Human Trafficking Survivor & Advocate Jennelle Gordon

Please welcome Jennelle Gordon to the BINGEnetworks Gratitude UnFiltered sponsored by Joy’s Organics CBD products (https://joy-organics.sjv.io/gratitudeunfiltered).

In 2002 Jennelle Gordon was honorably discharged from the United States Army. This medical discharge is what fueled her yoga journey.

Jennelle first met Dharma Mittra in 2011, at the time not realizing how influential this man was in bringing traditional hatha yoga to the west, she reluctantly began her first yoga training. It was not until many years later she learned what a privilege it was to learn from this guru. She received her 200 Yoga Alliance hours certification and went on to do several more internships after her initial training with Dharma. Working with at risk intercity men in the Dallas Fort Worth area was her main focus, in implementing her new found yoga techniques.

When Jennelle met Sumit, she knew instantly this style of yoga was for her. A Bikram yoga practitioner for a decade this set the foundation for all the other trainings she would receive in the future. After learning that Sumit was Bikram’s nephew, a deeper desire to learn and grow in her yoga path was fostered. Jennelle received her second 200 hours Yoga Alliance certification in 2011 as well. Jennelle taught all over the United States, as Sumits Yoga and studios began to multiply. Today she is proud to call Sumit a dear friend and is thankful for his guidance along her way.

Jennelle graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2011, as a holistic health coach and nutritionist. After nearly ten years of irritable bowel syndrome she healed herself with conscious food choices and an integrative holistic approach. Her speciality is reversing gastrointestinal issues, as well as implementing detoxification.

She then did an internship with an Ayurvedic doctor in Thailand, learning a more east meet west approach, which is her health philosophy with her clients. Since then Jennelle has completed three extended business programs from the school, helping her to further understand the health and wellness market.

In 2013 Jennelle landed at Agama Yoga, a traditional Tantric hatha yoga school, on an island in Thailand. After struggling to truly attain liberation from her sex traffickers and the exotic dance industry of which she was held captive to for nearly ten years, this was the most effective healing remedy. It also became a safe haven as she truly feared one of her traffickers and this safe experience allowed her to heal and began to integrate back into herself and her body. Jennelle received her 400 hours of Tantra Yoga Training from Agama school recognized by the Yoga Alliance Association. Jennelle spent a year on the island, learning, student teaching under her mentors and then finally teaching Tantra on the island and around Southeast Asia.

In 2017 Jennelle made history by founding the first ever sex trafficking awareness club at Orange Coast College, called Beyond Freedom. She now has turned this club into a non profit geared to education, empowering and enlightening her campus, community and finally funding survivors of sex trafficking education and business expenses.

In 2018, Jennelle received her Reiki training certificate this energy healing modality has been apart of other aspects of her work for years. Finally adding this certification to her arsenal of trainings allows her to offer deeper energy work to her clients.

In 2018 Jennelle graduated with numerous honors, receiving her associates degree in Liberal Arts from Orange Coast Community College.

In 2018 Jennelle won several first place titles on the speech and debate team at Orange Coast College. Her advocacy speaking against sex trafficking has landed her numerous speaking engagements and has now become her passion in serving others.

In 2019 Jennelle formed Beyond Freedom Non Profit and is currently finishing her Bachelors degree in Communications Studies at California State Fullerton. She is writing her first book on and is preparing for her first Ted Talk in 2020.

I am your host, Joshua T Berglan! Thank you in advance for your comments, questions and involvement in the broadcast!