It was supposed to be six weeks of yoga classes, just six classes. But when Heather Runman’s yoga teacher training “karma project” brought her into Brittany’s Place, the girls there found a spot in her heart. Months and months later, every Tuesday is still the most rewarding and growing experience of Heather’s life—and it’s helping young women who have survived to thrive.
Brittany’s Place is named for a St. Paul murder victim, Brittany Charise Clardy, who had been sexually exploited. Her family established the center and its foundation on St. Paul’s East Side to provide a safe place for girls who have been involved in sex trafficking to heal, rather than be prosecuted for their “crimes”. Under Minnesota’s 2011 Safe Harbor Law, our state is one of just five in the nation to treat girls 17 and younger who have been sexually exploited as victims, not criminals.Now Brittany’s Place offers 14 beds for girls aged 10-17. Among them is Dee*, one of Heather’s pet students. A teenager with a six-month-old infant, Dee is not allowed to go “home,” nor can she see her baby. But every Tuesday, she has a consistent, healthy place to connect.
“At the beginning of my yoga training,” Heather said, “I learned about Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy and was immediately drawn to the concept.” She noted how the girls in this center are disconnected from their bodies—they may not have respect or acceptance for their bodies, or they have learned to disconnect their feelings from movement. “The consistency, the healthy connections with their bodies and the positive influence of someone who cares about them and wants to help heal the trauma, all of the pain they’ve gone through—I know it’s worth the effort to be there.”
To support Brittany’s Place, please visit 180degrees.org.
*a pseudonym