431: Are You Breathing Wrong?

Have you ever thought about getting Botox? No? Then, welcome to the No Botox Club! In this episode inspired by a reel that Emma shared yesterday, we chat about self-acceptance in a world obsessed with youth and botox.Also! We are so excited about our upcoming Breathe and Meditation Masterclass! Hop on the waitlist for our Yoga Teacher Training 2025 to get the invite!This is what we spoke about during the episodeEvery year, every wrinkle is a blessing. Celebrate the aging process!We grew up with the pressure of needing to be thin and obsession with dieting that really impacted our health and lives negatively. That's why we began practising and devoting our time and life to self-acceptance.Carla recalls her botched nose job experience. Listen to Episode 298: this is why I regret my nose job.Are cosmetically altered and botox faces the 'new normal face'?Lack of facial expression as a result of getting Botox is an extreme issue in regard to children developing emotional intelligence.There are too many potential side effects of Botox from mild to moderate pain, droopy eye lids and even death (yes it's stated on the risks!)! Is the smooth face that doesn't move really worth it when you can get all these risks?If you find yourself feeling like you have to get Botox, check in with yourself. Who are you surrounding yourself with? Because not everyone in the world is getting Botox even though it may feel like they are.There are other alternative self-care practices such as lymphatic massage using the gua sha. You can also go to an infrared sauna, but nice skin care.Beautify yourself in whatever way you want, but also acknowledge that we can't stay a certain way forever.Do some research and consider the pros and cons of Botox.You can practise self-acceptance through Yoga, Pilates, and meditation. That's what we do!Remember that you are amazing just as you are! 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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 podcast episode, we chat about how to get through the lows of life. After all they are natural and part of life, perhaps it's more about embracing low emotions instead of resisting them. Plus we chat about the small daily rituals that we do to help us get through the lows of life.Also! We are so excited about our upcoming Breathe and Meditation Masterclass! Hop on the waitlist for our Yoga Teacher Training 2025 to get the invite!This is what we spoke about during the episodeThere's a cyclone warning on the Gold Coast, which is very unusual.Accepting the lows as a natural part of life is going to help us get through the lows.When you can't change something, the only thing you can control is how you deal with the situation.Embrace what is. You don't have to embrace it and like it. Embrace it and be in it, live through it, and get through it.Something that you love unconditionally, like a pet, helps you move through difficult emotions and allow healing.Having connections and people you can lean on is another way to deal with low emotions.Meditation, Yoga and Breathwork are all ways to help you get through the lows of life. Exercise is not just about physical strength. It helps you go through all the feelings.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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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.

We're excited to be back in our recording chairs, or as in Emma's case, the floor! After a brief hiatus, we're hitting play on a series of new episodes. In this episode, we chat about the impact of everyday actions on life's direction. How the days make up the weeks, the weeks make up the months, the months make up the years... and the years make up the life.This is what we spoke about during the episodeConsistent small steps lead to dreams becoming reality.Connect to your heart. Yoga, meditation, or going out in nature helps you reconnect to yourself.With screen time and distractions all around, it's important to create a dedicated space and time to tune into your true desires and create actions that align with your heart.Big goals, dreams and ideas, without action stay ideas and dreams.Failure is part of the journey. It's not about never failing, but always learning and allowing the failure to lead you to the next thing.Are you working on any passion-filled or bliss-filled pursuits? 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 [email protected] or [email protected] or message us at 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 time for you to finally let go of perfection! But not in every aspect of your life... just some. We recommend it anyway, yes, progress beats perfection every single time! Because perfection can often lead to paralysis, procrastination and burnout.Also! You are invited to a Free Masterclass we're hosting on the 20th of March. It's all about your breath and meditation. You will experience a live guided meditation and breathwork to release stress and make you feel amazing. They'll be practices that you can implement into your life whenever you need them. They're very easy to remember and easy to do, with a great positive impact. To get the invitation, simply hot on the waitlist for our Yoga Teacher Training 2025.This is what we spoke about during the episodeIn this age of Instagram filters, Botox, we need this message more than ever!Perfectionism can be paralysing. We've been there! But releasing that pressure lets you live life with a lens of acceptance and presence.Our Yoga Teacher Training has been a transformative journey for us. That steered us away from perfectionism.Embrace progress over perfection. Done is better than perfect!When you release perfection, you allow yourself to feel more joy because there's less pressure.Focus on doing your best rather than comparing to others.Show up, try your best... letting go of perfection does not mean you can be careless. Well you can do what you want, but carelessness is our pet peeve.Remember you are amazing just as you are right here and right now. 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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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.

