#getmerry

In this episode, we chat diet culture and how it really does suck. We delve deeper into our diet stories. We reflect on the ‘normal’ things we used to do like not drink enough water before a weigh-in, over-exercising, under-eating, binging/purging and priding ourselves on how skinny we had got.  After all the work we’ve done… speaking about these stories in more depth actually frightened us a little. Trigger warning for anyone who is dealing with disorderly eating and negative body image stuff. Stuff we talked about…The problem is not what your body looks like, but the fact that you decided that what you look like is the most important thing about you.How society puts so much emphasis on our bodies.Everything we see tells us to judge someone else’s bodies and therefore our own bodies. Think, magazine covers!Focusing on your body keeps your ideas and creativity small.Your body is your home. Instead of thinking of your body as you, think of it as your home for the soul.There is no one body that i

We’re so excited about this Get Merry Podcast episode. We chat with the amazing Amber Hawken about the importance of breathing and how it allows you to feel more joy and be more present. We also chat self-improvement and how it can get in the way of experiencing joy in our lives.Stuff we talked about…It all starts with the breath.The breath happens automatically but you can also control it to benefit your health.When you don’t breathe deeply, it decreases oxygen to your brain. How to increase your tolerance for joy.When you get so obsessed with self-improvement you can at times unintentionally strengthen your shame.Step back, give yourself permission to relax and feel joy.Daily habits that help you feel full and alive.If you loved hearing from Amber Hawken, find out more info about her and everything she does at www.amberhawken.com or Instagram account @amber_hawken.Also, let us know if you loved this episode by sending us an email at carla@themerrymakersisters.com or emma@t

If you've been wanting to get into meditation, tune in to this episode. Carla just finished her second Meditation course for the year and she has gold to share. Get ready for one-liners that will make you be like AHA! Stuff we talked about...Meditation welcomes less suffering, or it helps us respond to the suffering better. Scientific studies say that meditation changes the brain structure and increases the grey matter of our brain. You become smarter and better at decisions (we'll take this!).Resistance is totally real and normal. It's through the persistence of the resistance that we find freedom.Pranayama is not just focusing on the breath but manipulating the energy of the body.Meditation helps cease the fluctuations of the mind.Silence is the greatest teacher in the world.It all starts and ends with compassion.It's better to not think than to think of something that's completely unreal and fabricated."All is true. It was all determined long ago. There is no evil. And, we know nothing." Rose Bau

How can you feel confident when you have zero belief in yourself?In this episode, get actions steps and inspiration to believe in yourself. It’s the perfect follow up episode from episode 261: 5 ways to feel more confident.Stuff we talked about…Don’t let the fear voice stop you. The keys to success are persistence and self-belief. We talked about this in our book review of How to Think and Grow Rich.Start your morning with an “I’ve got this!” perspective instead of self-doubt.We can predict our future by our past.How do you wake up and feel excited when you hate your job?Remember, you are in the driving seat. You have the capacity to change it.Take a chance on yourself and your goals. Take a step towards what lights you up and what makes you feel good.How to deal with people who don’t believe in your dreams.Self-belief + action + unwavering faith = happiness = life with no regret = contentment.This episode was so much fun! Let us know your biggest aha moment by sending us an email at carla

We’re so excited about this episode! A review of one of our favourite books, Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. This book completely changed our perspectives on life, it's our bible.The book is a beautiful collection of myths, legends, fairy tales and metaphors for life.Stuff we talked about…What being a wild woman means. It's doing life as she chooses to do it, not how society says. It's not about being crazy or out of control, but being free and out of the cage.The story of The Skeleton Woman, the right partner will travel to the depths of the ocean with you. The right people will stay around and will be there to help you through the ups and downs of life.In relationships, when two people come together, they don't become one. They become more.In the story of Vasalisa, it reminds us to connect and use our own intuition to decide which way to go. If we're relying on other's opinions before we make decisions, we feel disconnected to our intuition.It's never too late to blossom.The st

