Podcasts about merrybody

In this episode, we take inspiration from the iconic “Mean Girls” scene where the Plastics nitpick their flaws. We chat about self-criticism, body image, social media comparisons and how to choose a path of self-acceptance instead. If you're sick of those thoughts... "all the things wrong with me" kinda thoughts... tune in!This is what we spoke about during the episodeSocial media and influencers affect the skincare culture which leads to young girls wanting anti-aging products.How do we welcome in less comparison and judgement, and more peace, more acceptance and joy?Practising self-acceptance daily is a reminder of the truth that you are amazing just as you are. This is why we created MerryBody.You can't just practise self-acceptance in the moments where you need it.If you put a pause in between that self-criticism thought, it allows you to add reasoning and questioning of that thought.Carla just laughed off a comment about her postpartum belly. That's self-acceptance!Self-acceptance doesn't mean complacency. It means taking care of yourself holistically, not just being "thin" or what the world thinks you should look or feel like.If you're not yet a MerryBody member, sign up for the 7-day trial not just to exercise daily but also to practise self-acceptance.If you loved this episode, share it with friends and family. Get in touch, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is inspired by Winnie the Pooh.There is no hurry. We shall get there someday." — Winnie the PoohAlso! If you are into a little bit of woo woo, but not too much woo, this is for you!Learn how to tune into your body, mind, emotions and energy with your chakras! We invite you to a chakra masterclass happening on the 16th of April. We're going to go through each of the chakras and talk about how you can balance and align each of them in a very practical way that will help drive self-awareness and focus your energy.Hop on the waitlist for our Yoga Teacher Training 2025 to sign up for the masterclass!This is what we spoke about during the episodeEverything moves at a rapid pace, attention spans are getting shorter than ever, It's time to slow down.When it comes to business, we can't just sit back and let things happen. Slowing down is about presence and experiencing life.Meditation is one of the ways to live a slower present life. It helps you go through life situations with less stress and more calm. Try this Positive Affirmation meditation. Try this meditation: I Am Strong.Consider a digital detox. Swap your morning scroll for a mindful moment.We are making some updates to the MerryBody app and one of the goals is to help our members be able to track and celebrate their wins.If you loved this episode, share it with friends and family. Get in touch, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you find yourself rushing from one errand to the next? Rushing from when you wake up to when you fall in a heap on the couch? Want to stop rushing? Tune in to this Get Merry episode!Carla describes it as being a chicken, where she gets Denny to sleep and runs around the house ticking off the to-do list. Sounds familiar?This is what we spoke about during the episodeConstant rushing pushes your nervous system into overdrive. When you're rushing, you're putting your body and your mind into a stress response.Awareness and shifting up your routine can create more happiness and more ease.When you're rushing, do you even get things done faster?Yoga, Pilates and meditation are not only for your body, but they're also a workout for your mind and presence.Being organised also helps. Write down stuff on a list, on a whiteboard or on a notebook.If you can spare 5 minutes of your busy day to practice your presence through meditation and doing breathwork exercises help you become more present. Guided meditations inside our MerryBody app are perfect for you.Do you find yourself rushing? If you want to share part of your story with us or if you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we chat about people-pleasing and the idea that not everyone is going to like you. How do you deal with this and have the courage to be disliked?You can learn more about our 2025 MerryBody Yoga Teacher Training program over here.This is what we spoke about during the episodePeople-pleasing and forever seeking people's approval, limit opportunities and can stop you from stepping towards goals and dreams.It's okay if some people don't love you, like you, align with you or get you. When everyone approves of you and likes you. But do you approve of yourself?Go inwards for a moment and choose you. Get your own approval.Apple's iconic marketing strategy did not try to please everyone but targeted the misfits and creatives.Our Yoga Teacher Training's underlying mission is to teach you to teach yoga, but with self-acceptance at the forefront.We love how our MerryBody members and Yoga Teacher trainees are passing on lessons of self-acceptance.Being you is your greatest super power! If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is Part 8 of our 10-part snack-sized Yoga philosophy series on the Yamas and Niyamas. Tapas is the third Niyama and it traditionally translates to discipline.We go far deeper into these Philosophies inside our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. You can learn more about our MerryBody Yoga Teacher Training program over here. If this series sparks your interest we'd encourage you to follow that spark... you never know where it may lead you!This is what we spoke about during the episodeSometimes the word "discipline" comes with negative connotations, so we like to add in "devotional discipline". Even when we're practising discipline, we need an element of love, compassion and forgiveness.Tapas is required if you would like to welcome any kind of change.Things are not always pleasant, but we have to move through those obstacles in order to keep going forward.In regards to MerryBody, Tapas is not just about being disciplined, but it's about how we do the things that we're being disciplined with.Tapas isn't about pushing ourselves to the brink. It's about honouring our bodies and minds, and knowing when to rest.Nischala Joy Devi translates Tapas as living life with zeal and sincerity. When we are disciplined, it invokes this inner flame within us.If you're just joining us, we recommend starting from Part 1 to fully experience the logical flow of these Yogic philosophies. Here's a quick recap: We've covered Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (proper use of energy), Aparigraha (detachment), and Saucha (simplicity). Listen to:410: Embracing Ahimsa | The First Step in Our Yamas Series411: Discovering Satya, the Power of Truth | Yamas Series412: The Practice of Asteya in Modern Life | Yamas Series413: Exploring Brahmacharya in Everyday Life | Yamas Series414: The Art of Detachment, Aparigraha in Yoga | Yamas Series415: Exploring Saucha with Simplicity | Niyamas Series416: Santosha, the Life Saving Practice | Niyamas SeriesIf you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is Part 7 of our 10-part snack-sized Yoga philosophy series on the Yamas and Niyamas. Santosha is the second Niyama and it translates to contentment and acceptance.We go far deeper into these Philosophies inside our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. You can learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training program over here. If anything within this Yama and Niyamas Series sparks your interest we'd suggest to follow that spark... you never know where it may lead you! Exciting!This is what we spoke about during the episodePersonally and professionally, Santosha is the backbone of everything we do here at MerryBody. It was a life-changing practice for us, particularly for our body image.When you practise acceptance, suddenly, you feel free and able to experience joy just the way that you are. Then, you become more harmonious.Societal pressures affect our self-esteem and Santosha acts as a shield against them. And the more that you practice it, the more easily it comes.Nischala Joy Devi translates Santosha as when at peace and content with oneself and others, supreme joy is celebrated.Santosha is an agreement of faith that we make with our divine self. We no longer see ourselves in the things that we have or in what we look like, instead we identify with the person within.Yoga is so much more than a down dog or the splits. It's so much more than the physical practice. It goes so much deeper.If you're just joining us, we recommend starting from Part 1 to fully experience the logical flow of these Yogic philosophies. Here's a quick recap: We've covered Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (proper use of energy), Aparigraha (detachment), and Saucha (simplicity). Listen to:410: Embracing Ahimsa | The First Step in Our Yamas Series411: Discovering Satya, the Power of Truth | Yamas Series412: The Practice of Asteya in Modern Life | Yamas Series413: Exploring Brahmacharya in Everyday Life | Yamas Series414: The Art of Detachment, Aparigraha in Yoga | Yamas Series415: Exploring Saucha with Simplicity | Niyamas SeriesIf you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special episode, we share our 108 Affirmation Meditation from the MerryBody App.Meditation welcomes mindfulness and focus, and this creates an ideal state for positive affirmation. Affirmations are positive statements that shift negative thoughts. You can use them to help reinforce your desired beliefs.Meditation and affirmations form a powerful duo for personal growth and wellbeing. Together, they amplify each other's effects, helping to rewire the brain for positivity and resilience. When combined, meditation calms the mind and cultivates focus, while affirmation welcomes self-confidence and motivation. Our MerryBody Members are loving this meditation, hear what some of them are saying about it.“I just completed the Feel Good Yoga class and finished off with the 108 affirmations, so good” - Jo “This morning my body still felt quite tired, normally I would have chosen a Yin class, but instead I pressed play on Nadi Shodhana pranayama and then the new meditation in the MB app, 108 affirmations (amazing! I highly recommend it).” - Allie “I just did the 108 Affirmations meditation. I feel so good now, your voice is so calming” - Irene “I just did 108 affirmations meditation too! How empowering is it?! So uplifting.” - Tiina This is what we spoke about during the episodeWe spoke about the power of Positive affirmations during last week's episode 408: Do positive affirmations work?Find a seat, or tune in while you're walking and experience a amazing shift in your thoughts. Join us for our upcoming 14 Day Challenge on the 20th of May, inside the MerryBody app. We will combine, Movement, Meditation and Affirmation. Download the app and start your 7 day free trial to take part.If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we chat about positive affirmations and their power to shift your mindset. They are very much part of our business journey. When we started our business (11 years ago now) we had them pinned up on all of our walls everywhere.