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 that makes you feel good and allows you to experience life! So you can swim and play vollwy ball, and boobs and bits stay in the swimsuit. Regardless of what other people think, it's how you feel that is most important.  If it inspires you to go to the beach or jump into the pool and experience life to its fullness or 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/5daysCheck 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.

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310: How to get a bikini body

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 the next thing.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.

309: Stop living in your to-do list

‘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 us grow and bloom. “And somehow, after everything, she still bloomed in the way she was meant to.” ~ Morgan Harper Nichols. In these moments of toughness, that’s when we learn a whole other version of ourselves.What’s the best way to allow something to blossom? Awareness of wanting to change and making a change to daily habits and mindset shifts.Setting an intention every morning when you wake up is powerful. We have to consciously decide that we want to welcome in a new mindset.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.

It's time for you to blossom

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 the nose, and really focus on expanding your rib cage. In Yoga, Asana is making your cup. Pranayama is filling your cup up. And, meditation practice is taking a sip from your cup.When you count the breath, it means that you’re not focusing on what your mind is thinking about.Reflect and learn from your stressful situations to better equip you when really big stressful times come your way.The practice of Meditation, Yoga and Pilates isn’t just to use in moments of stress. It actually helps us to not get in stressful situations to begin with.If you want to dive deeper and go through these techniques with us, be sure to sign up to our Free Masterclass where we’ll share the tools to manage the stress. It’s like a little retreat at home. Sign up here: https://getmerry.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/6730182/register 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/5daysCheck 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.

307: Listen and learn to deal with your stress better

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.Life is all about the ebbs and flows. If it’s all extraordinary, then it wouldn’t be extraordinary at all.Embrace the journey. Experience the journey because that is life itself. The life experience is sometimes in the struggle.Don’t stop yourself from feeling joy because you think you don’t deserve it yet.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.

306: Maybe your mediocre life is amazing after all

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. Listen to 220: how to stop self-sabotaging your success.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.

305: Are you forever feeling not good enough? Here’s what to do

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.

304: How to NOT suck at meditation

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 makes your decisions on how to spend money easier.When you have great knowledge of money, you feel empowered about your decisions, you feel stronger and more confident, and you can plan better for your future.Think of an amount that you can spend on yourself right now. Spend it on something that you really want and love with no guilt… oh and on you, not your kids, pets or your partner.This topic is an interesting topic to delve into further. If it has brought up anything for you, maybe you should dig a little deeper, reflect and see how you can become more confident and empowered around your spending and saving habits.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.

303: How to spend your money

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 be a leap. It’s just taking that one step.When there is less stress, less anxiety, less overthinking and less overwhelm, there’s so much space for other things to come in.Begin living what you want to feel in your life.If you want love, give love. If you want friendship, be a good friend. If you want joy, allow yourself to feel joy. If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be a singer, sing. If you want a business, start a business. If you want to get to that goal, start with step one.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/5daysCheck 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.

302: This one mindset shift will help you work towards your goals

In this episode, we chat about giving up. That is knowing when you should actually give up on your goals or whatever it is you’re working towards. Oftentimes we’re told to never give up and keep going. But, is there a right time to actually stop and let go of a dream? Stuff we talked about…Attachment to a goal, is this the real problem?Find out what it is you actually want from life.It’s ok to give up on things that are working but don’t feel good anymore.Giving up is not failure. Maybe the idea failed, but you’re not a failure. The only real failure would be if you stop doing anything at all.Giving up is not the easy way. Maybe the easy way is not beginning. If you haven’t even started to work toward your goals or desires listen to Episode 300.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.

301: how do you know it’s time to give up?

As we celebrate our 300th episode, we go back to where it all began and reflect on why beginning something new is so hard (or maybe it really is all very simple!).When we decided to record our very first podcast episode, there was a thought that we were too late and that there were too many, should we even bother? We had the same thought process when we started our blog.It can be really overwhelming to begin something new. We had to push these thoughts aside and not be afraid to be a beginner.Stuff we talked about…People are afraid of being a beginner because they don’t want to look foolish. They fear failure. They compare themselves to experts.If you’re pretending to be an expert, the inauthenticity screams through. Start with your truth.Addiction to be perfect and the feeling of not being good enough make you not begin.If you figure out what you want to do, if you follow your bliss, if you do what lights you up, and create a goal.. Boom! Maybe you just will have the ride of your life.The hero and the coward both feel the fear of beginning. The difference is what they do after the fear.Meditation is a great tool to help you get past the fear of beginning. It’s all about mindset.Instead of thinking about what’s the worst, think about the best, actually think about both. Don’t let the fear stop you. Jump into the beginning with excitement.The beginning is full of surprises. We look back on our beginning with great fondness.You don’t have to know everything. You’ll figure it out as you go. And, Google is your friend!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.

