There are lots of opportunities within the massage field. When you attend massage schools, you’re able to get a broad understanding of the massage therapy field, as well as the ability to specialize in a particular spa or massage area. Here are five special massage techniques that you may choose to pursue once you attend massage schools.

Shiatsu is a Japanese massage technique that aims to help the body’s immunity, as well as its ability to naturally heal itself. This massage therapy is generally effectively performed on a mat on the floor.

Chair Massage is often practiced in malls, nail salons, and other locations for a short period of time. In as little as a 10-minute period, these massage therapists are able to effectively ease the pain and stress of their client.

Prenatal Massage is especially for pregnant women and requires a special set of massage techniques in order to ensure the safety and comfort of the client. This type of massage therapy helps women relax, while also promoting better circulation and health.

Acupressure uses ancient Chinese pressure techniques to ensure that the body is freed from disease. Acupressure massage therapists know just the right pressure points on the body to relieve pain and problems naturally.

Myomassology is a massage therapy technique that involves treatment for a variety of ailments, which include pain and unbalanced energy. By earning a certificate you’ll be able to practice in places like clinics and spas.

-Amanda Fornecker

While the economy has suffered its share of losses, there’s a new industrial stronghold in play and it’s taking the nation by storm — massage therapy! According to a recent news report, the field of massage therapy has seen a dramatic increase in business; and that trend is not expected to slow down. In fact, the demand for professionally licensed massage therapists is expected to grow in these coming years, and there are several reasons why:

1. Massage therapy is a natural healing medicine that has been facilitated throughout the history of mankind. Whether you’re suffering from stiffness and soreness, or other muscle aches and cramps, massage therapy has demonstrated its efficacy in the modern world. Studies find that natural healing therapies like massage can be effective for a number of health conditions ranging from mental stress to fibromyalgia. In addition to treating common strains and sprains, massage has also been proven beneficial to newborn infants, geriatric patients, and cancer sufferers.

2. Non-invasiveness. As you are probably aware, massage therapy is dramatically less invasive than most conventional medicine treatments. Not only does this healing art feel pleasant to receive, it’s good for you, too. As opposed to taking pain-killing drugs that are often accompanied by harmful side-effects, the effects of bodywork treatments may result in relaxation, stress reduction, and decreased pain and inflammation.

3. Career prospects. Okay, we already know that CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies are on the rise, but due to the demand for experienced and educated massage therapists – this is prime time to get the edge in your professional endeavors. Because competition is stark, you need to be ahead of the league by acquiring a variety of therapeutic skills. The more you know results in increased job opportunities as well as diverse services you can offer your clients. In addition to working in standard hospitals, massage therapist services are required in a number of health-related facilities including day spas, premiere health retreats and resorts, aboard cruise ships, at airports, home health services, retirement facilities, and more.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in learning more about bodywork and other natural healing therapies, let professional training within fast-growing industries like chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, Oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore massage schools near you.

I finally got my much-needed massage on vacation recently. When asked when my last massage was, I replied that it had been about two years. The massage therapist looked at me, puzzled. “Wow, it really has been a long time,” she said to me. “Yeah,” I replied, smiling uncomfortably.

I’m a classic case of how massage therapists who work on cruises can really make a lot of money. I knew it had been so long since my last massage and I constantly promised myself that I was going to go one weekend and get it. But for some reason, things came up or I just wanted to sleep in so I could never commit to making the massage appointment I knew I needed.

Then came my vacation – a time to relax and not have any sort of defined schedule. This is when I decided it was time to make my appointment and get what I wanted out of my cruise – rest and relaxation. You see, I used the cruise as a time to really pamper myself. And price really was not an issue because I was on vacation.

Massage therapists on cruises are a great way of thinking outside of the box when it comes to your spa career choices. You get paid, travel, meet new people, and can enjoy yourself daily in whichever activities you wish.

For some information on massage therapy careers, check out some great reads:

• Massage Career on a Cruise Line
• Earning a Living with Your Hands: Massage Therapy Schools
• Costs of a Massage Therapy Degree
• Your Top 5 Questions About Spa Schools

Are you more willing to pamper yourself when you’re on vacation? Comment below!

-Amanda Fornecker

I’ll present you with a spooky Halloween-like story. But it will only spook you if you have ophidiophobia – a fear of snakes, that is.

It seems that in Israel, there is a spa that gives massages using snakes. It all started because the owner, Ada Barak, had a farm, where she’d showcase all her best plants, that ate many different living things, like insects, reptiles, and small mammals. At the end of this showcase, she gave her guests a small snake to hold. Many of these people felt that the snakes were soothing because of their cool bodies and slithering ways.

And so was born the idea for a snake massage. Using non-venomous king and cobra snakes, the weight of the snakes and slithering of some other small snakes provides a great, relaxing massage. But I don’t think I could sit there calmly as reptiles wriggled away on my body. And I certainly could not pay at least $80 for what seems to me to be a non-luxury.

But it is interesting how things come about and what kinds of holistic practices exist out there. It may be a great thing for some, but I just could not bring myself to get a snake spa massage. Could you?

Read up some more about this crazy spa treat? Or maybe it’s just a trick?! Happy Halloween!

-Amanda Fornecker

Photo: Uriel Sinai / Getty for TIME