Sanitha Diljith has been at work since 7 am, oiling, massaging, kneading and gently removing knots from fatigued muscles, her fingers working nimbly as she varies the pressure on different nerve points to tease out aches and pains. The Thiruvananthapuram-based Ayurveda therapist has her hands full since it is the month of Karkkidakam, the season of rejuvenation therapies and preventive treatment.
“Although my working hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, patients come in early during this month. I attend to six to seven patients a day, who often opt for our wellness packages that last the whole month,” says the 28-year-old. She explains that the work involves strenuous physical labour and a small mistake during the massage can have far-reaching consequences on the person’s health. “But if you are good at what you do, financial gain and stability go hand-in-hand.”
Sanitha is among scores of trained therapists who are cashing in on the opportunities opening up, with Ayurveda therapy winning acceptance for a wide range of lifestyle problems and for feel-good wellness. Therapists are much in demand throughout the year, and not just during Karkkidakam, in government and private hospitals, spas, wellness clinics/centres, resorts, boutique hotels, and five-star hotels in and outside Kerala and abroad.
As such, the training of Ayurveda therapists is a well-oiled process that is undertaken by government and private institutes. “He or she has to complete a certificate/diploma course and on-the-job training. Even though the diploma courses aren’t approved by the government, trained students can work in private enterprises. Sometimes, they enrol for government-run courses to obtain government-approved certificates,” says Dr Sreeja VS, assistant professor, Department of Panchakarma, working at the Government Panchakarma Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
The one-year course is exhaustive, as the module covers the fundamentals of Ayurveda, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, Panchakarma (five cleansing actions) treatment and more. “The students see therapists at work at our theatres and later on, do the massages and other procedures under their supervision. Specialisation comes into play only when they start working with an Ayurveda doctor,” says Dr Sreeja.
Although the syllabus is not elaborate in short-term courses, treatment procedures are covered in detail with well-monitored practical sessions, says Dr Salini LS, who runs Saatwika Ayurveda in Thiruvananthapuram, which has a six-month and a one-year course.
Luxury ayurvedic spa massage still life on wooden.
Since age is no bar for learning the therapy, the course is open to people of all age groups. “I once had an 80-year-old student, a traditional practitioner of Ayurveda. There are people who learn it out of curiosity as well,” says Salini.
However, obtaining a certificate alone doesn’t make a person a good therapist. “Physical health and stamina are mandatory because the job entails manual labour,” says Siby G Sebastian, managing director of Ashramam Ayurveda Hospital and Training Institution at Vazhavara in Idukki district.
The candidate’s attitude also counts. “Counselling is given before the course begins,” says Ashraf Kelathuparambil, founder of Jeevaya Group of Institutions for Vocational Training and Skill Development, which runs courses at its centres in Malappuram, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. This is to help students understand that people’s health is in their hands, so they are advised against smoking, for instance.
Then come patient management skills. Dr Reshma Jeshine, in-charge, Vasudeva Vilasam Institute of Ayurveda, Thiruvananthapuram, says, “A patient becomes the therapist’s responsibility once the doctor prescribes the treatment. Unless the therapist is sincere, treatment won’t give the desired result,” she says.
For instance, “Some might express their displeasure while we apply oil, use the kizhi (poultice containing herbal oils or powders or medicinal concoctions) or change their position. We have to handle such situations carefully,” explains Sanitha.
With Ayurveda shifting focus to rejuvenation and wellness, many therapists now study spa therapy and beauty therapy along with Panchakarma therapy. “But when you work in a spa, you should have good communication skills. Even grooming becomes a prerequisite,” Ashraf says.
- One-year certificate courses in Ayurveda therapy are offered at the three Government Ayurveda colleges in Kerala — Thiruvananthapuram, Tripunithura and Kannur. Diploma courses, most of them certified by the Bharat Sevak Samaj (BSS), the national development agency promoted by the Planning Commission, are of six months or one-year duration. Basic qualification is Class X or XII.
- While the fee in government colleges is ₹6,000, it is ₹20,000 and up in private institutions. Basic salary per month in the government sector comes in the range of ₹19,000 to ₹40,000, while it is between ₹8000-20,000 in private firms.
In spite of the demand for therapists, there is a shortage of trained female therapists. While some of them drop out citing health reasons, societal and family pressures also come in the way. “All of us have to follow the rule that male therapists are assigned only to male patients and female therapists to female patients. But there are treatment centres within and outside Kerala that do cross-gender therapy, which may not be agreeable to all,” Salini points out.
Competent hands are much in demand. Arun S Nair, a therapist running a resort at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram, says: “I am finding it difficult to find good therapists for our place. Having worked as a therapist for several years, I know the amount of hard work involved. Financial gain should not be the sole motivation. But there is always an opening for efficient and sincere hands.”
