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There is nothing better than this!

Hindustan Times | BySneha Jose
May 22, 2012 03:28 PM IST

The growth is steady, says the director of a spa chain

What has the growth of Kairali Spa been so far? What has your employee strength been like?
Kairali has had a steady growth in the ayurvedic spa industry and concentrating only on ayurveda has been the key to the success of this brand. We have grown to 35 centres, with 20 in India and 15 at international locations. Currently throughout our various centres, we have approximately 300 therapists.

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What do you expect from a good spa therapist?
A good spa therapist should know exactly why a certain spa treatment is given. A therapist should be able to present his/her subject in a convincing way to the customer.

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What is the scope in this field?
Spa therapy is a field with immense growth prospects but therapists need to work with good organisations that are dedicated to growing the industry. In that case therapists will be able to meet people from different walks of life and may even get to visit different parts of the world. Therapists help people to relax from their stressful life situations and hence this field is very satisfying.

What qualification should an aspiring spa therapist have? Which are the good training spots?
Kairali Institute of Panchakarma Therapy has started the admission process for the second batch. Anybody with a Class 10 pass certificate is eligible for becoming a good spa therapist.

What kind of a career does spa therapy make in India?
India is a growing economy and people today have high stress lifestyles. Needless to say spa therapy is a good solution for people looking for a stress-free lifestyle. As mentioned earlier, this industry is growing at a rapid pace, and a therapist should identify good companies and grow with them.

I see a lot of pros in taking up spa therapy as a career, but can you point out some cons to me?
Many people associate negatively with female spa therapists, mainly because the clients are naked in front of the therapists. This is one of the main reasons why we promote ayurveda authentically across the world so that same-gender massages are promoted.

Why will you recommend this as a career choice to youngsters?
You see the world and meet people from all walks of life. You also learn new languages and new procedures every day while still getting paid for it. There can be nothing better than this!

Spa therapy is the answer to the high stress lifestyles of today Abishek Ramesh, director - Kairali Group, New Delhi

What’s it about
Spa therapy is not new to the world. Humans have used water since prehistoric times for its healing properties. This grew to include rituals in some religions, but overall, humanity still utilises water in spa therapy as a cornerstone.

Spa therapy focuses on specific areas such as aromatherapy, which works on the senses of smell and touch and reflexology works on acupressure points and on 10 zones.
As per a FICCI-PWC 2011 report, the wellness services in India will require 600,000 additional skilled personnel over the next five years.

The typical day of a spa therapist
Full-time spa therapists work about 8-10 hours (a maximum of 60 hours per week), and will find themselves more tied up with work in the evenings than in the mornings.
Weekends are generally overloaded with back-to-back therapies
8am: Exercise
9.30am: Head to the workplace
10am: Attend to clients. Start therapies
2.30pm: Lunch
3pm: Restart work
6.30pm: Take a small break
7pm: Hectic work at hand
11pm: Leave for home

The pay
Newly-qualified spa therapists could earn around Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 14,000 per month. Therapists with a few years’ experience can draw between Rs. 14,000 to Rs. 20,000 a month. If they move into management, spa therapists may make about Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 80,000 a month or even more

Skills/traits
* Caring attitude
* Good listener
* Tactful and being aware of the need for client confidentiality
* Should dress and talk smart, be well-groomed and follow good personal hygiene
* Should be aware of health and safety measures
* Should be good at time management

How to become a Spa therapist
While there are many qualifications that one can gain to became a qualified spa therapist/ aesthetician, there are nationally-recognised training programmes that offer a good entry point into the spa industry

Institutes
* Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves India Limited (VLCC), multiple locations
http://vlccinstitute.com
* Ispaa Spa Academy, Cochin
www.ispaa.com
* Ananda Spa Institiute, Hyderabad
www.anandaspainstitute.com
* Kairali Institute of Panchakarma Therapy, New Delhi
www.kairali.com

Pros and cons
* Great scope for growth and development
* Flexible working hours and time for the family
* You feel great to heal and make others feel great
* Expectations are less as compared to other professions in the service sector
* Fussy clients and bad timings can be a very big challenge

Coordinated by Sneha Jose

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