Going beyond prescribed medication and surgeries, is a concept that encompasses and promotes physical and emotional health with a focus on prevention of diseases — wellness. And no, it’s not just about yoga or scented candles. Wellness is a set of organised activities and systematic interventions offered through managed care organisations and qualified experts, whose primary purpose is to provide health education, identify modifiable health risks and influence health behaviour changes. These wellness experts are now a well sought-after group and their expertise can range from ayurveda and allopathy to acupuncture and aerobics.
What is wellness
Our columnist and wellness expert, Dr Wasim Mohideen gives us a gist, “You are in a state of wellness when you have sound sleep, a good sex life, regular bowel habits and a fit body. Peace of mind automatically comes with these. The wellness doctor takes you from a state of discomfort to a state of wellness.” Dr Suresh Shottam of Uforia Wellness, Bangalore, is a practicing naturopath, researcher, certified de-addiction therapist, wellness coach, author, speaker and lecturer, who has lived and worked in the United States of America for more than 20 years. He has been involved in the fields of wellness and complementary medicine for over 15 years. His areas of expertise also include specialised kinesiology, vibrational medicine, glyconutrients and biosyntonics.
Courage is key
Dr Shottam believes India is in the “waking-up” stage of wellness as a career and option for good health. Dr Shottam says, “First of all, one must be very passionate about wanting to help others achieve wellness. Secondly, you must have the courage to leave the beaten track. The beaten track is mainstream medicine and its offshoots, which are excellent at treating trauma and infectious diseases, are very poor at helping people achieve wellness (optimal health) on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual planes.”
Dr MN Shankar of Hi-Cure Acupuncture Centre, Chennai, has studied ayurveda and acupuncture. With a BSc, MD and PhD in acupuncture from Shanghai University, China, he, along with Dr Shottam believe that the best way to become a wellness expert is to acquire a basic foundation in any medical discipline such as homeopathy, allopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). All these disciplines give the student a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology and other basics, which are essential for any wellness practitioner.
“After building a firm foundation, the wellness coach can acquire additional skills in one or more of the following fields — Western Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), diet and nutrition, herbology, physical fitness, peak performance, life coaching, energy healing, hypnosis, therapeutic massage, Alexander technique, Feldenkrais method, cranio sacral therapy, reflexology, aroma therapy and many more,” guides Dr Shottam, who delved into wellness after a near-death experience himself.
“Dedication, courage, and clarity of mind and body are important when Chi (energy) is being passed on in acupuncture. One must have positive energy,” says Dr Shankar.
Opportunities
“Many hospitals are now featuring wellness programmes (from yoga classes to diet and nutrition counseling, detoxification and more). Wellness centres of course specialise in these therapies so they also provide good career opportunities,” says Dr Shottam. In addition, one can also conduct corporate and public wellness seminars, peak performance workshops and stress management courses. This can be a very lucrative career for those who have specialised and gained experience in their field of specialisation. “The future of wellness is wide open for innovation, career opportunities, government policy creation and research,” says Dr Shottam.
Where to study
There are many wellness centres, hospitals and institutions where you can specialise in a particular area of wellness. In addition to this, United States of America, Europe, China, Cuba and Russia are other places you can earn valued degrees from.
Remuneration
Varying fields have different remuneration. “You can earn `20,000 and above in a day,” says Dr Shankar, “But the real satisfaction lies in helping someone out of their discomfort.” Along these lines, Dr Shottam adds, “One can make a very good living while delivering value to the client.
— preethi@newindianexpress.com