Massage therapy might once have seemed an unusual way of making a living but the growth in holistic and alternative therapies in recent years has opened up many opportunities for people interested in the area.
Dubliner John Burns is one of those. In a career he describes as "varied and strange" he initially had trouble finding what he wanted to do. He tried courses ranging from hospitality management to sound engineering. He worked as a car dealer and spent time with a logistics company and it was while working there, he hit on the possibility of massage as a career.
"It was just by chance," he says. "I started reading bits of literature around the place and I did a course with the Irish Academy of Massage."
Realising that he had hit on something that he would like to stick at, John elected to do a full-time diploma in holistic therapies at the Senior College Dún Laoghaire. The year-long course incorporated everything from anatomy and physiology to various therapies and business management.
"It's the first time I've come across something that I want to continue on with," says John. "There's a lot to it different therapies coming from different cultures. It's interesting."
The course in Dun Laoghaire requires five passes in the Leaving Cert, but it is in high demand and there is an interview so early application is advised.
The course comprised an interesting mix of practical classes and theory.
"It was difficult to know what to expect," says John. "I had no idea how the practical classes were going to work, and then half the class got up on the massage tables. That could be nice and relaxing, depending on which part of the class you were in."
Even in these enlightened times, a male massage therapist is unusual. "I was once talking to someone who was setting up a therapy centre and she had never met a male massage therapist before," says John. "Some people might feel more comfortable with a woman, but then there's more strength involved if a guy is giving a massage so that can be an advantage as well."
Male or female, there are certain qualities that a good masseur or masseuse must possess as John explains: "Liking people helps a bit! And I think you need to be slightly outgoing. It's just you and a stranger in the room so you need to know how to put them at their ease."
John can be contacted on www.holisto.com or email johnburnsmassage@hotmail.com