writing I'm doing concerning the intersection of parenting and self defense; to read more visit mindbodymama.

If you're interested in scheduling a self defense class for women, teens, parents, a workplace or other group, please contact me.

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Here are a couple of really interesting articles I've been meaning to share for a while:

To Tone Without Bulk: Lift Heavier Weights, Fewer Times
The New York Times confirms that folks who wish to build strength without bulk should lift more weight for fewer reps.  They conclude that: "For people who lift weights to tone up and slim down...a regimen that includes a combination of challenging weights and fewer repetitions can help significantly."

Something I've been telling clients for years!  You can read the article here.

Pelvic Floor Fix for the Post-Partum Mama More recently, my bloggy-friend Kara of mamasweat wrote a stunning expose on kegels as the enemy of pelvic floor health.  She interviewed "biomechanical scientist" Katy Bowman on the post-partum pee problem.  According to Katy, it's your weak, flat butt that's the problem and holding that million-dollar bill with your "kegel muscles" just exacerbates things.  With the tagline "You now have permission to pee in the shower," this is an article not to miss.  Find it here.