We’ve talked about confidence in our previous episode 190: How to build self-confidence. And, we know so many of you loved it, but we have way more gold to share in this episode. Confidence really is one of the topics that we can talk about again and again.Stuff we talked about…What confidence is and the misconceptions about it.A loud person does not mean they are a confident person. Sometimes, people use their loudness to cover up their sadness or fear of not fitting in.Your level of confidence goes up and down, depending on the situation you’re in. But you can tap into tools and anchors to help you through the more difficult times.Accomplish something early in your day. Move your body because humans are not meant to be sedentary creatures.Catch yourself comparing. And, if you find yourself comparing, switch it off to inspiration or celebrating the success of other people.Have an anchor. Pick something, whether a mantra, a stance or a song, that makes you feel joyful and confident.Find your circle

During this chat with Karly Nimmo, you’ll be inspired to stop caring about the ‘should be’s’ and what other people think. You’ll be motivated and excited to start speaking and living your truth.This was an old recording from our MerryBody Online Summit. Tune in, clear your mind, let’s begin.Now is the perfect time to join MerryBody Online Studio, you can start today for free! And we begin our next Member Exclusive Challenge on 20 August. Sign up HERE: themerrymakersisters.com/merrybody/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.

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

We were having lunch with our amazing friend Miriam Emad (also an amazing clinical psychologist). Ahhh we have the best chats and from this 2-hour love-filled catch up we realised we need to get her back on the Get Merry podcast. STAT! We couldn't wait, so today we're sharing an interview with Miriam from our MerryBody Online Summit. During this chat we discuss all things negative body image.In this interview, you’ll gain a psychologist’s perspective on negative body image. You'll also leave with ideas and ways to deal with your negative thoughts around the way you look.Miriam talks about where and when negative body image originated and how it’s adapted in our modern society, why we compare ourselves to others and how we can begin the practice of just observing our body rather than forever judging and criticizing it.Stuff we talked about…Self-restricted dieting dates all the way back to the 13th century due to lack of resources. It was the women who would first deprive themselves so they were able to provide

Lately, we've been having many conversations about expectations. Expectations on ourselves and the expectations, we feel from others. We know they're all made up in our heads but they really do make a huge impact on our lives. And can create A LOT of unnecessary stress.Stuff we talk about…How we create high expectations of ourselves and attach to the idea that we're not good enough until we reach these expectations.It's okay to expect but also accept because no human is perfect.Not being afraid to have a difficult conversation because you hate conflict. Household chores, random? Tune in, it will make sense! How it's important to check in with your goals and be mindful of the positive and negative impacts. Example, your job promotion might mean more money BUT it might mean more stress and less time for stuff you love.It's easier to judge and label others, it's more difficult to take action with love.Remember that right here, right now, you are amazing just as you are. Hold this in your heart and

This Get Merry Podcast episode is the second of our series on Yoga Philosophy, where we delve deeper into the mind because it is really the root of all our sufferings.Tune in and hear us chat about the 5 levels of the mind as described by the yoga teacher Swami J. Stuff we talk about…The 5 levels of the mind: disturbed, dull, distracted, one-pointed focus, SamadhiHow your disturbed mind keeps you from doing anything else because of the spinning thought patterns in your head.How being in the state of dullness (Tamasic) is similar to a candle that's not lit.When you're in a distracted state (Raja), you feel super motivated and energized, and then get pretty tired.How the practice of concentration allows you to be in a one-pointed state (Pratyahara).How finding a really purposeful work can move you to the state of bliss (Samadhi).How knowing these 5 levels of the mind and being aware of which level you are in can help reduce suffering. As soon as you realise that you are not your thoughts, you can be w

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 surren

How do you do the things you need to do... when you don't want to do the things you need to do? There's just so much resistance and friction stopping you from doing these important things!In this episode, we chat about doing the work, being productive and finding the flow.Stuff we talk about…Struggling with resistance (laziness, comfort and overwhelm)Doing the work and being presentThe things that we do in our business to make it more productive, effective and run betterBeing organized and creating processesHow assigning someone to do the tasks for you allows you some space to be more creativeUse your calendarSetting up the right environment for the tasks you're doingHow productivity isn't about using a tool or an app, but making sure that you do the thingsWe are excited to hear your takeaway from this in your life and business. While you're listening to this episode, we'd love for you to take a selfie and send it to us.If you have a request on what topic to feature on this podcast, send us a DM on Instagram

