| Inside this issue: Mirrror, mirror on the wall. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Tell us what you think Cool Link of the Month |
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| Located at the Heiter Community
Center • 100 North Fifth Street • Lewisburg, PA 17837 |
October 2003 |
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| Domestic Violence Awareness
Month
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| But what about the
other eleven months? by Laura Kamienski Violence against women is a daily battle fought in the context of a larger war against women. More than two thousand women are killed each year by intimates and aquaintances. That's about the same number killed as a result of the horrific attack on 9/11. Violence against women is a brand of terrorism that manifests itself in the form of rape, battering and murder yet no military troops have been deployed to fight it. I would like to dedicate this issue of the Dojang Digest to the serious topic of violence against women and its effects on all of us and call for a national domestic violence awareness lifetime. When we look at statistics, like the one I cited above, we can become removed and distant from the reality of just how pervasive violence against women is in our lives. It seems so overwhelming that we feel helpless and powerless to stop or do anything about it. Awareness months are appealing because they make us feel engaged in praxis. But what is awareness? Awareness is one of the most important aspects of self-defense, and a first step toward finding ways to stop the violence. But we must be on constant vigil. That means awareness, twenty-four-seven, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks per year. As a board member of Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition I'd like to ask all of you to think about doing something more. That is, to support your your local shelter or anti-violence organization to help enable them to continue providing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Support is usually thought of as financial support, which is always welcome, but support can take many other forms as well. For example you may choose to donate your time as a crisis hotline volunteer. Ending violence against women will take all of us and a lot of hard work. We are the troops engaged in the battles of this war. Together we will win! 
For more information about Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition please visit their web site by clicking here. |
mirror, mirror on the wall... 
A recent study published in Health Psychology suggests that wall-to-wall mirrors in gyms and dance studios might discourage women from getting the exercise they need. The study found that women who work out in front of mirrors often feel more tired and discouraged. Women who worked out in front of mirrors felt no better, and often worse after 20 minutes of activity. The study suggests that mirrors make women more self-aware, they think of their shortcomings. Study findings indicate that women who don't watch themselves left feeling more positive and more energized at the end of their session. Does this mean that we should ban mirrors from our workouts? No. Exercisers often need to check their form, or assess if they are using the correct muscles groups during strength training. One way to combat this problem is for gyms to provide areas where exercisers can work with or without mirrors. Cool Link of the Month About Face!
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