You're probably breathing wrong and it's impacting your energy, focus and even your mood. It might not be something you think about often, but poor breathing habits can lead to stress, fatigue and tension. The good news? With a few simple shifts, you can unlock more vitality, calm, and clarity... just by breathing better.Also, if you love this episode you should sign up to our free Breath and Meditation Masterclass! Hop on the waitlist for our Yoga Teacher Training 2025 to get the invite!This is what we spoke about during the episodeTaking four deep breaths in and out through your nose has the power to shift you from the sympathetic nervous system into the parasympathetic nervous system.The most amazing tool and the most underused tool to better balanced health is our breath.Take a breath, meditate, do a pranayama, or do whatever breathing exercise you like.Pranayama is the fourth limb of the eight limbs of yoga. Listen to Episode 329: The 8 limbs of Yoga explained or read our blog post How To Do Yoga? | The 8 Limbs of Yoga Explained.Pranayama can be translated as life force control. It is the life force within the breath and linked to how much vitality you feel."We don't eat all the time. We don't drink all the time, but we do breathe all the time. So your breath is the most important and vital means of allowing prana into and out of the body. " — Andrew Mournehis, our philosophy teacher inside the MerryBody Yoga Teacher TrainingBKS Iyengar states in his book Light on Pranayama, " Pranayama, the yogic art of breathing, leads to a control of the emotions, which in turn brings stability, concentration, and mental poise."Nasal breathing has so many benefits!Lengthening the breath is one way to get you feeling calm and less stressed.If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or a family member who wants to learn how to breathe better. Get in touch, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to [email protected] or [email protected] 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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 today's episode, Carla takes us through her 37-hour birth story. Although she aimed for a 'calm birth' there was nothing calm about baby Denny's arrival! Although we have an amazing happy ending we better put a trigger warning on here. As Carla says... it was wild!This is what we spoke about during the episodeAt 38 weeks, Carla had an acupuncture session, 1 of the 2 'induction sessions'. In the end she only needed one! Contractions began soon after.Carla's intense lower back pain indicated posterior pregnancy. This was the worst pain she has ever felt in her entire life. There was nothing calm about this birth.Carla got the epidural and Talia, one of the midwives, internally turned the baby anterior so Carla could finally push him out.She experienced the "ring of fire" moment where the head was coming out and the epidural did not mask the stretching pain.When baby Denny went out and started crying, it was the most amazing sound in the world.Flexibility in birth plans is important and breathwork is very helpful.Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like and for what you experience in the first couple of post-birth months.Cherish each fleeting moment and be present, especially in parenthood.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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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.

We are super excited to be back recording this episode after Carla had a baby (9 weeks ago). Keep an eye out for the birth story in the next episode, she wasn't quite ready to share it yet. In this episode, we have a quick chat about baby stuff (like how loud babies fart) and also about doing hard things, because things can be hard, but hard isn't always bad, right?Also, Emma's microphone did not have the best connection... for some reason, something to do with my internet and zoom. Anyway, it's not too bad, so still press play!This is what we spoke about during the episodeCarla had a baby! YAY!Exercise is not always easy, but the reward is worth it.Sometimes it's not the action that's hard, but it's starting action. Finding the motivation is hard.When you have zero motivation, the best thing to do is take action. PUSH THROUGH the resistance. The book "The Tea Rose" makes us appreciate the luxury of modern living compared to the manual labour of the past.Running a business with a baby is really hard, preparation and having good systems in place are important (haha).Have a routine, but be flexible.We are against dieting. But, we're not against eating healthily.The hardest thing is to change your mindset.We also share the unexpected challenges of new motherhood, from feeding and burping to celebrating milestones like baby Denny's first smiles and giggles.If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to [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! 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.

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 [email protected] or [email protected] 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 of our Yoga Teacher Series, we chat ideas and opportunities you can take to kickstart your Yoga teaching journey.You can learn more about our 2025 MerryBody Yoga Teacher Training program over here.This is what we spoke about during the episodeFind a local Facebook group where yoga teachers hang out and find class cover opportunities, which can lead to permanent positions.If there is a studio that you love, put yourself out there. Network and build a relationship with the studio owner.Get your foot in the door and offer classes at a community rate or even free of charge for people to get to know your teaching style.Join local council initiatives and explore funding opportunities to teach yoga.Tap into other industries or events for wellness opportunities and offer your service.Build your social media presence to share your values and mission, and for potential clients to research and connect with you.Teach private classes and find an opportunity to collaborate and network with other professionals that are aligned with what you're doing.Search for yoga teaching positions offered in hotels, resorts, hospitals, other treatment facilities, or in events like festivals.Expanding your network is the key to finding more yoga teaching opportunities.Teach yoga online for schools, industries, and other work industries.Run your own retreats or host small groups or 1 on 1.If you loved this episode or have more questions about this, we would love to hear from you, send us an email to [email protected] or [email protected] 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.