By Avia Ustanny , Gleaner Writer 
Janet Lynch her talented hands have taken her from St. Elizabeth to many places in the world. - Ian Allen Photograph
HER HOBBIES are singing gospel and soul, as well as going out and meeting new and interesting people. So, when Janet Lynch got the opportunity to travel abroad with singer Rita Marley, widow of the late reggae artiste Bob Marley, it was a dream come true.
Janet, the masseuse whose talented hands have put food on her table for a decade, has also travelled to the most interesting places because of these hands.
At her home in St. Andrew, in the beautifully arranged space which serves as her massage room, we meet a client, marketing brand manager Keisha Cardoza.
"The massage helps me to relax to deal with stress and tension," Cardoza told Outlook. "My job is extremely stressful," she explained.
Janet, one of eight children born to Martha and Lascelles Lynch, grew up in Burnt Ground, St. Elizabeth.
When she told her parents that she wanted to do cosmetology, they supported her in any way they could. After graduation from Maggotty High School, she came to Kingston to attend Leon's School of Beauty.
Started doing hair
She then started doing hair, working at the very popular P.J.'s Salon. But when she touched the head and hair of clients, something happened.
"When I shampooed clients' hair they used to say that I had very nice hands. One suggested that I do a massage course," Lynch recalls.
Initially, she was resistant to the idea of working in a new field, but, at the encouragement of her family, she decided to do the course. After completing training in therapeutic massage at the Mona Rehabilitation Centre, she purchased a massage table and would offer the service "on the side".
Janet fell in love with the business of healing. She really wanted to go into it full-time, to open her own salon.
She notes the massage first results is relaxation. "It also improves muscle tone, the skin and also has a positive effect on circulation."
In 1995, she was introduced to Rita Marley. Touring with the reggae star accelerated the process of realising her dreams. She would purchase a piece of equipment every time she went on tour.
The masseuse has been to Ethiopia, to Spain and to Brazil with Mrs. Marley. Her services were usually required before and after each nightly performance.
She would also do her nails and prepare her clothes. The full range of what the therapist does includes Swedish massages, aromatherapy, reflexology, manicures and pedicures, facials, paraffin wax and body scrub. Her emphasis is on skin care as well as relaxation.
Her own shop
Janet eventually opened her own shop, but then found it more economical to work from home. Business, since she has moved to her home in St. Andrew, has grown.
"Clients say that they get good treatment," she says with a smile. "They are relaxed and that is the most important thing.
Before each client arrives, she prepares by burning scented candles and play instrumental music. "You have to be in the mood," she comments. "People have different pressures and needs and creating an atmosphere helps both client and masseuse to relax.
Normally a massage lasts an hour, but Janet claims that she does not watch the clock.
She admits that Rita Marley remains among her all time favourite in clients. Marley, she said, is a strong black woman who treats all around her with warmth.
With the birth of her son, Jordan, Janet is now staying at home instead of touring. But, already she is planning the future. "One of my goals is to create and produce my own products - the oils and facial preparations.
"The ideas are coming into my mind and I am jotting them down," she says.
Meanwhile, her existing clients are hoping that she will not get too busy for them. According to Keisha Cardoza, "I have been elsewhere, but Janet is quite good. She promises individual treatment and she delivers.
"Elsewhere," she states, "there is no guarantee that you will have the same technician working on you each time," she said.
She is also glad that her magical masseuse will do house calls. "If you are feeling too tired, she will come to you.
