Getting to know Helen

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Feeling your feelings won’t harm you, but not feeling them might.
Helen Allen

Background

Born in Port Elizabeth (now renamed Gqeberha), South Africa, where the rich colours and shape of the African landscapes deeply impressed my artistic sensibilities, my life’s journey has continuously been one lived through art. A process that has uncovered key understanding in my quest for truth and healing.

Journey Through Art

Painting became a sacred tool for my own healing process and has enabled me to examine my previously ‘veiled’ perception of myself and to understand how to uncover denial.

This dynamic transformation helped awaken me to the workings of my subconscious mind. I was able to retrieve memories that previously were blocked, which helped me to resolve emotional and psychological dis-eases.

Of course, this has had a huge impact on improving my day-to-day wellbeing. Sharing these tools with others has been a hugely rewarding experience and one in which I am always learning.

As a painter, I have “travelled” through many phases which are represented in my collection of paintings through different series titles: Art of Movement; Journey; Harmonic; and Realism.

Understanding Wellbeing

Ever since I was a child, I have loved helping people to feel better. Through decades of doing different therapies, I found ways to heal and manage my own issues and discomforts, and to resolve issues across all walks of life.

This inspired me to share these methods with others and I have been working within the wellbeing industry since the eighties.

Healing Modalities

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Intuitive Painting

I studied Intuitive Painting in 1993, with an amazing teacher, Jane Cory-Wright. She had herself been a student of Cecil Collins, so I was truly grateful for the expert teaching passed on to me.

Being allowed to play freely with paint, opened up a new path to painting from my unconscious, revealing the most valuable insights which have transformed my life and brought much healing.

I was so excited about this process, that I began to teach others with great success. I have taught people Intuitive Painting in my workshops in Russia, Greece, South Africa, UK and Jersey.

Holistic Fitness

I am a certified teacher of the Nia Technique, an holistic movement practice based on the “joy of movement”. A fusion of martial arts, healing arts and dance arts, it is done barefoot to music of all genres.

No two classes are ever the same.

I completed the Nia White Belt teacher training in 2007 and introduced this movement practice into my international, creative workshops.

Since then, I have completed my Green Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt and more recently, my Black Belt (2019).

I have held Nia classes in London, Israel, South Africa, and New York.

Colour Healing

Determined to find natural ways to heal decades of persistent sore throats, I studied Colour Healing (Mental Colour Therapy) in 1984, with Lily Cornford.

This healing technique is based on using colours of specific flowers, visualised in sunlight, and channelling them through the hands, to a various parts of the body.

This technique has been invaluable in my healing process. Through integrating it with Inner Work and Vocal Toning, I’ve freed my voice and healed my throat.

Inner Work

Inner Work is a process which helps to resolve issues like low self esteem, lack of confidence and repetitive symptoms.

In my experience, none of the psycotherapy  I did over 15 years, came close to bringing about the much needed change in my life, as doing Inner Work did.

Because it wasn’t “talking about”, but instead, it was “sensing and engaging” with the troubled parts of myself, and giving them a voice. It was about LISTENING to the guiding voice within, and finding answers.

I have been an Inner Work Facilitator since 2004.

Energising Your Life
In 2009 I founded Energising Your Life (EYL) – a creative platform offering a fun way of dealing with, and overcoming problems.

It uses a fusion of guided visualisation, intuitive painting, vocal toning, percussion, and the Nia technique.

I have held EYL workshops in Russia, Greece, Israel, South Africa, the UK and Jersey.

Design Work

Since the eighties, I worked as an independent graphic designer and marketing consultant, creating brands and working in the multimedia sector, before computers were the norm.

Classically trained in Graphic Design at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, I have always enjoyed bringing my art into the corporate work I do, to create a unique touch. Clients included: National Geographic, Boosey & Hawkes, BMW, Rank Xerox, IBM and Picadilly Press.

Bids and Tenders

My first bid was in 2002, when I spearheaded a campaign to address the need for new cloakroom facilities in a North London government school. The campaign was a success, and I helped to raise £50,000 through the Sports Lottery.

Together with my husband, I co-founded Lahara Ltd. in 2013, which specialises in bids and proposals. To date, we have helped clients win over £3.5bn worth of business, in a wide range of industries, and £75m+ for an NHS framework business over two years.

Not For Profit

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In 2014, I co-founded the Indoni Dance, Arts & Leadership Academy, an NPO in South Africa established.

Since then, Indoni has won 9 South African Government awards for achievement in arts and culture.

As their Marketing Director and Bid Manager, I produce and edit videos, design and manage the website, and all the marketing campaigns and bids for fundraising.

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I had the privilege of being trained by a renowned teacher and author, Prem Rawat, to help teach people to connect with inner peace. As part of this role, I met with individuals and facilitated groups in this process and spoke to audiences in the UK, Holland, and South Africa.

Practicing the simple techniques of Knowledge brings me to a place of peace inside myself that I call home. More than 40 years after first learning about this, I still enjoy this daily practice. It forms the basis for my living with the deepest gratitude, serenity, clarity, and fulfillment.

A Brief Look Back…

2020-2021

Working on a course that is in alignment with my book, Art of Being You.

Mentor and consultant for Indoni Dance Academy.

Producing Lahara’s bid writing training videos for their online courses.

