Added pressure

A look into the world of Reflexology

by EMMA SCIANTARELLI

FROM ISSUE # 151 (July 2008) | IN THIS ISSUE
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ANUP PRAKASH

The days when a career in healing the sick meant you had to become a doctor or a nurse are over. Everyday the number of people trading in their prescription pills chockfull of harmful side effects for more holistic health solutions is on the rise. Preventive health care and alternative medicinal techniques administered by institute-trained specialists are the new hype. As people persist on a quest for inner balance, the health industry continues to expand in new directions away from traditional medicine. The growing number of individuals integrating alternative medicine into a fundamental ingredient in their overall health regime proves reflexology is a promising career. WAVE talked to two reflexologists who have turned their passion for healthy living into thriving entrepreneurial endeavours. Spa owners and reflexology gurus, Shubhas Dhakal and Hem Nath Regmi talk candidly about life as a zone therapist. 

What it is
Reflexology divides the body into five major zones, each of which breaks down into even smaller sections. Adherents of reflexology believe the circulation of each zone on your feet, hands and sometimes ears connects to a number of specific organs. Applying pressure and proper manipulation to a specific zone affords health benefits to the zone's correlating organs. For example, a trained reflexologist can improve the condition of 20 different body parts by working on a client's right foot alone!

Unlike taking prescription drugs, there is no harm in trying it out. "That's the beauty," says Dhakal. "Many times prescribed drugs could lead to nausea, loss of appetite, or sleeplessness. Whatever the reasons for getting therapy, there are absolutely no side effects incurred by a session of reflexology," assures Dhakal.

What it Takes
Comprehensive knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology is a must, but knowing the science behind it all isn't the only attribute necessary for success. A reflexologist spends his or her entire day not only working with people, but also working on people. By far, the most important virtue of a good reflexologist is the ability to understand the client. Is the pressure applied too hard or too soft? Is he or she comfortable? The overall reflexology experience should bring a client into a euphoric state of calmness.  Some people are less vocal about their needs or discomforts, thus a practitioner also needs to learn how to read a client's body language and adjust the session accordingly.  An aloof reflexologist is a lousy one.

Building a Client Base
Because part of a reflexologist's wage depends on tips and commissions for services rendered, it's important to build up a client base. Aside from big hotels that thrive on one-time tourist customers, most spas rely on regular patrons who swear by the health benefits of alternative medicine. In order to increase his or her demand, a good reflexologist will make converts out of first timers. They teach their customers why reflexology is a trusted and well-practiced method of therapy. Turning a newbie into a regular ensures a practitioner's bread and butter. 

Expanding Your Horizons
To make oneself more marketable, it's best to train in multiple alternative medicine and spa treatment practices rather than sticking purely to reflexology. Just like all career paths, the more you know, the more doors will open. Most spas and hotels prefer to hire a versatile person instead of someone whose knowledge base starts and ends with reflexology. "In addition to reflexology, I am trained in a number of different spa treatments, including the art of shiatsu, anma, and acupuncture.  Such knowledge gives me a complete understanding of what my client needs," Dhakal tells us. Instead of restricting yourself to one type of treatment, why not take on another therapeutic art to accompany your reflexology expertise? Most institutes offer courses that combine many aspects of alternative medicine.

Getting in the Industry
Courses in reflexology can last anywhere from two weeks to three years. Institutes with the most renowned reputations offer longer courses, but that doesn't mean you have to endure years of study in order to find a job. 

Even after completing a shorter course, many reflexology institutes also help students with job placement.  Institutes may offer a programme graduate a job within its own facilities or may make referrals to other postings at health clubs, spas, or upscale hotels. 

While the job market within Nepal still has a lot of maturing to do as people continue to gain interest in the medicinal art, it's very easy to land a job overseas right after training. "Right now I am sending three of my students to Goa," Regmi states, "my contacts there are demanding another, but at the moment I don't have anyone to send to them." Reflexologists can easily find jobs in Dubai, Qatar, the Philippines, and India. 

Part Time Work
Many young people studying college or university in the West are easily satisfied with a low-paying part time job at a local fast food chain or washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen. Student visa restrictions and busy class schedules usually only allow for 20-hour work weeks, so why not find a job that gives you the most amount of money for the least amount of time? It's easy for students trained in reflexology to secure a well-paying part time job in the industry before they even leave Nepal.   

There are many reflexology vacancies in Europe and North America, but as of now, obtaining a work visa for such a job remains an impossible task. "We're trying to look for a way to open more doors for reflexologists to go to the west for work, but so far a student visa is the only way to go," Regmi says.  

Earnings
Within Nepal, a starting reflexologist can expect to earn 4-6,000 rupees per month. Reflexologists working in other parts of Asia and the Middle East can score about 50,000 a month plus accommodation and some food expenses.  Students in the West can earn the same amount or more by only working a part time schedule. No matter where a reflexologist works, tips and sales commission is an added bonus aside from one's monthly salary. 

Where to Study:
Therapeutic Shiatsu Center: Maharajung/ Pulchowk, Lalitpur
Gokam Center: Daxin Dhoka
Nepal School of Spa and Beauty: Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur