There was someone who mentioned she had switched from accounting to massage therapy and loved it. I PM'd her and never got a response. I am supposed to start classes at a college for Oriental medicine in January. I have always been interested in alternative health but never imagined doing this line of work. I am not particularly touchy-feely, but getting a master's in acupuncture or oriental medicine would be quite challenging as I am not that linear. Plus it is very expensive and would take a lot longer than massage therapy. Even though I have been ambivalent about this whole thing, I have been willing to give it a shot. However, I just read something online where a person said that this type of work is hard on the body (I have heard that before), you only really make around $13 a person (I was told that after expenses, if you work in an office you can make around $35 a client). So I have become unsure again! If anyone has any experience in this field past or present, could you please give me your take? Thanks in advance!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2010 01:51AM by banana who.

massage therapists normally make over $50 an hour if i ts your own business, what can work REALLY well, is if you work in a physical therapy place, and offer normal massages to patrons on the side, youd have to be clear they are non-therapeutic... my friend does that and pulls in over a grand a week in a small town...(between his normal pay and what he gets on the side.)

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Thanks Curator Well, I would be trained as a massage therapist, with Asian techniques, including acupressure/reflexology. So any massage I'd give would be therapeutic...And yes, you generally can make at least $50 an hour plus tips. That appeals to me because what the economy is telling me is to depend upon myself for jobs rather than filling out applications and always trying to get hired. The thing is, I never thought of myself as running a business! So I guess I am a bit unsure of it, plus when you talk about the money, you still have to get insurance. I have experience working in natural foods. I was thinking of working at least part-time at Whole Foods and passing out business cards to customers! LOL- I wonder if that is kosher?

I dont think whole foods would be cool with it, but you could find a cool boss!lol... but the reason you have to claim its not "therapy" (IF your working a physical therapists office.) is so you can say your not competing with your employer, doing this also means you dont need a business license, because you can use the cash you get (make sure its in cash, whatever your main job is) to pay for different untraceable stuff (food is one) and not be taxed on it... thats just if your working for somebody else though, I have no idea about running your own business,lol... although this is something ive considered doing too, its a promising field.

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

this is the sort of work i think one should only consider if it's actually something they feel drawn to and would enjoy very much. it is physically demanding, very intensive and expensive to study, a competitive field to work in and monotonous. i studied shiatsu for a semester before deciding that it wasn't for me. my sister is currently studying traditional chinese medicine which she is only able to do because she really enjoys it. it's not something to get into just because.
you know what works for that though and pays just as well, maybe even better? yoga instructor. you don't have to study for as long, you don't have to touch people or be responsible for their pain therapy, you stay very fit because you are working out all the time and if you have a class of several people you are getting paid by each of them for every session only having to pay for the studio space which you can sometimes rent fairly inexpensively from community centres. Or you can specialize and go to seniors facilities to teach them modified yoga there, or do private in-home lessons for clients who can afford it. you can travel and teach at resorts, there is no equiptment you need, and any time you upgrade or learn something new it will be at a great yoga centre with a bunch of other fit limber people . I've almost talked myself into it!

whatever you decide make sure it's what you really want to do so you are making a wise investment of your time any money. and best of luck!

sounds like a good option!

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

coco Wrote:
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> Or you can
> specialize and go to seniors facilities to teach
> them modified yoga there, or do private in-home
> lessons for clients who can afford it.
>

That is a good idea. I love watching the yoga for seniors series on PBS because it is so inspiring to see how much yoga is helping seniors with their mobility and living with arthritis.

Or physical therapy for seniors. My elderly mother has been admitted to two skilled nursing centers in the past year and received physical therapy while there, and now has a physical therapist that comes to her house twice a week.

I personally could not massage strangers. I love a good massage but there is something icky about the skin of people's backs that I don't like. It always seems clammy. LOL

Oh my God! You guys are so right! Coco, I really am so on the fence about it. It seems very taxing physically and boring in that you have to do a repetitive motion for at least an hour at a time. Plus, I worry about carpal tunnel. And Rocketship? LOL! I am skeezed out at the thought of touching people's skin. The upper back is okay but below...icky yucky! And I am pretty modest myself and apparently we have to allow ourselves to get massaged by classmates. I think they allow undies to be worn but still...I am a bit of a prude about dropping trou in class. Thanks for the imput. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I am trying to find my place in the world and I need to be clear about what I really want and not just grasp at anything. Coco, last fall I wanted so badly to become a yoga teacher but the open house I attended is at a temple (non-profit) and they don't give financial aid. And the other one seemed too yuppified for my taste. I would really like to do this, though.

LOL- maybe I could have a book open while I massage the person to pass the time? I am pretty confused because I want to give it the old college try but even if I only go one semester I will be invested a few thousand dollars! So it's kind of frustrating!

well, Id say go for the yoga, but do the yuppified one if you can get financial aid for it, then study the un-yuppified stuff later... yuppified or not, if it starts you on your way to your dream, its worth it...

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I've been looking. I am not sure if I will be able to get in before the deadline or if I missed it. The other issue is that the yoga program I want to study with is considered one of the best in the nation. I have been thinking about studying horticulture at my local community college in the meantime and when my preferred yoga classes open up, I will have the downpayment from a student loan to pay them off with...

Funny, horticulture has been high on my list for a while as well.

As far as the yuppified version of yoga goes, that's not really a problem. In class you need to learn about the body, postures, how to correct them, how to design a class, etc etc. The spiritual aspect of it comes from you and your own practice, that's not something I personally would want to be instructed in at all. If it's bare bones all about the technical aspect of stretch and strength all the better IMHO. You learn what you need to know to be a good teacher no matter what flavour you add to the mix once you're out there on your own.
A great way to find a teaching style you like is to attend classes during and after your study period. You'll have a window into the what and why of the class and be able to decide what works the best for you in terms of what and how you want to teach.
Best of luck! I know raw retreats (Costa Rica etc) often advertise for yoga teachers. It's a great way to travel.

Thanks for the input, Coco! There is a cool yoga certification course I'd love to attend in upstate NY (I live in IL) but again, there is no financial aid. What's great about this course is that it gives you 200 hours, which I think is the requirement, but it only takes a month during the summer. And of course you're getting immersed in a great environment, versus having to keep going out into the world and dealing with the vibes out here...But it's about $2,500. I was just talking to me quasi-sister-in-law (I live with her brother). She used to do bodywork and is going to start up again. She was a bit more encouraging to me so if nothing else comparable materializes, I'll give my massage therapy classes a go