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWe came to a point where we stopped believing in the power of positive affirmations but listening to the Founders Podcast reminded us of the importance of positive affirmations and a positive mindset.Positive affirmations are essential in shifting mindsets, especially in a stress-laden environment like managing a business.It's important to look at our thoughts and the words that are on repeat in our mind.Positive affirmations are not just woo-woo or whimsical magical teachings. Carla shares her hypnobirthing journey, where positive affirmations are practised, to let go of the stress and anxiety of giving birth.Positive affirmations can help regulate our emotions. If we shift our thoughts, our thoughts create the feelings.It might feel weird when you first welcome in positive affirmations about yourself but you must persist. Over time, the resistance starts to fade.The magic comes when you link it to a regular practice of your life such as yoga, Pilates, and meditation. If you want to feel the power of affirmation combined with movement and meditation, join our upcoming 14 Day Challenge on the 20th of May, inside the MerryBody app. Download the app and start your 7 day free trial.If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right now we have over 600 Yoga, Pilates, Yin, Barre and meditation MerryBody classes inside our App. One of our amazing Yoga teacher trainees asked us about the inspiration and decisions that go into the creation of these classes. Thanks for the question Sharon, this was such a fun conversation. This is what we spoke about during the episodeHow we first designed our first in-person Yoga and Pilates classes compared to now. We began filming 4 classes a day, now we are filming 10. You have to start somewhere, reflect, learn and then make it better.When you are organised and have a system, it creates the perfect environment for creativity to thrive.If you haven't tried our classes, sign up to our FREE Pilates class called Daily Dose Pilates or try our FREE Yoga class called Desk Worker Upper Yoga.If you're interested in joining the 2025 MerryBody Yoga Teacher Training, sign up for the waitlist.If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a crazy start to the year! We've been super inconsistent with the podcast, but here we are! In this episode, we chat about Carla's pregnancy and how we're preparing to balance nurturing a growing business and the arrival of a new life.This is what we spoke about during the episodeCarla is 22 weeks pregnant and well over the halfway mark. She has had no morning sickness and feels amazing!Emma thought the baby grew inside the placenta, inside the womb. Yes. Serious. Carla's baby bump has popped but she's struggled most with her boobs growing bigger. Her self-acceptance practice (from MerryBody) is so strong and this is helping her a lot. We are feeling confident (yet realistic) about balancing baby and business. We are officially starting our second cohort of the MerryBody Teacher Training on the 17th of March. We already have 27 cohort trainees. We are so excited!If you haven't signed up yet, now is the perfect time to join. It's going to be 16 weeks of potential life-transforming magic.It's been an amazing start to the year and we're ready for the coming months! Bring it on!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Check out all the Get Merry Podcast episodes on iTunes and Overcast and Stitcher for Androids. Plus we are on Spotify over HERE! If you loved this episode, if you love this podcast, we would appreciate you leaving us a review on whatever podcast app you're listening to.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to 2024! We feel like the first month has just been jampacked. Emma just got back two weeks ago from her 6-week trip to Rome. Her jetlag took about a week to get over (longer than normal!) but now we are back into everything in Merrymaker land. Can you belive it, on Sunday we'll celebrate our 11th year in business.On 17th of March, we'll start our 2nd round of Yoga Teacher Training. The first round was a huge project that was way bigger than we thought. This round is all about refinement and making small tweaks to make the program flow even better. We already have 21 amazing women joining us and the Early Bird special closes today, so if you have an inkling to join us, visit our site.This is what we spoke about during the episodeSurrender: our word for the year 2024We can only plan and implement so much, so having the intention of surrender reduces suffering and makes life more enjoyable.Letting go and trusting our path to create a more content and less stressful, anxious life.Our annual challenge, 21 Day I'm Already Amazing Challenge. If you're not a MerryBody member, you can still join us with a one-off payment.We are also running a live half-day urban retreat on the 17th of February on the Gold Coast, featuring Andrew, our philosophy teacher inside the Merry Body Teacher Training. Use the code MBLOVE and get some nice discounts for you, your friends, and your family.Carla's having a baby.. and it's a boy! In the next week's episode, let's all experience Rome, as Emma shares her experiences during her 6-week trip.What's your word for the year? We'd love to hear it! If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although the holiday season is typically associated with joy, it is often filled with unrealistic expectations for events, gifts and family and friend time. This can lead to impatience, frustration and arguments. In this episode, we chat about the importance of patience and ways we can cultivate it during the festive time.If you're looking for the perfect wellness and calm-bringing gift for the holiday season, we now have gift cards for our MerryBody app. Or, if your loved one is looking to dive deeper into the world of Yoga, we also have our Yoga Teacher training available as a gift card. Best present ever! This is what we spoke about during the episodePatience is a skill that can be learned by adding a pause or taking a breath before reacting.Practising mindfulness and being in the moment helps you gain control and minimise impulsive reactions.Being empathetic helps with being more patient because you become more understanding of other people's situations.Soften arguments through empathy and don't dwell on the problem. Focus on the common goal, which is to have a great Christmas together.Set more realistic expectations of each other or just release all expectations of what might happen. Allow yourself to have fun and not let the little things get to you.Cultivating gratitude and laughter during these moments spent with our loved ones can help us navigate any quirks or annoyances that may arise.Remember, these moments altogether don't happen all the time!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it possible to be yourself 100% of the time? We chat about this question in today's episode. We also provide actionable steps to help you feel more connected to your authentic self.If you're looking for the perfect wellness and calm-bringing gift for the holiday season, we now have gift cards for our MerryBody app. Or, if your loved one is looking to dive deeper into Yoga, we also have our Yoga teacher training available as a gift card.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWe don't have to show and share 100% of ourselves, but it's important that we are being ourselves and we just choose the amounts that we show.Have moments of self-reflection to understand who you are as a person.Our devices are big fat distractions that make us feel disconnected, so it's good to have social media-free days.Check in with your values and what's important to you.Self-acceptance is embracing our uniqueness. It's realising that we are enough exactly as we are.Confidence is the ability to be yourself in a room and then walk into another room and be yourself once again.Practising positive self-talk builds inner confidence.Avoid comparisons, both with others and with your past self. Release expectations that you should look, be and achieve in a certain way.Develop mindfulness through Yoga and Meditation to help you stay present and aware of what is going on.Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends and seek feedback when you need it.Learning helps add dimension to your true self.Set boundaries and learn to say no when something doesn't align with your values or goals.Be patient and kind to yourself.Maybe there was one action step that stood out that you can now go and implement. Let us know. We'd love to hear from you!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue our discussion about our journey in building our Merrymaker business. If you haven't listened Part 1 and Part 2 yet, we recommend jumping to those just so you can understand exactly where we've come from and how we've ended up here.The waitlist for the MerryBody Teacher Training Program is now open. Our second cohort will start in March 2024. It's going to be amazing!This is what we spoke about during the episodeHow we came up with the idea for MerryBody. We were trying to formulate an extensive program, then we simplified it. Often, less is more!We jumped into video with little experience, start before you are ready! The idea of MerryBody was not just our bliss, but it was a really important message to share.We did 3 MerryBody challenges first and then in March 2019, launched our membership.How MerryBody went from a desktop website to a simple app and eventually a custom app. We are so grateful for Jarrod in guiding us through this development.COVID-19 happened and we had a spike in members during the pandemic.We hired a business manager and a virtual assistant to help us build out our systems and processes so we can actually give time to the more important things and put our zone of genius into play.We got distracted with our personal stuff when crypto became a thing.We finally hired Mum! It's so fun to have her on board and part of it all.In March 2021, we bought an investment property together. And then, we bought another investment property.In 2022, we made the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training. What an experience this first decade of business was, we are even more excited about the next decade!Business can be hard, so you need to have a strong mindset and believe in yourself.If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second part of our 3 part business journey series. If you missed last week's episode, go back to 395: Our Merrymaker Business Journey Part 1.Also! The waitlist for the MerryBody Teacher Training Program is now open. It's a 16 week course that will welcome personal growth, self-love and total mind-body transformation. Our second cohort will start in March 2024. If you have an inkling that this is maybe for you, we encourage you to join the waitlist so you are first to know about when our early bird opens.This is what we spoke about during the episodeBusiness relationships are super important, some will be amazing and integral for business growth!Going to conferences and networking events was a big positive, but not too many because they can get overwhelming.We said no to a book deal and self-published our very first hard copy cookbook. The self-publishing was a nightmare but we got through it. Listen to Episode 55: How Merrymaker Sisters Self-Published and Launched 2 Hard Copy BooksWe built a recipe app that went #1 in the App Store.We created the Merry Biz Hustle 4-week Challenge and had 49 sign-ups.We created the Merrymaker Club membership but ended up refunding people, and then publishing our second hard copy recipe book.We were featured in SBS Insight which became a very traumatic experience. But it led us to where we are today.In 2016, we moved to the Gold Coast. A year later, Carla signed up to the yoga teacher training and Emma signed up to the Pilates teacher training. We re-found our bliss and this changed everything!We got invited to teach in the studio and we created our own MerryBody 4-week program.We'll see you next week for Part 3!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding your centre is a phrase often used in spiritual, mental health, and wellness context. It is referring to a state of being internally balanced, calm and clear. Clear in your thoughts, emotions and your overall being. The theme inside MerryBody for November is about finding your centre.This is what we spoke about during the episodeFinding your centre is having a sense of balance, calm and presence.All three gunas: tamas, rajas and sattva.Tamas is the state of being flat and blah. Rajas is the state of being in action. Sattva is the bliss state.It all begins with awareness. You have to get out of balance to know where the balance is.Being centred is being present in the here and in the now. Not overthinking about future events or living in the past.Being in alignment with your heart or purpose is also being centred.If you are a MerryBody member, our new meditation called Find Your Centre is now live. Otherwise, download the app and start your FREE 7-day trial. If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stemming off from last week's episode, 390: Fad diets sabotage real health progress, we talked about self-acceptance, self-compassion, self-respect, self-care and self-love. We spoke about how these practices create genuine health.We continue the discussion in this week's episode.We're also excited to invite you to our free online event happening on the 26th of October, where we share with you how to stop the yo-yo on and off-again diet and exercise regime. It's about making healthy living easier than ever.This is what we spoke about during the episodeThoughts Are Things, a poem by Ella Wheeler, makes you realise how important our thoughts are. Your thoughts affect how you feel, and how you feel affects your actions.Skip the ritual of waking up, looking at your body, judging and hating your body. When you wake up, instead of saying the list of mean things about yourself, maybe swap it for just one good thing.Our MerryBody mantra, “You're amazing just as you are”, is a combination of self-acceptance and self-celebration.Self-compassion is being kind and “forgiveful” of yourself.Yoga, Pilates and meditation practices work because they're present practices. When you connect to the present, where you are here and now, you are more mindful of your thoughts and how you feel. If you need something more than a post-it of affirmations, try our MerryBody class, Mood Lifter Fusion!Exercise is so much more than just a weight loss tool. How about we unlink it from our self-hate practices and relink it to our self-accepting practices?Link exercise to your self-care, self-respect and self-celebration!