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 s

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

We feel like we are in a smooth-sailing zone. And, it feels kind of funny because we become used, almost addicted to the ups and downs. But isn’t this low stress, neutral feeling good?It is a good thing when we feel a sense of contentment. And, self-acceptance is the first step to contentment. AHA!This episode is us chatting about life, as always! The normal hot topics come up… of self-hate, self-disgust, body image stuff, etc. Also, we are going to start welcoming mini-podcast series’. We need to shake it up around here!Stuff we talk about…In order to feel content, you must first accept where you are right here right now.You don’t need to change what you are, you just need to change how you see things.You can accept where you are but still have the desire to improve yourself.When you have a sense of disgust in yourself, you usually feel that for others too.We live in a world where non-acceptance is a more common practiceCreate something and contribute to the world and all the ‘self’ stuff become le

Join us for this guided breathwork meditation with Dreamy Guitar, the perfect way to celebrate the Get Merry Podcast's 250th Episode and the end of our 14-day Breathwork Challenge.Thanks to Damiano Mex for creating the blissful magic guitar vibes and Carla taking us through the breathwork. You really are in for a treat! Warning... at about 21 mins there's a weird noise due to the live-ness of this recording! Stuff we talk about…Yoga and Meditation, it's more about how you do it, finding time in your day and making it work for you without the pressure.The number 1 change we've felt from welcoming in the meditation practice.How meditation and yoga help you become more grateful and allow you to see opportunities standing right in front of you.How meditation, Pilates and yoga help you become less stressed and uncover the real you... the truth that you are amazing just as you are.Then you get to do the epic meditation!How did you feel before the meditation and how did you feel after?We'd love to hear from you

Here in Australia everything is slowly opening and (maybe) going back to 'normal'. If you're feeling anxious or a little afraid of going back to your 'normal life'... then this Get Merry Podcast episode is for you. Stuff we talk about…It's normal to feel anxiety and fear about going back to our normal lives.Our sense of freedom stopped during this lockdown.The realisation that you don't need a lot to feel contentment and happiness.How having a resilient mindset is more important than having a stable mindset.When going through a storm, are you going to stay put or adapt and come out stronger?Why we should also practise detachment from the things we don't like.We each get to decide what our 'normal lives' look like.Tell us how you're feeling about all these changes. Remember, however, you're feeling is okay. Give yourself kindness and compassion. And when in doubt, move your body and shake it off. Do some yoga, breathe, dance and laugh, laugh, laugh.We also mentioned our interview with Dani Smith and how w

During this episode, we chat about compromise. Lately, we've been reflecting on the changes in our lives and how decisions lead to change and that every decision comes with compromise. As Joseph Campbell says "You must enter the cave that you fear in order to find the treasure." Right now, if you're feeling stuck in making a decision because you're afraid of the compromise, if you're afraid of the change... then tune in to this episode.Stuff we talk about…Every decision comes with compromises and sacrifices.Every yes is a no to something else, and vice versa.Sometimes we live in a place of the 'fear of compromise' so we stay where we are, in the ocean of mediocrity.Is it time to step into the unknown and uncertainty?Learn from other people's mistakes.There's never a decision that never comes with a potential pro and con.When you compromise your self, your truth, your time and your love. It's time to check-in.We really loved this episode, we feel like we had some personal moments of clarity. It's lik

Before we get into this post let’s get you in the right frame of mind.Find a comfy seat, or simply get comfy where you are, roll the shoulders, shift a little side to side and now… find some stillness.Relax your shoulders. Relax your face, feel the expression melt away as you read these words.Now take a deep breath in… and open the mouth, let the breath go, like you’re fogging up the glass.Let’s do two more like that…Deep breath in and ahhhhh let the breath go.One more, deep breath in…. and exhale let the breath go.Let’s check-in, do you feel any different from when you first began reading this post?Do you feel a little more settled, a little more grounded, a little more present? You just experienced the most potent healing modality (ever) and you’ve been doing it your entire life… you’ve just been doing it wrong.BREATHING.Wait, what? Yes! Breathing, which is usually an unconscious action that naturally occurs due to the intelligence of your body.Unconscious breathing does enough to keep you al