The bit of the Paris rules I wasn't expecting


Dear Reader

The Countdown is On!

Four weeks until the Nations Massage Tournament in Paris and honestly I don’t feel ready so this week I’m in preparation mode.

We’ve had family visiting from Australia for the past few weeks so it's been full but lovely catching up.

Last week I was writing press releases, blog posts, updating our Google listing, tidying up profiles so that if anyone does go looking for us, they can actually find us. Not the glamorous part of running a business, but it needs doing.

There's everything to organise before we go, dogs, chickens, childcare for Ella, packing, and making sure that when we get on that plane we're not already running on empty. I'm writing a plan for us this week too, because turning up exhausted isn't a way to enter a competition.

I did have a bit of a wobble on the team call the other night.

We were told we'd need to use tools during treatment. Towels, scarves, canes and I’m genuinely thrown by it. My hands are how I deliver the treatment, they're how I know what's going on in the body. I can feel it before the person on the table has told me anything, and often before they've noticed it themselves.

I'll be honest, the image in my head was Ross from Friends with the wooden spoons.

I may be marked down if I don't use tools so I'm going o practice a fee techniques with the use of towels and scarves, I'm not using them for the sake of using them, this has to fee right and be of real benefit to the client.

Wish me luck!

A favour, if you have two minutes (pretty please)

If we've helped you at any point, a treatment, yoga, Ayurveda, a retreat and you've not left us a Google review, we'd be really grateful if you would.

Reviews are genuinely how people find us. Someone in pain types "back pain West Lothian or Back pain Biggar" into their phone at 11pm and what comes up is what other people have said about us.

I know writing one can feel like homework. So here's is a simple structure to follow;

  1. What you came in with, and roughly how long you'd had it. (Sciatica, hip pain, frozen shoulder, headaches. Whatever it was in plain words.)
  2. What's different now.

Two or three lines is plenty, you don't need to write an essay. Here are a few examples to help you;

“Went to Kev of strength and soul with a persistent pain and lack of flexibility in my right knee. 2 appointments later I was playing Badminton! Thanks Kev…incredible difference. Cannot recommend highly enough”

“I worked with kev because I have ongoing neck and shoulder pain resulting in headaches and lack of sleep. One session in and I finally slept a whole night without waking up in pain. I will Def be back”

“I have suffered with back and knee pain for years after carrying two children around on my hip and a couple of marathon training regimes compounding the pain. After just one session with Jo this pain was gone and to date has not returned! I recommend Jo and Kevin to everyone, it also helps that they are lovely people and genuinely care about their clients.”

Google review https://g.page/r/CX-xkbzYj7BiEB0/review
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/strengthandsouluk/reviews

Thank you. Genuinely. As a small family business this makes more difference than you'd think.

Love

Jo & Kev


Treatment

Available appointments

Before we go

Last treatments before Paris are the week of 28th September. We're away from 2nd - 5th October, there will be no treatment appointment available on 5th or 6th of October and we’ll be back to normal from 7th October.

Hip & Back Programme

3 spaces available

Before we go

If you’d like to join the hip and back programme has 3 spaces. If you've been meaning to book, this is the window.

🗓️Whats on This Week

Tue 2–6pm · Treatments with Kev, home visits · Book
Wed 9am–2pm · Treatments with Jo · Book
Wed 6–7pm · Reset Session, online · Remedy find out more
Thu 2.30–5.30pm · Treatments with Kev, home visits · Book

Latest Blog Post

📖 Team Scotland — Nations Massage Tournament: Part One

Nations Massage Tournament 2026, Paris, 3–4 October. Nine nations, five categories. Scotland’s first entry.

I've written up the first part of the Nations Massage Tournament story on the blog — how we ended up representing Scotland, and what the selection process actually involved. Read it here.

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Welcome to Strength & Soul

Real help for long term health. Every Tuesday morning I'll send one practical idea you can actually use, drawn from years of clinical work with pain, injury and women's health. Whether you're dealing with hip or lower back pain, recovering from injury, or just feeling worn down and want to feel your best. Our guidance is rooted in yoga therapy, Ayurveda, bodywork treatment and energy work from over a decade in private practice. We’ll share actionable advice on how to improve your health, that’s easy to maintain and doesn’t cost the earth.

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