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast episode may offend you if you've hopped on the Lazy Girl trend, so perhaps, don't tune in (haha).This is what we spoke about during the episodeThe Lazy Girl job is not a new thing. People have been doing this forever. We used to have Lazy Girl jobs when we were in our 20s. We hated them.If you are taking care of yourself, and setting boundaries and not taking your work home, that isn't a Lazy Girl job. That's just being smart and looking after yourself.Why is the Lazy Girl job trend being glorified?The majority of our lives are spent at work, so it's important that these hours are also enjoyed.Don't label yourself as a Lazy Girl. If you feel like you're being lazy, then ask for more. Ask for something else. Ask for a different opportunity. Ask for more from yourself.Show up and do your best. But, have self-compassion as well. Your best today may be different from yesterday.Upon reflection, some of the highest moments of our lives are the times of hard work, such as building the MerryBody membership.If you really want to succeed, there's no laziness about it.Make wonderful things. Make something from nothing. Don't be lazy!If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new month brings a new theme inside MerryBody, this month it's Self-Worth. Low self-worth has been something we've both grappled with, in the episode we delve into this very important topic. We'll discuss various behaviours and emotions that could signal a struggle with self-worth. We also share practical ideas to help boost your self-worth!This is what we spoke about during the episodeWhat is self-worth? And what isn't self-worth?A sign of low self-worth is constant self-criticism, you know that harsh inner critic where everything you do is wrong.Other signs are the continuous belittling of yourself, dismissal of any achievement and heightened focus on your mistakes.Perfectionism is another habit of low self-worth.Not being able to accept compliments and downplaying the situation show low self-worth.Fear of judgment and rejection is another behaviour of low self-worth.The first step to building your self-worth is to realise that you have low self-worth and that you want to make a change.Practising self-compassion is a way to build your self-worth. It's self-acceptance, acknowledging your feelings, and recognising yourself as a human who has strengths and weaknesses.Pay attention to how you talk to yourself, because your thoughts are powerful and they shift how you feel.Set a little goal for yourself. Accomplish something!Practise self-care.The energy that you put towards working on your self-worth has the potential to shift everything.If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode was a fun chat. In a world where more and more people seem to be feeling down, flat, bummed and uninspired, we chat about good moods and how to get in one faster!We ask the question, can you hack a good mood?This is what we spoke about during the episodeIt's a 100% YES, you can hack a good mood! But it all comes down to awareness of what creates a good mood for yourself.A great night's sleep is a hack for good mood.Maybe you're in a situation right now where you are not where you want to be.. You feel uninspired and flat.The easiest hack to a good mood is to shift your current state.Exercise is such an underused tool to create a good mood. It's not just for a physical transformation. This is why we're doing our next challenge, 21 Day Good Mood Challenge, inside MerryBody.Moments of stillness, such as a 2-minute deep breathing session or a 10-minute guided meditation, lead to a good mood.Cold therapy, such as ice baths, now that is an instant mood shifter. Check out Episode 246: The Wim Hof Method with Dani Smith.It's really important to know ourselves and understand what works for us.We would love to know what puts you in a good mood. If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Get Merry podcast episode, we delve into this month's MerryBody theme which is, self-reflection.“People who have had little self-reflection live life in a huge reality blind-spot.” — Bryant McGillThis is what we spoke about during the episodeSelf-reflection is a way to understand ourselves, how we interact with the life around us, and how we learn to do better.Self-reflection is a place where judgment should not exist. Rather than judgment, go in with acceptance front of mind.There are certain Yoga poses inside the MerryBody App, such as forward folds, that really invite self-reflection and going inwards. You're gazing inward on yourself, you're forward folding toward yourself and getting to know you.Where is the time for self-reflection and how do we make time for this? We listened to the Founders podcast episode about Brunello Cucinelli and how he would spend hours and hours in contemplation.Practising Yoga is a method to go inwards and can help you realise your morals and ethics.Self-reflection helps us understand perception vs. reality. This realisation helps you let go of your righteousness.How do we actually practice self-reflection? Yoga is a great practice, especially yin yoga. Write, journal, walk in nature. Sit by yourself and welcome in your thoughts. If you haven't done a Yin Yoga class, check out one of our classes on YouTube. It's called Love Your Liver Yin Yoga.Self-reflection helps us to learn from the past and live better in the present. If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, we talk about a simple yet effective activity that is often overlooked in the midst of fancy workout fads and expensive gyms.We're talking about... walking!This is what we spoke about during the episodeDespite the new workout fads and fancy gyms or studios, walking can serve as both a physical and mental health tool.The concept of the "hot girl walk" originated on TikTok and Instagram as a way of sharing mental health walks (apparently... Emma just thought it meant you dress up for the morning walk, haha, ooops)If you don't really like working out or going to the gym, try walking!Walking can also be a way to socialize with your partner or friends. Based on studies, the faster you walk, the longer you may live. The faster you walk, the younger biological age you are.In the MerryBody app, there is a Walking Wonder Meditation where Carla guides you on a mindful walk. You can start the 7-day trial and do that.If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we chat about the 10 minute workout which we're massive fans of.Yes, the 10 minute workout can and will change your life in many, many ways.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWe used to believe with all our hearts, minds that if you did not do at least a one-hour workout, there was absolutely no point.We have to lose the idea that workouts have to be a certain amount of time and that they have to leave you feeling depleted, tired, dripping in sweat and in pain.Emily May, our expert trainer and resident Naturopath within our MerryBody yoga teacher training, emphasised how HIIT workouts can do more harm than good.Diet culture never taught us about the benefits of exercise; we were only taught it's a tool to lose weight. Can we let go of that single focused goal of losing weight and instead realise that 10 minutes of exercise is helping your body?Don't work for a summer body, work for your old person body.We go through a bunch of ideas for your 10 minute workouts. Also, check out our 10 minute workouts on our Youtube Channel.Something is better than nothing. Add 10 minutes of movement to your day and notice the changes.We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're talking about planning, organisation and budgeting. How we do it individually and together with our business.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWhen we first started MerryBody, it was very overwhelming. As time passed, we systemised MerryBody and outsourced a lot of our tasks. Having MerryBody already systemised and process-driven allowed space to create our new project, the yoga teacher training program.Outline your first 5 steps and the next steps become clearer.Set a date for when you're going to do the steps.How Emma and Damiano planned their trip to Italy, and how Carla and Joel planned their wedding.We love spreadsheets.As soon as the money hits your accounts, save some.We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our MerryBody members, Rebecca, messaged us with questions about taking the leap. The leap to quit your job and start a business. In this episode, we chat about our business journey and offer advice on this topic. After ten years of business, we have learnt a thing or two! If you're looking for advice on quitting your job, this episode is for you!This is what we spoke about during the episodeIn our early 20s, we realised that life wasn't just about work. We highly recommend watching the documentary Finding Joe.Our business is passion-driven, in that we love what we're sharing and creating. When we stop feeling that bliss or experiencing that joy and passion, we pivot and make a change.Mindset is your biggest tool when it comes to business.No formula or guide will work exactly the same in your situation. But of course, these guides, people and experts are there to help, motivate and inspire.How did we begin our business? From posting our journey on Carla's Instagram to blogging to coming up with the Merrymaker brand to collaborating with other brands (influencer marketing, before it was a term) and building digital and physical products.How we managed our finances when we quit our jobs, not very well! We had such little awareness of our financial situation and we do not recommend that at all. We recommend the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz.On the launch of MerryBody we had seven members and now we have over 800 members.Jarrod, our Internet Godfather, helped us build not just one, not two, but three apps. If you find someone enthusiastic for your vision and willing to help you, count yourself very lucky! We do!You don't need to take that leap straight away. Take baby steps towards it.Maybe you shouldn't think about the monetising yet. Maybe you should just think about the stuff you like to do.We had so much fun chatting about business! If you enjoyed the podcast episode be sure to sign up to the waitlist for our 200 hour yoga teacher training program. We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February is the actual start of the year right? Well, this is our official first episode of 2023. In this episode we chat, the new house, 7 weeks in Italy (omgosh it was amazing) and Carla's upcoming wedding!This is what we spoke about during the episodeWe are now recording in Emma's new home. Moving house was very stressful but I'm excited to not be in rentals anymore. Yay!Four weeks after moving in, Damiano and I were off to Italy for seven weeks. For me, it was a much-needed break from that whole moving house situation. And wow was it a beautiful adventure! While in Italy, food anxiety came up but only for a few moments here and there. It felt like it was the final healing from my old way of thinking and my very toxic relationship with food, diet and exercise.Consistent and conscious practice of self-acceptance and gratitude really works. It allowed me to experience one of the most beautiful things (the Italian way of life!). I talk more about this! All our practices within MerryBody, meditation, Yoga, Pilates, help you shift your perspective.At-home workouts allow you to have so much more time and space to do other things and not be on someone else's clock. You have the freedom to be you; you can fart and you don't have to worry about what you wear. Yes, we did just say that. Carla's getting married in 19 days! Several stressful things came up!Funny story about Emma's dress, from burgundy to emerald green. Finding the bridesmaid dress was way harder than the wedding dress. We're launching our first teacher training program and it will be live before July!This has been a big process and it feels exciting, it feels right. It's proof that you don't need the full plan at the beginning, just have the spark of an idea and follow it.The MerryBody recipes are now added to the app. We are still in test mode but if you're a MerryBody member, they're coming very soon!We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self-care.Check out all the Get Merry Podcast episodes on iTunes and Overcast and Stitcher for Androids. Plus we are on Spotify over HERE! If you loved this episode, if you love this podcast, we would appreciate you leaving us a review on whatever podcast app you're listening to.