When my body feels good, I feel good. Whenever my body is relaxed the tension releases, and I feel warm all over. As I become more in tune with my total being I can feel out where I am holding on, tightening up, and stopping the natural flow of energy through the body. Through massage my mind relaxes, the energy flows smoothly; tensions which are encased in my body are released, and the love flows through me. Sometimes I am aware of pain in my body and my consciousness rests in the pain; other times I am not aware of the tensions in my body and yet they affect my consciousness. At any rate, once my body relaxes, my mind relaxes and there is a definite consciousness change which takes place and I feel like a “well being.”
For these reasons I have become interested and very involved in massage of varying types and acupressure techniques. I enjoy Swedish massage (long strokes working directly with muscle groups) and “Esalen” type massage (originated at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California) for general relaxation and body tone. I like to use deep muscle massage techniques, which I have been perfecting on my own; it goes in deeper, penetrating and giving a total relaxation and release of tensions which become deeply embedded in my body. Acupressure is the use of finger pressure in the same spots which correspond in acupuncture point; the concentration of pressure in these areas releases a blockage of energy and allows the energy to flow through the body. This and foot reflexology (pressing on certain points in the feet) opens up the flow of energy into all the vital organs and glands of the body and can bring about a total cure of many minor and major illnesses and disorders in the body; a “well being.”
These are some of the techniques which I use in personal treatments on people who come to me for relief of tension, headaches, sinus congestion, asthma, arthritis, and many other common ailments which we are all plagued with from time to time.
— Farra Allen
For me, doing massage offers an opportunity to open up my being, allowing the God energy to move through me as a channel, to help in letting one’s body heal itself. Through specific acupressure points and color vibrations, I can open energy blocks allowing the person’s own energy to flow through as a healing force. I work with the energy pockets, called chakras, located along the spine where certain color, sound and emotional vibrations center. Using this energy in the patient I allow it to move through the body as healing agent. Meditation and spiritual foundation is an important part of our massage to keep the work above the sexual level.
— Libby Allen
One weekend each month Farra and Libby Allen conduct workshops at their home in the country west of Hillsborough, where they demonstrate all these techniques as well as meditation relaxation exercises. The cost is $20 and includes two vegetarian meals, a bottle of massage oil, and many acupressure and reflexology charts. Libby is also teaching a beginner’s course in massage for women only at the Durham Y.M.C.A. in June; call the Y.M.C.A. for more information. The Allens also are available for individual treatments.
