Even time with people I'm not good with can now be enjoyable

I am a therapist. Even though I am a therapist, I am a relaxation therapist, so I am sure you are wondering what kind of relaxation I do, but there are many different things, and I can do the whole body. I can also do facials, head, and head spa. In addition, I perform various treatments for customers in the form of full-body massage, oil treatment, and foot reflexology.

I am sure that among you, even if I say 'kneading,' some of you may think, 'Isn't that a massage?' But my occupation is a relaxation therapist, so it is completely different from a massage therapist. The difference is that therapists do not have a national qualification. Relaxation therapists and body care kneading do similar things, but we call it kneading instead of massage, and we use both hands to apply pressure to the whole body to loosen it up, which is body care kneading.

My work style is that of a freelancer as I am a sole proprietor. Therefore, I work in a way that allows me to work at my favorite time, in my favorite place, surrounded by my favorite people. I do not own a personal store, but in my case, I rent a space, or I go on business trips, or I borrow a corner of a friend's beauty salon to provide treatments.

I had no intention of becoming independent, but when the pandemic hit, my way of thinking changed, which became the trigger for me to work on my own. During the pandemic, it was said that it was not good to come into contact with people, wasn't it? This job cannot be done without contact. At that time, I was working at a salon, so the business was suspended. So at that time, I thought that if I was working on my own, it would be my own responsibility, so I would be okay. I decided to start my own business or work on my own if the same thing happened again and the business was suspended.

Until then, I had a completely different job. I was in the food service industry and had never received a massage. However, since I had a stiff neck since I was a child, as did my mother, I used to massage my mother's shoulders, and when I wondered if it was okay to continue working in the food service industry, I thought I should learn a skill, something I could do with my hands. At that time, I considered becoming a relaxation therapist or a massage therapist, but since massage therapists had to go to school to learn, I thought it was impossible for me to learn at that age, so I chose to become a relaxation therapist, which I could learn while working and get paid for, and that led to who I am today.

It was really difficult. There was a part of me that thought I had to satisfy the customer because it was a one-on-one relationship with the customer. Also, I had to press hard places with my thumb, which hurt my thumb. Even before that, my thumb hurt during training, and I wanted to quit right away, but for some reason, perhaps because I was competitive, I endured it. Looking back now, the pain in my thumb was the worst. I cried. Those who could not endure it quit. After about three months, my fingers finally got used to it. It took about three months for the constant pain to go away. It was really difficult. I kept taping on my days off. The injury was tendinitis.

I can't see it, but when I touch and treat a customer, I can feel it or receive it. When I was treating a certain customer, the person was completely normal and had made a reservation because they were tired, but when I started the treatment, I suddenly got a headache. Huh? At first, I didn't know why it was happening, but as I touched them, my head hurt, and suddenly this area became itchy, and my throat became scratchy. I have had such experiences with customers. At that time, I didn't know, but later, when I talked to someone with spiritual powers, they told me that the customer was very tired, and I was absorbing that tiredness, sucking it out of my body and hands.

In terms of treatment, novices, especially those who have just started, tend to have a somewhat mechanical movement. However, there are rare cases where someone who has been in the industry for only a year, or even two or three months, has a very professional or skilled touch. But most people are different from the moment they touch, between professionals and those who have just started. I think that is the biggest difference.

No matter how difficult it was, I never took a day off from work. When I performed treatments during difficult times, I would have some alone time. Then, the difficult things would come to mind. However, by continuing the treatment and talking to the customer after it was over, for some reason, perhaps because of that time, the customer would be very happy. During those difficult times, I often received words of thanks for the treatment, such as 'Thank you, I feel much better,' which made me think, 'I'm glad I did this.'

When I am working, there is no break time. It is almost 8 or 9 hours of work. In between, there is a 5-minute break. I eat while treating one customer and waiting for the next customer to arrive. That era without a break was quite long. The part of being a therapist where you can't sit down was tough.

There was a customer when I was on a business trip to Nagano. A person around the same age as my mother came in and said he wanted a short treatment because his shoulders were tired. He said he had never had a massage or kneading in his 70 years of life. So I treated him while adjusting the intensity, and while treating him, he seemed like he wanted to talk, so we talked for a short time. When I asked about his age, he said, 'Oh, the same as your mother.' But my mother had already passed away, so when I told him that, he seemed to have a sense of attachment, as he also had a daughter around the same age, and we had a great conversation. He talked about his daughter's troubles and how he was worried as a mother, so I gave my opinion as a daughter, and it seemed to have struck a chord with him. It was only 20 minutes, but when it was over, he was so moved that he was in tears. I don't know if he was moved by the treatment or the conversation, but when his daughter came to pick him up, he said, 'That person is amazing,' and he came back and asked for a handshake. He also asked his daughter for a handshake, and he did the same with his daughter's husband, who was very excited and happy. That moment is the most memorable for me, making me think, 'It's good that I do this job.'

When I first started working, for about 10 years, I was not satisfied with my own treatments, so I often went to other stores in the same industry to receive treatments, not to relax, but to steal techniques. I am the type who wonders, 'What am I doing?' if I can't relax. But I thought that was okay for me. That was the most common thing I did.

I am often told that I have a different view of money. Many people around me say that my pricing is wrong and that I should charge more, but I don't care much about that. I work with the idea that if I can satisfy each individual customer and if the customer can afford the price without any problem and if I can make a living, then I am satisfied with the amount of money I receive. I am often told that it is cheap.

Since I became a sole proprietor, this therapist job is not in the category of 'work' for me. Because I can enjoy my work. It is not private, but I do not feel tired. My body is tired, but I do not have a clear sense of work and private life, which is how it is now.

There was one type of person I really didn't like, but even though I used to say I hated them and close the door, now I think I can learn something by interacting with people who are completely different from me. I often tell people around me that, thinking that way, the time I spend with that person becomes very valuable and fun.

I have been a therapist for 20 years, but this is the first time I have been able to continue doing one thing for so long. So I am sure I will continue this job even if I have less time. In the meantime, I have become interested in many things, and I think I will continue to be a therapist while doing that job.

Relaxation therapists are often seen from the outside as a beautiful job, wearing a uniform and touching people, and it seems easy, but when you try it, it is very tiring, not only physically but also mentally. However, once you have mastered the technique and treated a customer, the customer's gratitude and your own satisfaction are something you cannot understand unless you try it. Also, since you can treat people of all ages and genders, I think this is a job that allows you to interact with a wide range of people, so if you want to experience that feeling, I encourage you to give it a try. Also, for those who are already therapists, I really want you to protect your body and not overdo it.