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the seventh of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! This episode is all about the Crown Chakra, your connection to the divine, perhaps to some higher power or to your purpose.This is what we spoke about during the episodeThe Crown Chakra is the only chakra that lies outside of your body. It's located on top of your head and represented by a lotus flower that's said to have a thousand petals.Meditation helps us connect to the Crown Chakra.Instead of thinking about "me, me, me", think more of the "we". The interconnectedness of humans and the rest of the world.To feel grounded but open to receive. We're not meant to control everything, so we surrender and allow it all to unfold.Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! How are you working on your Crown Chakra? We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the sixth of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! This episode is all about your intuition, your inner wisdom, your inner knowing. It's about the guide within, your third eye, the eye that knows and sees more than your two physical eyes.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWhen you struggle in making decisions and always want to look for external advice.Do you always allow other people to make tough decisions for you?Your Third Eye Chakra is located in the space between your eyebrows, represented by a bright violet color and is all about tuning in to your inner wisdom.Everything that we're looking for is right within us. Make space and meditate when you're struggling with connecting to your intuition. Be still, breathe, tune in to yourself, ask questions and allow space for an answer.Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! Do you need to work on your Third Eye Chakra? We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the fifth of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System. We're up to the Throat Chakra.Have you ever felt like you were not able to speak your truth out of fear of looking silly or upsetting someone? In this episode, we chat about speaking your truth.This is what we spoke about during the episodeYou can be a good communicator in one aspect of your life but be terrible in another. For example, maybe you can communicate confidently at work but you struggle in relationships. When you speak your truth, you feel relieved but sometimes it can have repercussions that you have to deal with.Difficult conversations lead to growth.When is it the right time to hide the truth?Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! Are you hiding your truth? Do you need to work on it? We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage.Photo by Matteo Curcio on Unsplash Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the fourth of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! This episode is dedicated to the Heart Chakra and how we allow ourselves to feel loved, and be more kind, loving, patient and compassionate towards others.This is what we spoke about during the episodeA presence practice helps you be more loving. When you meditate more, you become more patient, understanding, and empathetic towards others.Do things with no expectation and with detachment.When you're living in fear, then it can mean that your Heart Chakra is blocked. A great way to unblock this is to turn inwards and work on the process of loving yourself.Yoga poses that focus on opening the Heart Chakra counteract sedentary living. To sit at your desk all day or be on your phone with rounded shoulders is not good at all. Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! Did something spark in your brain or your heart? We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the third of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! This episode is all about your inner confidence, willpower and motivation.This is what we spoke about during the episodeMotivation is the number one struggle for many people, especially with exercise or welcoming in a new habit.Check-in with how you feel in all life situations. Do you have the confidence to be yourself?Confidence is not being the loudest, brightest, and shiniest person in the room. It's knowing who you are and showing up exactly as that.Our confidence is linked to how we show up physically and hold ourselves in space. When our posture is rounded, when we're looking down at our feet and don't want to make eye contact, these actions signal a lack of self-confidence.Our physicality is connected to the way we feel and vice versa. It's our mind-body connection.Find that inner voice or someone else that can be your biggest cheerleader.We are the controller of our lives. If you're sick of feeling the self-doubting thoughts and the same patterns, you need to take action.Reflect on how you feel about your self-motivation, inner confidence and willpower to get up, do things and just be yourself. Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! During this episode, we're talking creativity, pleasure, joy and the Sacral Chakra.This is what we spoke about during the episodeWhy is creativity important? It's the energy of our souls and the magic juice of life.“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” ― Dead Poet's SocietyDo you have a creative outlet that provides that "wow" feeling? If you think you're not a creative person, it is not true!The Sacral Chakra is linked to the level of joy and pleasure that we allow ourselves to experience.A part of being creative is acknowledging and seeing creativity. It doesn't necessarily have to be you. It can be a piece of music that inspires you, like The Beatitudes by Vladimir Martynov.Get your foundations right and then have space for your creativity. Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of our 7 episode Holiday Series. Emma is currently in Italy, we've pre-recorded this podcast episode for you to enjoy!There were 7 weeks and 7 episodes, so we thought what better topic than the 7 Chakras of the main Chakra System! We start with the Base Chakra, it's time to check in with your foundations!This is what we spoke about during the episodeHow are your foundations set up? We're talking about the day-to-day necessities in life such as your finances, food, safety and shelter.Get on top of your finances. Finance books for business like Profit First by Mike Michalowicz or Think and Grow Rich.Don't spend your money on stuff you don't need. It's having awareness of what's coming in and what's going out.Check in with your goals and where you want to direct your money.Have a buffer in case of a financial emergency.The Base Chakra is directly linked to foundations where we feel grounded and connected to the earth. Take a moment of reflection and get curious. Journal or do a meditation. Inside MerryBody we have a Chakra Masterclass Series where you can learn different Yoga poses, mudras and mantras to open and activate each Chakra. To access these, you need to be a MerryBody member. Start your 7 day trial here! We would love to hear from you, send us an email to carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Download our FREE Self Care Checklist and you'll find 50 brand new ideas to practice self care.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We read an article this week from the ABC Radio National about the epidemic of body image anxiety. Philosopher and author Heather Widdows says that "we've gone from beauty being one thing we care about to being almost defining of who we are. Societal pressure leads to image obsession."Body image anxiety has been a big part of our lives. With Carla starting her first diet at age 11, Emma developed bulimia from ages 17-23. We always had this belief that our bodies were not good enough. We felt that social pressure for years. We're so grateful for the work we've done to be here, at a place of self-acceptance. We discuss the above article and talk about how we moved through our body image anxiety. This is what we spoke about during the episodeBody image issues are more apparent because we love in a connected and more visual culture. The influence of social media leads to unhealthy comparisons. Ageism and the obsession with youth. Let's embrace our changing faces and acknowledge the utter privilege of ageing.How do we deal with body image issues? Stop talking about other people's bodies and what they should do and don't do.The truth is that our beauty does not define who we are and that we are so much more than just what we look like. When a thought comes to your mind that you're ugly or fat or have a big nose or whatever it is, interrupt your thought pattern and remind yourself of the truth. That beauty is not just skin deep. That what you look like is the least important thing about you.How to interrupt the thought pattern? Get up and shake it off! If you're a MerryBody member, put on a class or a meditation.If you have body image anxiety, using your exercise routine as a way to practise the opposite of that, that being self-acceptance, is a total game-changer. This is how we continue to move through any body image anxiety we feel. With this self-acceptance practice, you're moving your body, you're present in your body and you're able to show gratitude for your body.If you have more questions about this or if something resonated with you, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Check out all the Get Merry Podcast episodes on iTunes and Overcast and Stitcher for Androids. Plus we are on Spotify over HERE!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We received a message from someone talking about how triggering Facebook photo memories are. Can you relate? Maybe you see the picture and you see how young and ‘good' you looked, you think ‘WOW, I looked so good, and I actually thought I was fat' or something like that. Then you feel sad and disappointed. Then regret. And down you go into that self-criticism loophole.This is because we live in a world of Diet Culture that also (generally) celebrates youth and shuns age. Yay… urghhh not.The good thing is that we are aware of it!For us personally, because we've spent the last 5 years working on self-acceptance, we're no longer triggered by these photos.In this episode, we chat about why we may feel triggered and how we can move through the feelings.Stuff we talked about…Self-acceptance is the most important thing. Accepting ourselves as we are right here right now is easier said than done.Your weight does not equal health. There's so much more to health than losing weight.How did we overcome the comparison? For Emma, it's looking at her past self and realizing that she's so much wiser now and also the act of bringing gratitude for life now instead of comparing. Take moments of reflection and link it to an everyday habit such as Yoga and Pilates. The MerryBody mantra “remember, you are amazing right here, right now” solidifies the acceptance practice and it shows how important it is to have something that is consistent that you can rely on.Take some time to reflect, be honest with yourself, take note of when you get triggered and have a practice of self-acceptance.Dwelling on the past won't bring any good, unless you learn something from it. We would love to hear from you. If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Check out all the Get Merry Podcast episodes on iTunes and Overcast and Stitcher for Androids. Plus we are on Spotify over HERE!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Episode 320 of the Get Merry podcast and our first official episode for 2022! It took us a little while to get back into it but here we are!Every month inside MerryBody, we have a collective theme, and it's something that we've been doing since the beginning.Sometimes, because life happens, we can find ourselves going through the motions without adding anything new or learning something different. Having this theme allows us to reflect, to discover something new about ourselves and other people.So, on our 36th month (Happy Birthday, MerryBody!), our theme is COURAGE.So, what is courage and how we can cultivate more of it into our lives?Stuff we talked about…Courage is not a lack of fear and anxiety nor a super mega confidence. It's, instead, stepping forward regardless of how you're feeling. It's taking a step forward, even in the face of adversity, in the face of fear and uncertainty.When we're going through hard times, knowing that getting through it will build that resilience muscle. You know it sucks but you're going to move forward, learn from this, and grow from this.So often, people are like “I need to do this before I can do that. I need to get this ticked off before I can take that step forward.” And so often, self-doubt is louder than courage. But when we begin to practice moments of courage, that's when it will grow and become a part of our lives.Courage is really about living your truth which is often hard. But when you take that step and you feel stronger and better afterwards, you feel more confident and honest with yourself. