Who We Are
Hi! My name is Leslie Clayton, owner and founder of Body Awareness Studio. Body Awareness Studio is my special heart song and been my life's work for all of 25 years in the business. Besides helping others to find their own power, it has been a vehicle for my own personal journey for healing and growth. My dedication and commitment to the work and to fine tuning my skills as a facilitator has led me to discover deeper layers of love that I really never knew existed.
As a survivor of early childhood sexual abuse, I spent many years of my life depressed and secretly disconnected from my body. I was afraid to move and it was hard for me to speak up when I needed help. Dance and later Pilates helped me move with grace, strength and ease. But it took a lot more support for me to learn how to use my voice in public. This Is why The Joyous Heart Network has come to be.
The Joyous Heart Network is a service oriented organization dedicated to the support of individuals and communities affected by ANY type of life trauma, allowing them to become thriving, healthy, joyful world citizens and cultures. Our overriding goal is a world where Survivors Become Thrivers by addressing not only the physical and emotional results of trauma, but the soul-shaking spiritual impact as well. By attending to all aspects of life effectiveness, from communications to career. By emphasizing wisdom and joy as markers of effective life functioning. By Survivors helping Survivors. We think it’s time for a world where human dynamics are governed by respect, marked by prosperous collaboration, and founded in joy.
Each year, millions of women, men and children become victims of sexual violence – child molestation, sexual abuse, sex trafficking. Millions more are walking “Survivors” in various stages of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual trauma. It’s not enough to give a sex trafficking victim a plane ticket home, or to offer a child abuse Survivor a job and a distraction from their deep-seated pain. Care for the physical and emotional functioning is incomplete when a Survivor’s spiritual needs are ignored. We believe every Survivor should have support and resources to assist them in finding greater levels of effectiveness and joy in all areas of life, which can only come when they address the basic human drivers– including the need for self-respect, empowerment, connection, appreciation, love.
When Survivors Become Thrivers , their wisdom, exuberance, and energy can drive and sustain the waves of change necessary for global evolution in human dynamics around violent sexual behaviors.
Are you a "walking Survivor" who would like more? Who dreams you can thrive? Come see us.
Are you a "Thriver Supporter" who audaciously dreams that, as humanity, we can do better? Stand with us.
Are you a creative, joy-filled, thriving citizen who believes everyone should have the resources to live and create and laugh as you do? Help us build a community.
The Joyous Heart Network will be a hub. JHN will sit in the center. On one side we will be a communications and education team to find and assist sexual trauma Survivors first locally, then around the globe. On the other side we have ally organizations (again, locally and globally) which provide services to help those Survivors - not just to heal, but to thrive! In addition to connecting the groups, JHN will create a community of free and safe sharing and healing modalities which transition Survivors through stages, and help them define their vision for healthy lives. Finally, JHN will assist in funding (on a sliding scale of need) for Survivors to access the ally services.
Caring for the needs of the ONE can be the answer
to addressing the needs of the MANY.
Join us. Let's help heal sexual trauma by aiding Survivors in becoming thriving, healthy, joyful and active world citizens.
Please click on any of our partner organization logos to learn more about them and their work.
