Get Merry

The quote from Steve Martin, “Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.”, reminded us of the conversations we've been having as we get towards our 10th year of business. We never really felt especially talented in any particular field. We were never number one at anything. But we did well in everything that we did because we were persistent, we showed up, we were enthusiastic, and we did the work.

• When you're trying to do something and it doesn't happen in the time that you expected it to happen, you can either quit or keep going.
• When should you give up or when you should pivot?
• It's hard work getting to the point of where you want to be, as well as maintaining it and going to the next level. You gotta have that resilient mindset to go through the hard times.
• A lesson from Yoga, detachment, teaches us to keep striving and reaching for our goals but know that wherever we end up going, that's where we're meant to be going and that the real treasure is in the journey and everything that we pick up along the way.
• Sometimes we can shy away from something because we think we're not good enough.
• Stop relying on social media as your gauge of success.
• Persistence trumps talent and it's the person who keeps striving, who keeps going, who keeps trying, who's more likely to be successful.

It's these one-liner quotes that can re-motivate you, re-inspire you and remind you to keep taking the steps and dig a little deeper. If you loved this episode, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 short and sweet episode, our goal is to get you feeling motivated to exercise. Right now, we are in Canberra (Australia), in the middle of winter. It's freezing and a whole lot more difficult to exercise in Canberra compared to the Gold Coast! We feel the excuses creeping in, but we know if we don't move, we will feel terrible. So, we share simple tactics on how to get motivated to exercise. If you are struggling to get into a rhythm of consistent exercise, tune in!

• After you wake up and put your coffee on, just move. You don't have to change into your leggings and crop tops. Whatever you're wearing, whether it's 50 layers, pajamas or bed socks, this is why online home workouts are great!
• We need to change the narrative that's going on in the mind. If you're really struggling to exercise, come up with your own mantra that resonates with you.
• Make doable micro goals. Even if all you have is five minutes to exercise, that's better than nothing. 
• Leave visual cues to remind you to start moving your body. Leave your mat rolled out, write notes for yourself on the mirror or fridge.
• Reduce friction. We love online workouts because we can just do it at home at any time. No need to choose a gym outfit. No travel time. No waiting time for the class to get started.
• Find the style of movement that you enjoy, that feels really doable and with less friction. 
• Exercising now is an investment in your health and future.

If you're feeling motivated from this episode or if something resonated with you, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla

P.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 episode

• Body 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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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.

To welcome something new into your life you need to take regular consistent action toward it. But how do you create new habits that stick? 

You can't just do something once and then expect to receive all the benefits. Change happens over time. Change happens with new habits. 

• Find joy in the new habit.
• If-when-then plan. Work out a time, a place and an anchor for the new habit. As Carla says "sandwich your habit into your current life".  
• Get an understanding of how you learn best. Audio, visual or doing?
• Think of a habit you already stick to. Now realise you can transfer this to another habit.
• Monitor your habits in a non-obsessive way such as marking your calendar, having an accountability group, or ticking off your to-do list.
• Don't be too hard on yourself. Remember you're human, you might fail, skip a session or feel like you go backwards even! Don't dwell on the past, focus on the next step.
• Know that you can create change and welcome new habits.

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 [email protected] or [email protected] or message us on our Facebook and Instagram accounts @themerrymakersisters.

Join our next 21 Day Yoga, Pilates and Meditation Challenge. It's the Time for Me Challenge, it starts on June 8.

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla

P.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’re going back to a topic from one of our most popular episodes. People pleasing. A people pleaser works very hard to make other people happy. Often putting other people’s needs above their own.

Are you a people pleaser?

Also, listen to Episode 216: how to stop being a people pleaser.

• A people pleaser often says yes to something and suddenly feels resentment and anger, thoughts might pop up like ‘why did I say yes? I don’t even want to do this!’
• The first step of unlearning any habit is awareness. So, it’s acknowledging that you are a people pleaser and that you want to let go of some aspects of this behaviour
• Say yes when you mean yes and no when you mean no. When someone asks you to do something, check in with yourself first.
• Setting your boundaries is really empowering. Although it can feel awkward to say no, you’ll be proud of yourself for doing it.
• As a people pleaser, you might have old grudges that you’ve kept. 

Go inwards and welcome awareness, what you can learn from others and most importantly, what you can learn from yourself?

We are running a live Q and A morning workout on Thursday 19th May 2022 6:30 AM AEST. If you want to join us, head to the themerrymakersisters.com/class.

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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 8 limbs of Yoga by Patanjali as defined in his yoga sutras. Yoga is not all about the tree pose or downward-facing dog, it's about life.

In relation to this, listen to Episode 256: The 5 levels of the mind – The Yoga Philosophy Series and also Episode 255: How to surrender, let go and trust or Ishvara Pranidhana – The Yoga Philosophy Series.

• Yamas are kind of like moral lines and how you show up in life. Ahimsa is non-violence or kindness. Satya is truthfulness and honesty. Asteya is non-stealing. Brahmacharya is celibacy and loyalty. Aparigraha is detachment.
• Niyama is more of a way you are inside. Shaucha is more like cleanliness or detoxification of our thoughts. Santosha is contentment and self-acceptance. Tapas is devotion, dedication and discipline. Svadhyaya is self-study and self-awareness. Ishvarapranidhana is the practice of surrendering and letting go.
• Asana is the postures and the poses. Traditionally, there was one Asana and that was sitting cross-legged to meditate and breathe. Then, the ancient yogis continued to create poses in order to sit for longer periods of time with less discomfort.
• Pranayama can be translated to 'life force control'. Some people call it breathwork. 
• Pratyahara is sense withdrawal as in closing your eyes or blocking your ears.
• Dharana is focusing or maintaining the thoughts and it's like the beginning of meditation.
• Dhyana is when you're truly meditating and nothing can interrupt you.
• Samadhi is when we're in Savasana lying on the ground in full surrender. Bliss land. Maybe even enlightened!