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes.How do we cultivate courage? A bit of self-reflection work is needed. Ask yourself what you want to welcome into your life and visualize that it's already happening.We're not always going to feel courageous and fired up. Sometimes you need to slow down, go inwards and just think about something you're grateful for. Life is all about the ebbs and flows, lightness and darkness, night and day, and you're not always going to step forward with courage and that's okay!We would love to hear from you. If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are back for 2022! YAY! We recorded this late in 2021 and we're so excited for this episode because the amazing Miriam Emad, clinical psychologist, is back on the show! During the episode, she offers insight on the before and after photo trend and how it can be unhealthy for all of us.We've spoken on the podcast and across our social media about how we don't market MerryBody (our Yoga and Pilates App and membership) with before and after photos. And recently, we shared a post about it that got quite a lot of attention. So we asked for Miriam's opinions about this.Stuff we talked about...Comparison is a part of the human being. Jealousy and envy are a very primal part of how we exist in the world. Jealousy is the emotion that tells us there is something to protect which involves noticing our surroundings, sometimes comparing. Envy is the emotion that tells us to strive to attain something.In a way, it's healthy to have some form of comparison, especially if it's objective. For example, hitting a target of financial savings for a particular reason. Sometimes subjective comparison can be helpful, too. If you have your own personal goal that does not involve anybody else, comparing your past self, present self and future self can be helpful because it helps you notice progress.What isn't helpful is the construct of comparison based on opinion such as the before and after photos. These are based on idea, neither objective nor subjective perception of what might be helpful in terms of comparison.We all have a social responsibility when we're sharing things on social media.Ask yourself, "if I'm looking at changing something about my body, what is the promise at the end of it? Is it to have my body function better, have a baby, etc.?" If the promise is something like I'll look like my friends or so it's more socially acceptable. It's coming from a place of misogyny and fat-phobia, and that can be very unhealthy.You cannot tell anything about someone's health just by looking at the person without any metabolic data. Health can not be seen on the surface level, it's deeper.Trying to lose weight is not in itself a bad thing. The before and after is very rarely about improved health. It's more often about the idea that smaller is better.Connect with Miriam Emad over on her website! It really all comes back to self-acceptance. It is such a beautiful practice because you don't only begin to accept yourself but also those around you. We would love to hear from you. If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is our last episode for the year 2021. And oh my! We feel like this had been the quickest year we've ever had. It really does feel like the older you get, the quicker time goes.We've had a great year, but there's lots of heaviness, sadness and troubles around the world. And, as we wrap this year up, we reflect on business, our milestones and the biggest takeaways we've had for the year.Stuff we talked about...Hug your friends and family a lot and make the most of the time together. The new MerryBody app was launched in January and our mum started working for us in July this year. The hire Mum goal has been on our goal-list since we started. It took us longer than we wanted, but hey, we did it!November has been our biggest month in the business to date (9 years). We've experienced the importance of planting seeds, watering them and the persistence of showing up. Put the hard work in and you will definitely reap the results in due time.How we allowed joy to be our compass in our business growth. We didn't focus only on the financial gains but also on adding joy to life. Learn new things, like what we're doing now with crypto and NFTs. Question your beliefs around something and trust the timing.Accept yourself and live life to the fullest without worrying about the things that do not define who you are, like your weight, what you look like, how much you've accomplished and how much money is in your bank.Let's collectively release our attachment to "diet". Enjoy the pasta. Enjoy the pizza. Enjoy the gelato. Go and eat whatever food you want, not every day... but you know what we mean.Let's all welcome 2022 with the idea that we're going to savour the moments and experience life for all that it is. Don't rush and only focus on ticking off a to-do list. Start working towards the things that you care deeply about. Bring it on!We would love to hear from you. If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Influencers Emma and Carla Papas aka The Merrymaker Sisters have both had destructive and fraught relationships with their bodies, and have healed. They're on a mission to inspire positive body image in others, and chat about self-love, self-acceptance and how to cultivate a healthier relationship with your bodies.    WANT MORE FROM THE MERRYMAKER SISTERS? Find out more about the MerryBody app, here. For info about their movement click here. Or, follow them on Instagram @themerrymakersisters   WANT MORE BODY + SOUL?  Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness. On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley.  In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Influencers Emma and Carla Papas aka The Merrymaker Sisters are on a mission to inspire positive body image in others by sharing learnings from their own struggles. In this ep, they discuss the hashtag #bodyneutrality - separating your worth from your physical appearance.    WANT MORE FROM THE MERRYMAKER SISTERS? To hear today's full interview, where Carla and Emma discuss how to stand out, fit in and be yourself...search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods. Find out more about the MerryBody app, here. For info about their movement click here. Or, follow them on Instagram @themerrymakersisters   WANT MORE BODY + SOUL?  Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness. On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley.  In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This guided meditation: I Am Strong will guide you to create inner strength. Use the mantra, I Am Strong, along with your breath to cultivate this strength from within. Breathe in: I am. Breathe out: Strong.This is just one of the many guided meditations we create every month for our MerryBody Members. Currently, there are over 60 guided meditations and 300 Yoga and Pilates classes to stream and download.If you'd like to check it out, start a free 7 Day Trial over at https://themerrymakersisters.com/merrybody/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode was inspired by the many questions we've been receiving about meditation from our 1 on 1 conversations with MerryBody members. We keep hearing things like “I want to be good at meditating, but my mind just goes on and on” or “I just can't meditate, I want to, but it feels impossible”. Can you relate? Stuff we talked about…The spinning thoughts are actually normal. This doesn't mean you suck at meditating or that you can't meditate. This is just your mind doing what it's designed to do, think!There are distractions everywhere so it takes more effort to slow the mind down.Create an anchor for your practice. Meditation is a tool to ease the suffering of life.Meditation and Yoga give your body a chance to rest and recover. What's the best way to sit when you meditate?We hope that this has inspired you to either continue your meditation practice or perhaps begin a meditation practice. Take a listen to 296: Embody Guided Meditation (seriously go to bliss town in 9 minutes), one of our guided meditations. It's all about focusing on your body and a technique to quiet down the mind.How do you go with your meditation? Do you struggle? Do you have more questions? If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Join our 5-day MerryBody Challenge and get direct access to 10 minute Yoga and Pilates classes. Sign up at themerrymakersisters.com/5daysAlways merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Inside our private MerryBody group, we often have Q+As. This week we took the chat here, to the Get Merry Podcast! We asked our members about their biggest struggles, we gave our advice. We chat about lack of motivation, binge eating, the all or nothing attitude when it comes to exercise and so much more! It’s just us having a chat about very common struggles. Stuff we talked about…Lack of motivation is a VERY common human struggle. We often wait for it to float in, but what is missing is that first step of action! Also tune into episode 127: How to stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy.Diet and binge eating.Sleep issues. Rituals, meditation and more.How to deal with overwhelm.Remember, perfection isn’t real. It’s okay if you feel like you’re struggling.We love Q and A’s! If you have questions, message us and let’s figure it out together. Send us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Join our 3-day Core Challenge and get direct access to daily core-focused classes (both yoga and pilates). Sign up at https://themerrymakersisters.com/core-challenge.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last week we rolled out the New MerryBody App, Carla's little baby she's been working on for the past 7 months! There was a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears making this App, and it was 100% worth it!When we began this project there was a clear fork in the road. We had two options, the easier road where we could have launched the app in 8 weeks but it wasn't exactly what we wanted. Then there was the harder road, the unknown road, it would take longer and we'd need to learn new skills. Tune in and find out why the hard road was well worth the extra effort!Stuff we talked about...How Jarrod, our good friend and our Internet God (or Fairy Godfather), guided us in the process of building the new MerryBody App. The magic of guides and mentors. Like Jarrod, Yoda and Dumbledore. How it feels at the end of a big project.Feeling overwhelmed and out of depth is a good thing. The ultimate creator in self-confidence is stepping outside of your comfort zone.We took the harder road because we always strive to do our best. We knew it would be a better quality product.We are so excited for our members to use the New MerryBody App. If you're a member make sure you update it!And if you have a new project or a new goal, and you're feeling overwhelmed and riddled with self-doubt, just give it a go! You can do hard things. Life wasn't supposed to be easy all the time.If you loved this episode, send us a message and share it with someone you know might think will love it. Email us at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@themerrymakersisters.com or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.Join our 3-day Core Challenge and get direct access to daily core-focused classes (both yoga and pilates). Sign up at https://themerrymakersisters.com/core-challenge.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Merrymaker Sisters are great friends of ours from all the way Australia! They have created an amazing incredible membership based around yoga and pilates. They’ve got a world-wide following, a world-wide community, and an amazing membership. In this episode we get deep into the weeds on the tech behind an amazing membership website, we talk all about branding, and most importantly about building an audience and traffic using social media like Instagram and Facebook. It’s an amazing conversation with literally two of the most amazing people I have ever met. I know you’re going to get a lot out of this talk today with Carla and Emma the Merry Sisters and the founders of the MerryBody membership! It’s going to be amazing episode packed full of information and it’s going to help you get and keep more members right now. Are you ready to build a million dollar membership today? Alright, let’s go!

