The alternative health sector can provide practitioners with a lucrative pathway into the corporate world, where business stresses take their toll, writes John Downes

Here's an idea. Why not see if you can stretch your leg behind your head. Go on, give it a try. Or what about sitting in the lotus position? How good are you at that?

Such efforts might not automatically strike you as a good way of making money, but for people such as Sinead O'Connor, encouraging people to do just this is what their business is all about.

As the person behind Hush Yoga, Ms O'Connor runs evening classes, corporate sessions, and private tuition for a broad range of people. And teaching yoga and nutrition is an area that is continuing to grow, a fact underlined by her plans for diversification.

So how is it possible to make money out of yoga and other alternative therapies?

Ms O'Connor, a trained dancer who moved back to Ireland from New York a few years ago, says she started out by using her qualifications in yoga to put on classes for the general public.

She charges a basic hourly rate of €75 an hour for one-on-one yoga tuition, although this can vary according to class size. This continues to account for a significant proportion of her income, both through hiring venues and teaching in established yoga centres.

But she was aware that yoga, which is well established in the USA, also offered her the scope to develop new corporate clients here. So she wrote approximately 200 letters to most of the top companies in the country, offering her services to their workforce.

As a relatively new concept in Ireland, she initially found it difficult to persuade companies to come on board. Some businesses just did not have the facilities, while others did not have the finances to offer yoga as a bonus to their employees.

"I thought it would be a good idea to try to provide yoga in the corporate world here," she explains."But while yoga has definitely become hugely recognised here, it is still on an upward climb."

However, several well-known companies did respond to her letters, and her client list now includes banks and the computer manufacturer, Dell.

As a result, she now teaches yoga to employees of these companies, usually in the evenings. In pitching her classes to corporate clients, she says she emphasises the benefits that yoga can bring to overall productivity within a company.

"I think the main reason people do yoga is to destress, but it is exercise at the same time," she explains. "I would sell the destressing part of it, but also that it is good for fatigue during the working day. It involves concentration and the release of endorphins throughout the day, so this can make people have more ideas."

But the day-to-day rigours of being a self-employed businesswoman means she has to manage her time carefully, she points out.

"I have to keep my own energy levels up. I have to be physically fit and also have to manage my time extremely well, and allow myself time to rest during the day. In a country where yoga is only really developing, it can be difficult not to take on too much," she explains.

"But I'm doing something I love, and I decide who what and when I want to teach...Teaching yoga is very rewarding. You can see how people improve."

She also has plans to expand her business, moving into increasing the amount of lucrative one-on-one tuition she provides.

And she is not ruling out opening her own yoga centre some day. But for the moment, she says she enjoys moving from location to location. "You are going somewhere different every day. Ultimately, as I'm working by myself, I don't have workmates so it is important to have that variety."

Aimee Quinn also makes a living providing alternative therapies. As a massage therapist who works for two companies, she has to be conscious of how best to manage her time.

Ms Quinn, who did a two-year diploma that qualified her in techniques such as reflexology, Indian head massage and aromatherapy, says her clientele can vary from housewives to busy professionals looking to relax after a hard day's work. A full-body massage costs from €50 to €65 an hour, with the therapist receiving a percentage of this according to a deal negotiated with the salon.

"People are starting to realise it is a good idea to look after your own health. And it is noticeable how people who are getting more massages' health improves," she says.

"I like it because the work is relaxing to begin with, even though it is very physical. You are focusing on your work. A lot of people coming in are looking to pamper themselves. If they are stressed, it is nice to see them go out with a smile on their face.

"It is very physical and can be very tiring But it suits the kind of person I am. I couldn't sit in an office and do the same work over and over again."

Like Ms O'Connor, Ms Quinn believes alternative therapies offers plenty of scope for expansion. "I eventually hope to have my own treatment room when I have my own house so I can get private clients, and in around two years' time I would like to set up my own business," she says.

"That's the way to make money, really. The ideal is to be able to do your own thing. In the meantime, I'm building up my experience all the time."