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<\/p>\nAt 31, Kara Myles walked away from a high-pressure finance career at Skyscanner to train as a Body Stress Release practitioner in South Africa. <\/p>\n
Now based in Edinburgh\u2019s West End, she\u2019s helping clients resolve persistent pain that conventional medicine couldn\u2019t shift.<\/p>\n
When Kara Myles sat down with her Body Stress Release practitioner during a particularly gruelling stretch at work, she wasn\u2019t expecting a career revelation. But a simple question \u2013 \u201cWhat have you got to lose?\u201d \u2013 set in motion a chain of events that would see her leave behind a \u00a3100 million marketing budget, fly to a hilltop retreat overlooking a lake in South Africa, and eventually open the doors of her own practice in Edinburgh\u2019s West End.<\/p>\n
At 33, Kara is now a qualified Body Stress Release (BSR) practitioner, seeing clients at her premmises in Mulberry House on Manor Place \u2013 a short walk from Haymarket station \u2013 and her story is one of the more compelling career pivots in Edinburgh in recent years.<\/p>\n
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A career that looked perfect on paper<\/p>\n
Kara\u2019s route into finance was anything but straightforward. After graduating, she juggled work in her family business, Party Time in Broughty Ferry, alongside a Master\u2019s degree and helping care for elderly grandparents. She then joined Deloitte\u2019s audit division, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant before moving to Skyscanner as a Finance Business Partner for Marketing \u2013 overseeing a portfolio of around \u00a3100million across six teams.<\/p>\n
By any measure, it was a success. But the pressure was building in ways that weren\u2019t visible on her CV.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pressures of working in finance really took a toll on me mentally, which presented a lot of physical side effects. I knew my body was struggling to cope with the work pressures and continual late nights, but still didn\u2019t remove myself from the situation, hoping to continue to climb the corporate ladder.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was her BSR practitioner, Claire Birbeck, who finally prompted her to act. During one particularly difficult period, Claire asked a deceptively simple question: \u201cWhat have you got to lose?\u201d That, Kara says, was what made her think \u2013 just go for it.<\/p>\n
Eight years as a client first<\/p>\n
Kara\u2019s relationship with Body Stress Release actually stretches back eight years, long before she ever considered it as a career. It was her mother \u2013 herself a BSR beneficiary \u2013 \u00a0who first suggested she try it. The results, she says, were immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had hip pain and lower back pain when standing for long periods, frequent urination and tight shoulders. I now have none of these pains,\u201d she says. But the moment that really convinced her came almost by accident. She had developed a carpal tunnel-like pain in her left wrist, severe enough to prevent her from changing gear when driving.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn passing, I mentioned to Claire that I was going to see a doctor for the pain. She did one release on my wrist, and it has never come back. That was a game changer for me \u2013 how quickly the pain disappeared was really amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eight years of personal experience gave Kara a conviction in the technique that made the eventual career change feel less like a leap of faith, and more like a logical next step.<\/p>\n
Five months at a hilltop retreat in South Africa<\/p>\n
Rather than train closer to home, Kara chose to travel to the BSR Academy\u2019s home base \u2013 a retreat in Rondevlei, South Africa, set on a hill overlooking a lake. \u201cWith South Africa being the heart of the technique, I felt I had to go all in,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt was a terrifying decision\u2026 but the best decision I have ever made in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then came an unexpected twist: her mother, on the cusp of retirement, decided to join the same cohort. The course attracted 26 students from across the globe \u2013 around half from South Africa, six from the Netherlands, and others from Cura\u00e7ao, Shenzhen, and beyond. \u201cIt was a brilliant time doing the course together,\u201d says Kara. Her mother now practises alongside Claire in Broughty Ferry.<\/p>\n
The experience wasn\u2019t without its drama. In August of the course, immigration complications left both Kara and her mother\u2019s passports held by South African authorities, and they were told they needed to leave the country that evening \u2013 potentially missing their final exams entirely. \u201cWe thought we might not complete the course \u2013 that was stressful!\u201d After multiple trips back to immigration, the matter was resolved. \u201cThe immigration officers even said if we ever come back to visit South Africa to pop in and say hi \u2013 not a chance!\u201d\u201cWe laughed every day. As the saying goes \u2013 what happens in Rondevlei, stays in Rondevlei.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back in Edinburgh \u2013 and already seeing results<\/p>\n
Kara\u2019s practice on Manor Place is ten minutes on foot from Haymarket station and minutes from the Edinburgh tram network. She sees clients on Mondays and Thursdays, with flexibility by arrangement.<\/p>\n
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The early results she is seeing echo her own experience with the technique. One client reported that random pins and needles in their hands and feet disappeared completely after just the second session. Another, who had tried years of physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment for neck and back pain, began to notice significant improvement after switching to BSR. A third client, who came with anxiety and sleep difficulties, saw both resolve within two sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften people come in for one specific part of their body hurting but discover changes throughout their body overall,\u201d Kara says. \u201c\u2018I feel so much lighter\u2019 is something I hear time and time again.\u201d<\/p>\n
What is body stress release?<\/p>\n
Body Stress Release is a complementary health technique that aims to identify and release stored tension in the muscles and connective tissue \u2013 what practitioners call \u201cbody stress.\u201d Unlike more forceful manual therapies, it uses light pressure and the body\u2019s own responses to prompt a release. Clients remain fully clothed throughout; the process is entirely non-invasive.<\/p>\n
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Common presentations include back and neck pain, headaches, sleep difficulties, anxiety and nerve-related symptoms. But Kara is clear that it isn\u2019t a quick fix.<\/p>\n
\u201cBSR is not a quick-fix technique \u2013 it is a process. The technique nudges your body in the right direction, but it is up to your body when it is ready to let go of that tension. For some people this happens after a couple of sessions; for others it is a bit longer. There is no one journey that suits everyone \u2013 we are all unique.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have a stubborn, persistent pain and you\u2019re struggling to get rid of it, BSR is worth a try,\u201d she adds. \u201cI live my day-to-day life pain and ache free now \u2013 something I never had before BSR.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara Myles \u2013 at a glance<\/p>\n