Have you ever felt that putting on those few extra kilos consumes your mind and steals all your attention? Why does putting on a few kilos have to be a problem? Why do we even have to make it a big deal? For many of us, (and this has been 100% us in the past!) putting on weight is one of the biggest issues in our lives. And during this whole pandemic thing, we've both actually put a few extra kilos on. We've spoken to a number of people who have also and we've overheard several conversations about missions to lose weight. In this episode, we chat about why a little weight gain during a global pandemic (but anytime really!) doesn't have to be the end of the world. Instead, we can choose to see it as an amazing opportunity to experience growth. Stuff we talked about…You're amazing. You're still awesome. But it's also OK to work on yourselves.How acceptance can help us make better decisions and decide from a place of love instead of fear.Be kind to yourself and give yourself a bit of leeway.We put such high standards of ourselves and this takes us away from experiencing the magic of life. (Tune in to Episode 257: Check in with your expectations and life will be better)If you put on a few kilos, it DOES NOT matter. Period.STOP - Stop. Take a deep breath. Observe how you feel. Proceed.Taking away the attachment of what is good and bad. Our body is just what it is. (Tune in to Episode 258: Negative body image, interview with clinical psychologist Miriam Emad)We loved this chat so much! And, it is getting us excited for our next challenge inside MerryBody. It's the 10-Day Body Confidence Challenge starting on the 20th of August.We will use Yoga, Pilates, Meditation, Breathwork and daily action steps to welcome in more body confidence. We will share everything that we ahve learnt and what we do that has helped us create acceptance with our bodies.If you're not yet a MerryBody member and want to be part of this challenge, you can sign up at www.themerrymakersisters.com/merrybody and enjoy our 7-day FREE trial.Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need further help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today’s digital marketing podcast, you get to hear the recording from a live session that Interactive Minds ran in March 2020, which we adapted from an in-person event to an online event due to COVID-19 about 2 days prior to the event! In this Q&A session Louisa interviewed The Merrymaker Sisters, otherwise known as Emma and Carla Papas who run Merrybody. Welcome to Interactive Minds the online marketing podcast, where each week digital marketing and business professional Louisa Dahl, shares with you the tangible takeaways and recipes for marketing success. Louisa is joined by a host of passionate marketers, innovators and digital leaders from across the globe. If you want easily digestible marketing tips from the industry’s top leaders, this is the podcast for you. In this podcast you’ll see how The Merrymaker sisters generate leads across their business. Here are three things you’re going to learn: How to use lead magnets and landing pages How to run a challenge within your membership Insights into successful content marketing and community building Louisa’s recommended action item from today’s show is to look at your landing pages and lead magnet with fresh eyes and check that they lead effectively to the next step for your audience. Links from this episode: Emma Papas on LinkedIn Carla Papas on LinkedIn The Merrymaker Sisters PDF of slides discussed Louisa Dahl: LinkedInInteractive Minds Website  Join Interactive Minds’ Facebook Group  

When everything goes your way it all feels so good and easy, it flows. But how you do respond when all of a sudden, it stops going according to plan? Do you feel stressed, agitated, anxious, worried or angry? We're guessing if you're human (which you are) you probably do feel one of those? And we know this episode will definitely help you.This Get Merry Podcast episode is the first of our series on Yoga Philosophy, tune in and hear us chat about Ishvara Pranidhana or Surrender.'Ishvara' in Sanskrit translates to supreme, or personal, God. 'Pranidhana' translates to dedicate, devote, or surrender. So this practice of Ishvara Pranidhana is to surrender or let go of our individual ego to the bigger picture, to your higher self or to God. If you don't like to use the word 'God', simply use the other options. Or find something that works for you.Stuff we talk about…How practising Ishvara Pranidhana (the 5th Niyama of Yoga), the practice of surrender or letting go can help in every aspect of your life.How to surrender to the external forces around you and the things you have no control of.How to find the flow.The amazing life changes you'll experience when you get better at surrendering.Reaching out and seeking help when everything feels like it is falling apart.Trusting in what is happening around you and not being afraid of the process.Our mantra "Let go. Let go. It's OK. I'm OK." OR, you can just lie down on the ground, close your eyes and let go. This works.We also just added the ultimate meditation inside the MerryBody Online Studio, which we know you will love.It's 17 minutes of original music composed by Damiano Mex. It's a Guided Savasana that will take you on a journey to help you let go and surrender.If you're not yet a MerryBody member, sign up for our FREE 7-day experience where you get to try all the magic inside MerryBody at no cost.If you loved this episode please rate and review our podcast and share it with someone you love. Thank you for tuning in and being here!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s If you ever need help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we chat about underrated (and overrated)skills. You might have this whole set of amazing skills that you don't even recognize as skills!But also, it's important to reflect, because maybe we need to give these underrated skills a little more attention!Stuff we talk about…How being really smart or having a bachelor's degree is not necessary in order to be successful.How being a loud and boisterous person at a network meeting is overrated.Networking and relationship-building can both be overrated and underrated skills.Good conversation is an underrated skill, it's important to listen and respond without bringing yourself into it.Assertiveness is another underrated skill, especially for women as we somehow get the msg that it's something to be ashamed of.Empathy is the number 1 underrated skill but how can we work on it and not let our emotions take over?Everything is compromised if we cannot manage our stress and thoughts.Disciplined and the ability to overcome resistance, more underrated skills.If you have anything to add, get in touch! We'd love to hear from you!And, come join us in our Do It In 20 Challenge happening right now inside MerryBody. Get ready for 20 Days, 20 Yoga + Pilates Classes, 20 Meditations.The best bit? You’ll do it in around 20 minutes a day. Move your body, find your joy and reignite your love for life. Come and join the fun! You can sign up here.If you have a request on what topic to feature on this podcast, send us a DM on Instagram or Facebook, or email us.If you loved this episode please rate and review our podcast and share it with someone you love. Thank you for tuning in and being here!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s If you ever need help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Using the before and after photos is the traditional way of marketing in the fitness industry. But, it sucks and it generally make you feel kind of crap about yourself.We never share before and after photos within MerryBody Online Studio. We've stood by this for some time now and we've talked a lot about this and during this Get Merry Podcast episode we delve a little deeper into the reasons why we don't.Stuff we talk about…Using before and after photos affects people's mental health.The seasons of life create fluctuations in weight.The core of MerryBody isn't about the before and after transformation but how moving your body invites joy back into your life.If your decision on why you exercise is based on obligation, there's no way it's gonna feel joyful.Here in MerryBody, we're not about the before and after images... We are about the before and AHHHH, I feel amazing!It's all about feeling amazing with who you are are at this very moment.And, if you want more of this, come join us inside MerryBody. The best time to join is right now as we are about to start our next daily Yoga and Pilates.It's the Do It In 20 Challenge. Get ready for 20 Days, 20 Yoga + Pilates Classes, 20 Meditations.The best bit? You’ll do it in around 20 minutes a day. Move your body, find your joy and reignite your love for life. We start on Saturday 20 June. You can sign up here.If you have a request on what topic to feature on this podcast, send us a DM on Instagram or Facebook, or email us.If you loved this episode please rate and review our podcast and share it with someone you love. Thank you for tuning in and being here!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s If you ever need help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we had a chat with the amazing Dani Smith, a certified Wim Hof practitioner and Remedial Massage Therapist. Dani shared her Wim Hof experience and the importance of proper breathing.Stuff we talk about…How Dani's dad got sick and made her interested in starting her Wim Hof training.Health is the most valuable commodity that we have.How Dani's Wim Hof training helped her arrive back to herself and positively change her relationships.How ice bath helps you feel in a state of euphoria that lasts for a significant amount of time.How the Wim Hof method started and the scientific proofs related to its effectiveness.Dani's training experience in Poland that included exposure to different cold temperatures and climbing a mountain for more than 2 hours.Importance of breathing correctly.How to release the diaphragm. Check out the video!Importance of opening up the muscles as humans are meant to be mobile, not sedentary.Connection to self, others, and her purpose to the world as Dani's idea of success.Oh, we really LOVED this episode! So excited to do the Wim Hof breathing masterclass with Dani and share it with the MerryBody community.If you loved hearing from Dani Smith, find out more info about her and everything she does RIGHT HERE.If you loved this episode please rate and review our podcast and share it with someone you love. Thank you for tuning in and being here!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s If you ever need help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s clear, we’re in the middle of a global crisis. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic spreading worldwide, self-isolation and the disruption of daily routines are leading to stress and anxiety.  In this show you’ll learn about: Why self-care should be front and center of your life right now How to take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, cognitively, and socially In today’s show, you will get practical information on how you can take care of yourself amidst the coronavirus epidemic. News feeds are filled with negative reports and dismal stories about the selfishness and greed exhibited by people. The current situation is both overwhelming and disheartening, especially to a lot of people who feel powerless at this time. But you can cut through this cycle of fear and worry. You may find yourself facing unfamiliar circumstances, but you have the chance to grow into this new world. You start by taking care of yourself. Listen To The Podcast Now. About Our Guests Emma and Carla Papas are known as The Merrymaker Sisters. Their work involves finding love, integrity, and compassion during the journey to health and well-being. After quitting their desk jobs, Emma and Carla went on a journey of self-discovery to find magic and follow the bliss.  