The appearance of Fall also brings a melancholy, a feeling not too far
from heartache. This heartache intensifies as I read and listen to the news. I’m
reminded of my heartbreak as I read about the escalation of Iraqi women raped
and sold into slavery.
“Follow your heartbreak,” is Andrew
Harvey’s mantra. Harvey
advocates for us to become “sacred activists” in our local communities by
committing energy and purpose to the injustices of the world that break our
hearts: Animal abuse, child neglect in the foster system, the lack of
affordable nutritional food in grocery stores…the list goes on.
The trafficking of the innocent and the vulnerable breaks my heart: Youth
runaways seeking a safe haven only to be controlled and pimped out at truck
stops on I-75 and in advertisements on backpage.com. Immigrants’ dreams of a
better life - a life made by an honest wage, free from civil war or an abusive
home – become a web the traffickers use to ensnare their innocent victims.
I followed this heartbreak through college, studying, researching and
presenting on trafficking abroad and here
in the Bluegrass. And this
Saturday, I feel blessed to have the rare opportunity to combine both my
passion and my heartbreak: teaching a yoga class that benefits victims of human
trafficking in Kentucky.
I’m delighted to be co-teaching with my wise and beautiful friend,
Delia Rose at the Plantory, a recently remodeled office space for non-profits
and other sacred activists. The proceeds benefit the HOPE
Campaign , an outreach program aimed at directly helping victims out of
trafficking.
A former victim once realized that her only alone time was during
bathroom breaks between johns. This insight sparked an idea to place critical,
life-saving information on soap bars in hotels and truck stops where
trafficking frequently occurs. S.O.A.P.
outreach succeeded during the Kentucky Derby in reaching victims of sex
trafficking. Inspired by S.O.A.P,
the HOPE Campaign distributes chap sticks (featuring the national human
trafficking hotline number) in Lexington hotels, laundry mats, parks, and
surrounding truck stops.
The Polaris Project , an
advocacy organization based in D.C. runs the national hotline for human
trafficking and since the implementation of the HOPE Campaign has reported a
significant increase in calls from victims in Kentucky. Calls from victims are
a rare occurrence; typically, a concerned witness calls the hotline.
Preparing the indie-inspired playlist for Saturday’s class (Sylvan Esso is my new
music crush), I think about pairing yoga, a practice geared toward
self-realization and self-love with the heavy heart topic of human
trafficking. I believe the two,
like bliss and heartbreak, can fit perfectly.
Yoga is not about escaping the world. Yoga is learning how to live and
be in the world. This begins by whole-heartedly embracing yourself. I can
easily embrace my joyful, sparkly side, but yoga also challenges me to
acknowledge and embrace my fears, my insecurities, my moments of jealousy and
meanness. I mirror the world and the world mirrors me. I can connect to myself
and from this place of connection reach out and express compassion,
understanding, or simply be a presence of peace in the world.
Bliss and heartbreak are present as I prepare to teach. Bliss delights
in designing a fun yoga flow and while I choose alt-J songs for the playlist. Heartbreak
appears when reviewing the statistics about trafficking victims in the state.
Heartbreak gives rise to anger and a determination to do well and do my best. The
two share my heart space, prompting me to follow both my heartbreak and bliss.