2019

2019: Working on finishing the outline for my book, Art of Being You.

Continued with design and marketing for Indoni, including for their performance in the Shanghai Tourism Festival in China.

Completed my Nia Black Belt Training in London, with Debbie Rosas, co-founder of the Nia technique. 

Delivered a public talk at The Finchley Society about the history of Finchley Garden Village, a uniques enclave of Arts & Crafts cottages built in 1908.

2018

2018: Created a heritage project for conservation area Finchley Garden Village. Completed the first ever series of paintings of the Village. Held. Produced a short film of the village’s history dating back to the early 1900s. Produced an exhibition of paintings, and had a film showing. 

2018: Produced a film in Cape Town, for Indoni Dance Arts & Leadership Academy to present their Benefactor-Mentor-Investor (BMI) programme.

Continued work on my book, Art of Being You, designed to be an inspiration for self healing, and a guide for using creative energy as a major tool for transformation.

2010–2015

2015: Started a new series of paintings called Village Views, depicting the charming character of an early 20th century village built in the ‘arts and crafts’ style.

2014: Joined the founding team of a non-profit organisation, Indoni Dance Arts & Leadership Academy, as Marketing Director. Indoni became an award-winning academy with 30 full-time dance trainees from the disadvantaged community of Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, South Africa. 

2014–2020: Indoni Marketing Director, Bid Manager, Web Designer, Producer/Editor.

2014–present: Lahara Marketing Director, Web Designer, Copy Editor, Video Producer/Editor. 

2012: Completed my Nia Blue Belt certification in Israel.

Was invited to facilitate my Energising Your Life seminar on the Jersey Isles.

2011: Was invited to work at a Hay House seminar in New York, where Dr Robert Holden led a seminar for 5 days (100 participants). Taught Nia to the group.

2010: Was invited to facilitate my Energising Your Life seminar in Hod Hasharon, Israel.

2006–2009

2009: Completed my Nia Green Belt Training. Held another Energising Your Life seminar in Cape Town, South Africa.

2008: Introduced Nia as a movement practice in my Energising Your Life seminars.

2007Was invited to co-facilitate a creative seminar in Cape Town, South Africa, where I taught intuitive painting and vocal toning.

Completed my White Belt in the Nia Technique, and began teaching Nia classes in London.

2006: Taught intuitive painting  in Greece, when I was the first international Wellbeing Coach invited to facilitate workshops at Taos Retreat Center, on the island of Paros.

2000–2005

2005: Taught intuitive painting in Russia, when I was invited to run my creative seminars in in Moscow and St. Petersburg. At that time, I was deeply into painting my Harmonic Series, where every stroke of paint was made while toning my voice and creating harmonic overtones.

My paintings evolved to the Journey Series, as I explored my inner world and began to take a deeper look into my unconscious behaviours, and the childhood experiences which triggered certain issues. 

2004: Joined the team with Robert Holden (Ph.D.) leading psychologist and author, in his Success Intelligence seminars and Happiness workshops. Also completed his training in Coaching Success and  Coaching Happiness.

2003: Began to facilitate personal development workshops, teaching intuitive painting and movement, which later evolved into Energising Your Life workshops.

1990s

1994–2001 Held art exhibitions (UK) Click for details

I was blessed with a beautiful family, and my journey through art opened up. I began painting in water colour and mixed media, and later in oils, and then acrylics.

1993: Discovered the healing power of  intuitive painting. During a 3-day course, I painted 26 paintings under the guidance of intuitive painting teacher, Jane Cory-Wright (herself a student of Cecil Collins).

I began painting Art of Movement, a series which allowed me to explore my fascination with, and passion for, dance and music. Always curious about the ‘negative spaces’ created in movement, as depicted in Dance with Wings.

1992: Exhibited my paintings at the International Art Fair and published a series as Limited Edition prints.

1980s

198089: Continued my design career which included producing covers for the first National Geographic video series to be published in the UK.

I was also privileged to be selected and trained by Prem Rawat, author and global peace ambassador,  as an instructor for teaching Self-Knowledge.

Worked part-time as an instructor and public speaker on the subject of inner peace. Facilitated groups and delivered talks to 1000s of people in audiences across the UK, Holland and South Africa.

1987: Began to explore my own inner world of mind and emotions, through Gestalt and Psychotherapy.

1984: Discovered invaluable healing tools through studying Mental Colour Therapy with the late Lily Cornford. Began my healing practice as a Mental Colour Therapist.

1980: Quenched my thirst for inner peace through listening to Prem Rawat’s message of peace. Began my daily practice of the techniques of Self-Knowledge.

Late '70s

1977-79: Worked for a multimedia production company as a graphic designer/illustrator, and moved on to become an independent designer.

Little did I know, I was about to embark on the biggest journey of self-discovery… and that I would find the best teachers to help me create the life I now love!

1976: Soweto riots broke out. I was terrified. There was talk of bloodshed in the streets, felt powerless and ‘fled’ the troubled  apartheid South Africa in 1977 and moved to my father’s homeland, England.

1973-74: Diploma in Graphic Design at the Michaelis School of Art, University of Cape Town. Went on to work in fashion, at Foschini head office, doing: fashion illustration, marketing, magazine shoots with BBDO, and working with screenprint.

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