They’re the founders of MerryBody Online Studio, which provides unlimited access to yoga, pilates, and meditation classes. Their website also gives free healthy recipes that nourish your body.   The Merrymaker Way of Life The Sisters’ Journey To Self-Care Emma and Carla talk about their self-loathing, self-hate, and unhealthy relationship with food. Making the decision to follow their bliss. They took a break and got training for yoga and pilates. They started their MerryBody studio and changed their mindset to feeling good and letting go. Acknowledging The Negative Feelings You have the right to feel the way you feel. Remember that you are not alone in this. Moving physically allows Emma and Carla to move through their emotions. Movement allows them to let go of the responsibility of carrying the world on their shoulders. Moving Through This Bad Time The easiest thing to do is to constantly come back to the breath and breathe deeper. Falling into the anxiety and stress will allow you to find your anchor. Utilize the power of mediation. Dancing like a crazy person and going wild will help you from being stuck in your head.  Breathing Exercises For Listeners The first step is a kind of grounding or sinking into your bodies for one minute. The grounding exercise involves using three breathing techniques. There’s usually resistance when starting out, so it’s best to pick one breathing technique and focus on that. It’s important to check in with yourself and always come back to your practice.  You can get so caught up in the news nowadays that you can forget to do what makes you feel okay. The experience of deep breathing fires neural signals up in your brain and triggers calmness. The disruption to your daily routines makes you more vulnerable to stress. Breathing exercises can help you reclaim some sense of power. The language in your head can be a pathway to doing self-care first aid to yourself. Doing Self-Care Remember to always fill your cup, so you can give better to the people around. Practice yoga or pilates at home and eat nourishing food to take care of yourself.  Avoid dehydration by having a big bottle of water at your desk. Create a sense of safety by staying connected with family and friends through voice messages or video calls. Get creative and do the things you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time. Create bumpers around the information you digest to avoid exhaustion. The Beginning Of A New Opportunity There is an opportunity to create something good for the community and practice altruism. Emma and Carla opened up MerryBody for free to get everyone moving while at home. Recommended Resources Articles:   John O'Donohue - https://www.johnodonohue.com/  The On Being Project had a wonderful interview with John O’Donhue. Here is a podcast with John prior to his passing.     The fresh start effect: Temporal landmarks motivate aspirational behavior Katherine Milkman https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901 Books:    John O’Donohue books Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World https://amzn.to/3bey5Fq    To Bless The Space Between Us https://amzn.to/3bey5Fq   You can reach out to the Merrymaker Sisters on Instagram or Facebook. New members get free access to MerryBody Online Studio    Enjoy The Podcast? If it’s a “Oh Yes I did David!”  Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.  5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we’d love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.  Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you’ve learned today.  Here’s How:  Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health! Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE.  A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?   We have a lot of resources and resources to help you stop avoidable memory loss. If you’re interested to learn more about our services and programs, just go to the website. Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter. To better memory health,  David P.S. Did you get the free guide?  If not, here’s the link.  Disclaimer: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

The real-life sisters are Yoga, Pilates and Meditation teachers. The bliss followers, quit their full time government desk jobs in July 2014 to pursue their passion of bringing health and happiness to the lives of others.Since then they’ve created the #1 mobile recipe App Get Merry, published the best selling healthy cookbooks Make It Merry and Get Merry, host the #1 GetMerry podcast as well as created MerryBody: an online yoga, pilates and mindset studio.Every month they reach over 200 000 people through their products and programs, with a mission to live in a world where people finally accept, love and respect their bodies and themselves.Making the move up to Australia’s sunny Gold Coast from their hometown of Canberra, the real life sisters and business partners love all that nature has to offer, a great cup of coffee, yoga, pilates and good conversation.

We watched Taylor Swift's documentary on the weekend and we knew we had to talk about Miss Americana on the Get Merry podcast. We always loved her music. We always loved her. But NOW... oh wow, the love for Taylor Swift is so big!Stuff we talk about…The constant goal of being 'a good girl' and 'doing what is right'. We can relate to this in so many ways! We talk about Joseph Campbell's quote (hehehe love you Dad)..."Don't do what Daddy says, because Daddy has one interest and that's your security. And if you bargain away your life for security now, you will never find your bliss".The pressures of beauty standards in the public eye, starvation, eating disorders. How Taylor being a healthy weight is so beneficial for all of her fans. She said..."There's always some standard of beauty that you're not meeting. Because if you're thin enough, then you don't have that ass that everybody wants. But if you have enough weight on you to have an ass then your stomach isn't flat enough. It's all just fucking impossible."The dangers of relying on external validation as the guiding light for success and love.Taylor's work ethic... amazing. Her perspective on being a woman in the spotlight at age 30..."This is probably one of my last opportunities as an artist to grasp onto that kind of success. So, I don't know, as I'm reaching thirty, I'm like, I want to work really hard while society is still tolerating me being successful."How she became vocal during the 2018 mid-term elections, she wanted to be on 'the right side of history'. We've experienced this fear of expressing our opinions, from fear of judgment, feeling not smart enough, fear of people not liking us.If you watch the doco, let us know what you think! We'd love to hear from you. ALSO! MerryBody is officially open and you can join just in time to participate in the 21 day Yoga and Pilates Challenge!Check out all the Get Merry Podcast episodes on iTunes and Overcast and Stitcher for Androids. Plus we are on Spotify over HERE!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaP.s if you ever need help or guidance please contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Asking for help is pure courage. Image via Netflix See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

More than just a pair of pretty faces, the Merrymaker Sisters are built and grew their fitness-based business to over 500 members in less than a year.

More than just a pair of pretty faces, the Merrymaker Sisters are built and grew their fitness-based business to over 500 members in less than a year.

Today we meet Emma and Carla Papas, The Merrymaker Sisters.These real-life sisters are Yoga, Pilates and Meditation teachers, entrepreneurs, podcasters, authors, social media stars and, as I discover in this interview, flourishing personified.They quit their full time government desk jobs in July 2014 to pursue their passion of bringing health and happiness to the lives of others. Since then they’ve created the #1 mobile recipe App Get Merry, published the best selling healthy cookbooks Make It Merry and Get Merry, host the #1 GetMerry podcast as well as created MerryBody: an online yoga, pilates and mindset studio.Every month they reach over 200 000 people through their products and programs, with a mission to live in a world where people finally accept, love and respect their bodies and themselves.In this high energy conversation Emma, Carla and I explore:Following your bliss and thriving through challengeFinding the courage to do hard thingsThe benefits of yoga and pilates beyond 'a better body'Why other people matterThe best decision they ever made, andThe science of flourishing.It's a very merry way to close out the season and the year and to inspire you to get ready for an incredible 2020.For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

Topics we've been chatting about all week and had to record because no doubt you can connect to one or all of these topics. Loneliness, self-partnering and the bad news that continues to grow... global warming, cancer, drug addiction, all the injustice. We can not ignore it, but can we still find joy amongst the bad news? We loved this episode. If you did too, share it with someone you love.This podcast episode is brought to you by MerryBody, our next 21 Day Challenge starts Monday 18 November. End your 2019 feeling amazing! LEARN MORE.Stuff we talked about…Loneliness is a disconnection to self and can be felt with no one around you or with many people around you.How do we create a connection to self? Emma Watson and her self-partnering went viral... and YES we love it!All this loneliness and the anxiety caused by not being in a relationship is from a lack of self-acceptance.How do we get through life when there is so much bad news? Are we allowed to have joyful moments when there is so much bad news?It's about being awake, not ignoring the bad news abut also noticing the good... bringing joy to the world.“Loneliness is an emotional response to feeling unloved and unseen, which can happen in or out of a relationship. It’s about feeling misunderstood or lacking connection. Happy solitude means you are comfortable in your own skin.” Sophie Tanner, author of the book: Reader, I Married Me.If you loved this episode please rate and review the episode on iTunes or share the episode with someone you love. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the podcast, I have the awesome Papas sisters in Emma and Carla. The girls are the founders of the hugely successful Merrymaker Sisters. Emma and Carla are self-proclaimed bliss followers, who quit their full-time government desk jobs in July 2014 to pursue their passion for bringing health and happiness to the lives of others. Since then they’ve they have created the #1 mobile recipe App Get Merry, published the healthy cookbooks Make It Merry and Get Merry, host the #GetMerry podcast as well as created MerryBody: an online yoga, pilates and mindset studio. Every year they help over 1.5 million women through their products and programs, with a mission to live in a world where women finally accept, love and respect their bodies. I am really excited to share the outstanding work that Emma and Carla are doing with you all today. To contact the girls and to see the range of fantastic products they have for you be sure to click on their website link below. https://themerrymakersisters.com/