300: Everyone is afraid of being a beginner, are you?

How do you react less and respond better? We chat about this and more during this episode.Can you relate? You’re having a simple chat with your partner, sibling or best friend and they say something that frustrates you. You then blow up with a reply that almost shocks you?! We both can definitely relate to this!And this is why learning to respond rather than react reduces a whole lot of suffering, creates more happiness and stronger relationships.Stuff we talked about…Be more empathetic and considerate of others. Shock horror, the world does not revolve around you, sorry.Don’t take things personally. Practice stepping out of your story and stop relating what they’re doing to you.Add space where possible, whether it’s a breath or time to go inwards to process and reflect on the situation. It could also be a meditation, going for a walk, doing a yoga or Pilates class. It’s shifting your environment creating space between what happened and your response.Create a practice that helps you become better at responding before the situation even occurs. We have to have the awareness, the want and the desire to work on how we respond. This is the first step.Don’t keep things inside you. If something upsets you then figure out how to talk about it with your partner, friend, sister, parents or whoever.Choose one takeaway from this episode, work on it and see what happens! 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.

299: how to react less and respond better

In this episode, we chat about my nose job. Emma has been asking me to write a blog post about my nose job experience and finally, I did. Here’s the full story: No, you shouldn’t get a nose job (advice from someone who has had two).  It got so many comments I wanted to chat about it further on the podcast.Stuff we talked about… I thought I had a ‘bad and ugly nose’.I thought the ideal nose was a small button nose. I thought fixing my big nose would make me the best version of myself. Your uniqueness and your magic is the beautiful thing about you. Your differences are what make you amazing.If you’re struggling with a body part of yours, remember that there’s nothing to be ‘fixed’ with your body.The only thing that needs to be fixed is your sense of beauty, your thoughts around the word beautiful and what it means to be beautiful.If I can use my story of pain and regret to help someone not to go through with it, I feel like there’s a purpose to my journey then. Maybe I can help someone learn my lesson before they need to learn their lesson.If you consider any form of body-changing surgery, think about it again and everything that’s involved. You’re so much more than what you look like. You are your kindness, humour, creativity, compassion. You’re all of them.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.

298: this is why I regret my nose job

This episode is inspired by a real life conversation with a great friend of ours. She told us that she hadn’t done Pilates in five days straight and felt guilty and really bad about it. And yep, we sure have felt this in the past too!Also, if you missed the last episode, number 296, we published one of our favourite guided meditations from MerryBody Online Studio. Embody Meditation is a technique that guides you to really focus on every single part of the body. Check it out after you listen to this episode!Stuff we talked about…Maybe you had a great meditation routine and you were eating healthy, exercising every day and now… you are not. You were doing something “good” but then life happens. Your focus went elsewhere. This is life, right? The ebbs and flows of everything.Sometimes, you need to change your routine and it’s okay! The most important thing is to tune in to what you really need right now. How do we stop from punishing ourselves for missing that session, or having a week off? Acceptance. It’s accepting what is.We were obsessed with thinness. We used to think that thin equals beauty and achievement. But beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that we get to choose what is beauty.Your humanness is the magic. It’s not something to be ashamed of, or something to punishIf you’re struggling to understand what acceptance feels like, then forgiveness is a way to help you feel it.Forgive yourself for skipping those days. Don’t beat yourself up. You’d rather spend time with people you love. Life is short, get yourself a gelato. (If you’re in Brisbane, visit a gelato shop called La Macelleria Gelateria — soooo good!)Experience this moment right now and really reflect where you are. Look around. Breathe it in. Feel it. Maybe you’ll feel gratitude or joy, definitely, you’ll feel a sense of presence. 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.

297: Feeling guilty because you skipped your workout?

Embody Meditation will guide you inward to feel every inch of your body and become completely present. A few moments to fully embody this amazing vessel that is your home. This guided meditation is from our MerryBody Online Studio... learn more at themerrymakersisters.com/merrybodyFind a comfy seat, close the eyes and let’s welcome in a MerryMind.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

296: Embody Guided Meditation (seriously go to bliss town in 9 minutes)

Get Merry is a show that covers real life stuff. It's a conversation with your best friend. They don't skip the struggles, and you'll laugh along with the surprisingly fresh honesty your hosts Emma and Carla Papas bring each week. Walk away feeling inspired with doable action steps and realise that you're not alone in the magical mess of your life. Let's Get Merry!

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