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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 compariso

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

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 f

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 di

In this episode, we have an amazing guest, Kevin Basham, all the way from UK and we’re so excited that he’s back on the show. If you’ve been with us since the beginning, you would have heard from him on Episode 45: How to Succeed When No One Else Believes in You with Kevin Basham. We love him and lately, we’ve been loving his Instagram content on living intentionally while building success.Stuff we talked about…You can live intentionally and put your best foot forward. But ultimately, things happen in the world. So, the belief that when we have these goals and if we don’t achieve them, then we’re a failure. Is so stupid.What success means to Kevin. Success is about the endeavour and the adventure of moving forward and doing something meaningful, whether it’s in business, whether it’s in relationships, whether it’s in finances, health, wealth, etc. It’s in the doing more than the arrival point.What Kevin’s weekly structure looks like and how structure equals freedom. You have to really understand you

We've had a big journey with this whole mindset around change, especially change to self, whether it's a body, mindset or a life change. When we first began, it came from a place of "I don't like who I am now so I'm gonna change and then I'll love myself." Then we realized, the only way to love yourself in the future is to love yourself now.In this episode, we're talking about the full circle where, "ok, now I love myself but I also want to change" without going back to the old mindset of not feeling good enough.Stuff we talked about...With the practice of self-acceptance, some people misunderstand it as you're not allowed to change. But really, change is inevitable in life and you are allowed to want to make a change.It's all about the reason why and how you're going to go about the change.We are allowed to desire things and make a change. But, how do we make sure that the journey from A to B is an enjoyable process?When you practice self-acceptance right here right now, the journey toward change is full of

Are you trying to grow your business or get that job promotion and you feel like it's going nowhere? Does it feel like opportunity is going to all those around you? Everyone, except you?We understand, we have been there and we've also been in situations where opportunities are flying left, right and centre. Hear us chat more about opportunities and what to do when it feels like you have none.Stuff we talked about...Sometimes, it can feel like opportunity is not coming your way. But it could be there right in front of you. You might just need to take a step toward it.When you feel like no opportunity is knocking at your door, do a bit more research, approach someone and ask for help. Keep taking those little action steps and trying new things.We don't have to wait for an opportunity. We are the creators of it. Action creates opportunity.If you go and take action out of this episode, tell us about it. We would love to hear from you. If you have any A-HA moments, questions, comments or feedback about this episod

In this episode, we chat excitement for life... and the lack of it. Recently we've had several people reach out for advice on how to find that zest for life again, how to rediscover that feeling of excitement for the small things and also the big things in life.Stuff we talked about...Feeling excited is a practice. Comparison can be what stops the excitement. Comparing our lives to someone else's life makes you feel crap about your life. Gratitude makes you feel excited for your life.Our three big exciting times within our business journey. Shake it up when you're feeling a lack of joy and excitement. When you're feeling lacklustre. What to do?Replace fear with curiosity. We don't have to dive in headfirst, we just have to dip our toes.If you are looking for excitement, tell us about 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 u

We published a new eBook about Yoga and Chakras. You can get your copy over here!We want to first mention that the Chakra System is an ancient philosophy, we are not experts at all. We first heard of the Chakra system through our Yoga practice. Working with the Chakras has helped us feel more self-connection and created more self-awareness. It's also helped us through hard times, mainly through breakups and business troubles. This was a really fun chat, let us know what you think. Stuff we talked about...Yogis mapped out the Nadi or energy lines within the body. The Ancient Chinese called these Chi or the meridian lines.There are about 72,000 Nadi lines and Chakras lie where these Nadi lines cross and intersect the most. Muladhara is at the base of the spine and it's our connection to the Earth. It is grounding and building strong foundations, whether in relationships, job or financial aspects.Svadhisthana is directly linked to sexual health, sexual pleasure, but also pleasure just in life in genera

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.

Over the last week, we've been telling each other to be more patient, right now we are in the process of selling our investment house, we also started investing in NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and also there is that whole running a business thing! All areas where patience is required. We've been reminding each other that all is coming. So of course, our real-life experiences make the best topic for a Get Merry episode!That feeling of being impatient relates to the whole idea of not being content with where you're, thinking that the grass looks greener on the other side. It's a feeling of excitement with what you're anticipating to happen.But if it is creating anxiety and stress in your present moment, this is where we need to make some mindset shifts.  Stuff we talked about...Allow yourself to actually be in the journey instead of trying to be over there and speed it up. This is all part of the process.When you're focused on the future, you create a feeling of 'stuck' within the present moment.“Impati

For us in Australia, Summer is coming and it's very exciting! But we also understand if the idea of cooling off at the beach brings you more anxiety than joy. And yes let's all prepare for the marketing like 'Summer Shred' and 'get bikini body ready'. Urgh, insert *eye roll* can we please stop?!We used to feel the anxiety, nowadays we feel differently, from a whole lot of work in the unlearning of the BS (that thinness = beauty) and re-learning of self-acceptance and that beauty comes in every size, also that it's actually the least important aspect of ourselves! We say this bikini body thing is pretty simple.You have your body, put your bikini on it. Tada, you have your bikini body!This podcast episode was inspired by Nikki from Styling You and her recent Swimsuit Guide (it's amazing).Stuff we talked about...How to change the belief that you're not good/thin/smooth enough to wear a bikini.Move past the stories you tell yourself about your body.Enjoy being present, feeling the sun and the sand.Put a bikini on