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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 (hehe, ok it’s a rant) was influenced by a recent Facebook post that got quite a lot of attention with a number of very different opinions. We shared a post from Alex Light about Kim Kardashian dropping 16 pounds to fit into her Met Gala dress just by eating tomatoes. Wait, what?

• You can do what you want with your body, but know that what you say (especially if you’re Kim Kardashian) has power behind it. It’s not something to throw out lightly, even if the tomato comment was taken out of context.
• We talked more about the issues with before and afters during this episode, 319: Psychologist perspective of before and after photos with Miriam Emad.
• Going on a crazy starvation diet a week before a special event is common BUT there’s nothing normal or healthy about it. 
• What we look like, especially our weight, is the least important factor about us.  
• We agree that Marilyn’s dress should not be altered. It’s an amazing piece of history. Don’t wear it in the first place. That’s it! We are not designed to fit clothes. Clothes are designed to fit us.
• We are not anti-weight loss. We just care about HOW you do it.

Take some time and reflect on how society and diet culture has impacted you and everyone in your life.

If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 so easy to get 100% consumed and caught up in other people's drama. Some people choose to step out of it while others choose to be amongst it and feed off it. In this episode, we chat about this and how to step out of it. 

• Sometimes we can be emotional, but this is not really the drama we are chatting about. It's necessary to live our truth and feel our feelings. And have friends we can be open with and depend on.
• It's important that we check in, is the drama taking over our lives. Also, we go on a crazy tangent onto the obsession with TV and reality TV. 
• Realise what's truly important. Get your feet on the ground.
• Decide whether or not you want to be part of the drama. Does the drama serve you or not?
• Create your own boundaries and have the awareness of whether you're the person bringing the drama or not.
• Be mindful of the people you hang out with and what you allow. Try to change the pattern of the catch-up or the communication.

Really, the way to step out of the drama is knowing that you want to step out of it. It's having the awareness of your energy and time, checking in with how you're feeling and knowing that you are the decision-maker and that you can say no. You can be in control!

If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 ways how you can feel less shit. Something you can do that will change your situation, shift your mood and change how you feel. This episode was inspired by this popular blog post. 

• Journaling. Getting the stuff out of your head and on paper. 
• Surround yourself with people you love and who unconditionally love you back. 
• Practising gratitude makes a difference. What you focus on grows.
• Bring creativity into life. You don't need to create something that is beautiful. You can paint for the sake of painting and doodle just for fun.
• Move your body! This is the ultimate tool to get you out of your head and feel instantly better. Try out our FREE Feel Amazing Pilates Class.
• Get your sexy butt in nature. Walk outside, sit on the beach, lay on the grass, go barefoot, get grounded. 
• Human touch, hugs and cuddles release oxytocin and serotonin. Go hug someone for 20 seconds and release those love hormones. 
• Put on your favourite tune and have a dance break. 
• Have a nap. 
• Do something good for somebody else. Give with no expectation.

These are very simple ways to make you feel less shit. Take a couple and pop them in your toolbox. When you need them, use them and see yourself change from feeling blah to ahhh-mazing!

If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episode, send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] 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 + Carla

P.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 should call this podcast episode, does Pilates make your bum smaller and other stupid stuff we should all stop Googling. Let’s get this straight, right here and now, your bum is amazing. Just as it is.

Small butts, bigger bums, round booty, flat booty. All great bums!

No matter what your butt actually looks like, your butt muscles help you do many things!

They help you walk, sit, push, and pick stuff up. Strong gluteus medius and gluteus maximus, or what we like to refer as your booty, also help you stand with better posture. Meaning, less back pain and potential back injuries.

Ahh, yes there are so many amazing reasons to work your booty, whether it be strength training in the gym with a personal trainer, or Pilates at home with our MerryBody Yoga and Pilates App.

• Beauty ideals are forever changing! Right now, it’s all about that big round booty on a shelf, but let’s throwback to the 1990s when the beauty ideal was flat bum and boobs.
• Even when we have self-acceptance and awareness of diet culture, it’s very easy to fall back to the mindset that our worth is based on what we look like.
• Let’s flip the conversation and realise that we’re doing a certain workout not just for looks but to work a certain muscle for another reason.
• Check in with your reason and motivation behind why you’re exercising. It makes you stronger and more flexible. It also helps maintain a healthy mental state. These are two amazing things that happen when you set aside time for exercise.

Although you might be under the impression you need to lift heavy weights to work the booty, we’d invite you to try this one Pilates move to see just how amazing Pilates is for your butt.

Here’s a photo of Emma, the MerryBody Pilates instructor showing one of her favourite moves, all 4s tabletop. You’ll see her left leg is extended strong, she’ll then add movement and this is when it’s important to engage the butt muscles and therefore work the booty! Whether it’s a single leg tap, leg kick or bend extension, the booty is working.

This move uses body weight to strengthen the full body. But to make this movement and all other Pilates exercises more effective, you must do them with control and precision.

It’s important to really extend your legs, no floppy legs. You must use your core to help stabilise your body, the work comes in the movement and the stability. 

Pilates really is the most amazing booty workout!

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla

Ps. Please remember that our advice is never a substitute for professional medical advice diagnosis or treatment. 

Pp.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.