"I can't stick to my health kick" how many times have you said this? Thought this? How many times have you 'fallen off'.How many times have you marked Monday as THE day to start your health kick? Then Friday comes and you're bingeing on pizza and chocolate, then Sunday comes and you feel this wave of guilt. And here we go again.We lived like this for many years... and now we don't.It's better, well we think it is... it's more loving, it welcomes more freedom. How we live now lets us breathe deeper, relax deeper, feel deeper. It's filled with more joy, more light, more laughter, more magic.Sounds good, yeh?During this Get Merry Podcast episode, we chat more about this and how we stepped away from the toxic relationship we had with health kicks. It's filled with actions steps and inspiration. Stuff we talked about…Self-love, self-respect, self-acceptance... this is what you need, not another health kick.What is the obsession with losing weight and your looks stealing from you? How do you FEEL about yourself right now? Why will a health kick, or losing weight make you feel better? Let's dig a little deeper. How we changed. The action steps we took and continue to take to create a healthy, loving, nourishing relationship with food, exercise and what we look like.So much more.We talked lots about Yoga and Pilates and the magic of community. If you're looking for more support come and try MerryBody. You can read more HERE. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you ever hear yourself saying "I don't have time"? Maybe it's when you're excusing your lack of movement or home cooking? Maybe it's your reason for not working on your side hustle? Or catching up with friends and family?We've all done it before. We've all used "I don't have time" as an excuse, but it's time to stop.It is no longer a valid excuse, it's time to change your mindset.We did and it changed everything.Stuff we talked about…Why it's not an excuse.The new perspective of priorities and values.Why life is filled with compromises, we just have to choose the right things to compromise.What actually takes up most of your time, map it out and then change it.Where do you need help? It's ok to get help, you're not in this life thing alone!Check in with yourself regularly. This life is NOT a practise round.This episode is brought to you by our FREE MerryBody fusion class. All you need is 25 minutes and you'll get the best workout. A combination of stretching and strengthening movements to make you feel grounded and energized. Check it out here."I've only just started with the Merrybody Online Studio and I'm surprised at how quickly my shape has changed with a daily session of yoga, pilates or meditation. I no longer feel sluggish and bloated at the end of the day either. I have no idea if I've lost weight - I ditched the scales 12 months ago and now focus on how I feel within myself. But my clothes do feel comfier!" Emilley, MerryBody member. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don't take things so personally, this little lesson changed our lives in amazing ways. It gave us freedom, it helped all our relationships, it gave us time to focus on more important things and it allowed life to flow more.So the question is, do you take things personally? And does this behaviour impact your life in big ways?Stuff we talked about…If someone is rude, quiet, in a mood... it most probably won't be anything to do with you and no, you don't need to fix it... maybe they need space.If you're sensitive or an empath (like us!) it's very easy to take things personally.When you take everything to heart not only does it make you feel down it also takes up so much of your precious time.Are you hopeless at taking criticism, even constructive criticism? TUNE IN!Space is your friend. But don't take space and think about the person who offended you! Connect to you.Get inspired to change your mindset and 'step behind' your feelings.This episode is brought to you by our FREE MerryBody Fusion class! Yoga and Pilates is our most favourite way to exercise. This class will help you build strength and create flexibility and you'll have fun (it's not called merryBody for no reason!). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The overall topic of discussion in this Get Merry podcast episode is time. And why we should all value our own personal time and other people's time more. And this is where we get the title from.Stuff we talked about…when you are always late to meetings/events/catch ups it's showing that person that you do not value their time. Maybe it's time to start to be an 'on-time' person?your time is not infinite, no one else's time is infinite.what and who do you fill your time with? Does it bring you joy?the importance of presence, it's a practise.the past is but a dream, it no longer is real and maybe your memories are warped!The future is not real! When it comes... it's NOW!We end with Alice in Wonderland... on time.This episode is brought to you by the MerryBody Online Studio! Ahhh our baby, our pride and joy (haha). If you find yourself lacking time to exercise... check out MerryBody!It's the perfect way to bring a new exercise regime into your schedule. Yes, bring it into YOUR schedule, the library of Yoga and Pilates classes are ready to stream when you are! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

#74 Self-proclaimed bliss followers, they quit their full time government desk jobs in July 2014 to pursue their passion of bringing health and happiness to the lives of others. Since then they’ve created the number 1 mobile recipe App Get Merry, published the healthy cookbooks Make It Merry and Get Merry, host the #GetMerry podcast as well as created MerryBody: an online yoga, pilates and body positive studio. Every year they help over 1.5 million women through their products and programs, with a mission to live in a world where women finally accept, love and respect their bodies. Making the move up to Australia’s sunny Gold Coast from their hometown of Canberra, the real life sisters and business partners love all that nature has to offer, a great cup of coffee, yoga, pilates and good conversation. In this episode we cover How have they become so resilient in business and in life The impact that being lively, kind and positive has been in business. Has it always been a good thing? What living in alignment means to them If they've had any big lessons in business that has shaped who they are today for the better How they manage to work together and still remain close friends Why they developed an online platform for pilates and yoga and who it’s for And of course we get into loads of other bits too I just love these ladies. It's hard not to be influenced by their infectious playfulness and generosity. It's an absolute bonus that they create some kick arse meals too.

This Get Merry podcast episode is brought to you by our faves GoodnessMe Box A monthly subscription box filled with delish healthy things. The best news, you can get $5 off! Use code: MERRY5 upon checkout!It's the first weekend of Spring here in Australia and the sun is shining. Spring is a time of new growth and blossoming, we talk about what we'd like to see blossom in our own lives and ask you to pay attention to what you'd like to bring to the light and what you'd like to see blossom.Oh it's good!Stuff we talked about…tapping into the Earth's energy and living by the seasons.winter is a time for hibernation, a time to go inwards and self-reflect.spring, the time of new growth. What would you like to bring to the surface?tuning into your soul and heart's desire.answering the call of your destiny (haha that sounds so funny... but just go with us ok!).we also mention our MerryBody program. It starts Monday 3 and you can still join!This podcast brings us so much joy and we are so grateful for YOU. Thank you for tuning in and be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss out on any episodes! YAY! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is brought to you by our amazing podcast partner, Bean Ninjas. They are the actual best. If you've been wondering how you can bring more positivity to your life this episode is perfect for you. We chat about the exact things we add to our days to feel more good vibes. And no, we are not talking about fake happiness, fake joy, fake positivity... we are talking the real deal here.Stuff we talked about…Gratitude... it always makes an appearance and for good reason. This daily practice instantly adds more joy and positivity.Question and observe your thoughts. Are they true?The importance of who you surround yourself with.The magic of yoga.We delve into this deep during the MerryBody program. We start on the 3 September and this will be the last MerryBody for 2018... so you don't want to miss out! We can't wait to welcome you in! It's about strengthening, lengthening and toning your body BUT more importantly, it's about bringing more love and acceptance to your life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This Get Merry podcast episode is brought to you by our 4-week Yoga and Pilates inspired home fitness program... MerryBody! Round 2 starts on June 4. It's going to be better than ever. Not only do you get the new workouts, you also get the new mindset sessions PLUS the daily motivation to actually take action. Get on the wait list NOW over at themerrymakersisters.com/merry-body/ This episode was super fun! We say this about every episode don't we (HAH). We start with enthusiasm and somehow get onto the topic of botox. Oh, how we love this podcast! Tune in!  Stuff we talked about... Enthusiasm is your secret superpower. the importance of our reactions and how to not be ruled by our emotions. oh the magic of self-reflection... but not too much! meditation. aging and botox, let's begin to celebrate the years, celebrate the wrinkles! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This podcast is brought to you by Bean Ninjas. They seriously rock our biz world! If your financial foundations are not set for your online biz or blog, check them out! Ok, we were kinda crazy in this episode. Must have been the high of our epic MerryBody launch. We chat about perfectionism and why the goal of perfection is holding you back. In big big big ways.  It's a whole heap of fun, tune in! If you know anyone suffering from the perfection disease, send this episode to them!  Stuff we talked about... why is everyone obsessed with being perfect? how we've pretty much never waited till we're 'ready' and 'perfect' before starting a project. perfect is actually fake... it's made up!  how perfectionism is just self-doubt and fear of what others think of you.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A must listen if you're a yo-yo dieter or calorie counter. We know you're over it. We've been wanting to tell this story for a while, so Emma decided to interview Carla and really find out HOW she lost 8 kilos from bringing yoga and pilates into her life. And how this was the beginning of MerryBody themerrymakersisters.com/merry-body She talks about how she used to think she HAD to diet or eat a certain way and exercise a certain amount of hours per week in order to be 'healthy'. She talks about how she lost alot of weight once before in a very different way and compares the two and why it's about finding a way of LIFE not a quick overnight fix.      See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This podcast episode is brought to your by MerryBody. The 4 week Yoga and Pilates home fitness program. If you could hear your thoughts on a recording what they be saying? Would they be thoughts of kindness, compassion and love? Or thoughts of anger, hate and dislike? We've worked hard at changing our self-hating thoughts. And woah, did it take practise to turn them into self-love. And guess what though? The hate and judgement still creep in. Seriously, why do we always judge ourselves?  This episode has so much goodness. Ahhh! Stuff we talked about... how we watched our MerryBody workout videos (themerrymakersisters.com/merry-body) and the first reaction and thoughts were HORRIBLE!  how weird it is when you think a photo/video of yourself is horrible and then in a week you like it, then a year later it's like dayum you were a babe! what we do to bring more self-love into our days. the importance of being present. The magic of presence! how the idea of 'perfection' does not exist. "The beauty myth- an obsession with physical perfection that traps a modern woman in an endless cycle of hopelessness, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfil society's impossible definition of flawless beauty. I choose to take care of myself because I want to, not to prove anything to anyone. Wind in her sails." Selena Gomez. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.