We’ve had a busy week, lot’s of to-do items to tick off. More than normal! And this leads us perfectly into this week’s topic of living in your to-do list… and why you should try NOT to!Stuff we talked about…Multitasking is a complete lie! Everybody told us that multitasking is a skill we should acquire and that we should have. But really it doesn’t bring any form of productivity to our lives. You can’t possibly put all your attention here and then all your attention there.Check in with your values and the tasks you’re doing. How are you doing the to-dos? Are you present? Are you really stressed out? Are you running around like a headless chicken?We can get so caught up in our to-do list that we forget to actually experience the life that is happening right here right now.In every little thing we do, we can choose how we do it. With joy, presence and gratitude? Or with stress and anxiety?Life is a one-time thing and it’s a choice to experience it rather than rush through it and get to the next thing and then

‘Blossom’ is this month’s theme inside our MerryBody Studio. It feels good to set an intention for the month, it allows self-reflection on a topic where you can dive a little deeper and become self-aware of yourself and what you want from life.Reflect, take a moment to define what it is you want to see blossom in your life. Sometimes we can get so distracted in the doing of life. How about we strip away the task-based life and look more at our to-be list? Who do you want to be? How do you want to live? How we live each day is in turn how we live our lives.Not sure what you want to see blossom? Well, tune in and you might just find it.Stuff we talked about…It’s easy to retract and dull your shine out of fear or what others will think of you. Remember, “you are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.” ~ Oprah Winfrey. We might be going through a hardship, an obstacle or a struggle yet we persist and keep taking action. Then we realize that all these struggles were actually helping u

In this episode, we give you actionable practices to help you through stressful situations. Speaking of stressful situations, yesterday, Carla got swooped by a full-grown crow that was about 70cm tall (actually more like 45 cm, she exaggerates) while she was walking Chino. Not once, but four times! When she got back to the apartment, it took her about five minutes to finally calm herself down.Stuff we talked about…Sometimes in a stressful situation, it is your mind taking you for a ride. It doesn’t know the difference between what you’re thinking and what is actually happening. We chat about Emma’s nerve-wracking Barre teaching experience.When you think of all the situations that might happen, the mind believes that they’re happening right here right now, and the response is stress… sweaty palms, sweaty everywhere, overwhelm, shortness of breath and raised heart rate. This is a reminder that our thoughts are very powerful when it comes to stress.Bring awareness to the breath. Breathe in and out through t

Maybe your mediocre life is amazing after all? We read the following words from Mark Manson’s Facebook post the other day. These words inspired this conversation.This right here is in defence of being average: Today, I want to take a detour from our “make more, buy more” culture and argue for the merits of mediocrity, of being blasé, boring and average. Not the merits of pursuing mediocrity, mind you—because we all should try to do the best we possibly can—but rather, the merits of accepting mediocrity when we end up there despite our best efforts. We’re all pretty average at most things. What do you think? Stuff we talked about…Every day of our lives, we’re sold the message to be better, richer, more beautiful and be someone other than you, it can be really overwhelming to think that the version of you right now is not good enough. To one person, a mediocre life is another person’s extraordinary life. You decide what is mediocre and what is extraordinary. It’s a mindset thing.Li

Are you continually feeling not good enough? Do you have a deep fear of rejection and that you are not likeable or loveable? It’s an extremely common feeling that most humans experience in all different aspects of life, whether it be at work, career, relationships, or simply when you are starting something new.Stuff we talked about…When you’re feeling not good enough you’re stuck with fear and anxiety. How can we stop this feeling from being a roadblock?It all begins with our mindset, self-belief and our sense of self-worth. Yoga is one of the most amazing ways to help change your state of mind, fast. It is a great tool to help you let go of self-doubt. You don’t have to be good at it. You just need to do it.A rejection is a redirection. Every no is preparing you for a bigger and brighter YES.Comparison is your worst enemy. As Marie Forleo said, “Don’t compare and let it get you down. Compare and let it inspire you.”Sometimes, you self-sabotage because you already think that you’re not good enough. Liste

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

If you’ve been listening to the Get Merry Podcast for the last two hundred episodes, you know we enjoy talking about money. It’s a very important subject as this impacts every part of our lives. Today, we’re talking about how to spend your money.This subject was inspired from a podcast with Tim Ferris and Ramit Sethi, it got us thinking about our ‘rich lives’. That is, figuring out where to spend your money in order to create the most joy.Stuff we talked about…Removing the taboo around money especially for women. We should have great knowledge of money even if we’re not technically earning it.Don’t feel bad about spending money on things that bring you joy. Allow yourself to feel joy.Sometimes it’s just nice to go out of your way to be generous. Our friend Dr. Lea Freeman paid for our dinner the other night just because… and we’re like that’s Lea living her rich life. (Listen to our podcast episode with her 217: Let’s Talk About Boobs with Dr Lea Freeman)Have your own money rules because then it mak

During this episode, we chat about the current theme inside the MerryBody Studio. The theme is ‘One Step at a Time’. It’s great to have the end goal in mind, a big vision, but this message and this mindset shift is a reminder that all massive goals can be broken down into increments, into small steps. This action alleviates unnecessary suffering and stress.This one mindset shift has got us through some very difficult times. Stuff we talked about…We have all these plans for our lives, but the situation we’re actually in is not supporting that vision. How can we welcome the peace, contentment and acceptance of what’s happening right here right now?Goals help us get connected to our true desires. Enjoy your journey from point A to point B.No one is good at multitasking. Multitasking does not allow us to be our best in our job.Your first step inspires your second step, which inspires your third step and so on. The first step is the hardest step. Focus on your first step.Take one tiny step. It doesn’t have to