Get Merry

Grab a spritz (it's always spritz o'clock somewhere) and join us across an eight hour time difference, with Emma in Rome and Carla on the Gold Coast. This week we wander through a 102-year-old wine festival, debate whether romantasy writing is "bad" (spoiler: we don't care, we love it), we chat about pesticides in Aussie produce, and share a proud moment about why MerryBody does not use before and after photos. Plus a very special guest appearance from Denny singing Five Little Ducks. HAHAH.Content note: this episode includes discussion of domestic violence and eating disorders. Please look after yourself while listening.In this episode:The Marino Grape Festival, 50 kinds of spritz and why the little towns outside Rome are our favouriteCastel Gandolfo, souvenir shopping regrets and the Florence coin purse that disappearedCarla's week: weekends at Mum's, Leo's milestones and a new apartment on the wayWhat it's like running our Yoga Teacher Training with a brand new cohort (week seven already!)Why meditation is where yoga philosophy actually starts to transform youFinishing Threshing Day, the hero's journey and why every great story shares the same bones (warning spoilers)Pesticides, BPA-free bottles and choosing glass and organic where we canSmall business, AI and finding gratitude when the world feels heavyOur stance on before and afters, and the Instagram post that made us proudKey takeaways:Knowing isn't doing. You can know every benefit of meditation, but nothing changes until you actually sit and breathe.Presence is the big lesson of yoga. Mess in the house and imperfect days matter far less than the moment you're in.Gratitude helps, and so does a walk. When things feel heavy, finding one thing to be thankful for (and getting outside) helps you move again.Your before is just as worthy as your after. The wins that matter most, like better sleep, less back pain and feeling calmer, can't be photographed.Values over trends. We've got things wrong before, but we'll always choose what feels right over what sells fastest.Resources mentioned:Sagra dell'Uva (Marino Grape Festival), Castelli Romani, ItalyCastel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa and Lake AlbanoVilla Borghese and the Pantheon, RomeAperol Spritz (invented 1919)Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros, a collection of thirteen Empyrean stories, released 29 September 2026Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm by Rebecca YarrosTwilight by Stephenie MeyerThe Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (the hero's journey, 1949)Carl Jung's archetypesHarry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Throne of Glass (the giant spiders)Gossip GirlThe Dirty Dozen list of high-pesticide produceOur MerryBody Instagram post: "Why you'll never see before and after photos from us"Feel good in your body, without the before and aftersMerryBody is our yoga, Pilates and meditation app built on self-acceptance, not shame. Short classes that help you sleep better, feel stronger, ease back pain and actually want to move, even if it's just 10 minutes a day.Start your free trial here: http://geni.us/merrybody Or learn more: https://themerrymakersisters.com/merrybody-yoga-pilates/Ready to go deeper? If this week's chat about meditation and philosophy lit something up in you, the School of MerryBody Yoga Teacher Trainings are for you. Fully online, Yoga Alliance approved, and full of the kind of connection you'll remember forever.200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training: https://themerrymakersisters.com/online-yoga-teacher-training/Yin Yoga Teacher Training: https://themerrymakersisters.com/yin-yoga-teacher-training/Always merrymaking,Emma + Carla, The Merrymaker Sisters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Okay, this one goes everywhere. Actually... everywhere!Emma's just back from a week in Puglia (and yes, she ate all the bocconotti), and Carla's had a five-day birthday fesitval on the Gold Coast. Even though she organised it herself... virgo dream, right?So we start with pasta, figs and beach days… and then somehow end up in an existential crisis about social media, AI yoga teachers and all the bad news in the world. Then we swing right back to fictional dragons.Basically, it's exactly what our coffee catch-ups sound like. Grab a coffee or a spritz and come sit with us. Or walk with us. Or drive with us!Denny also makes a little surprise appearance at the end, CUTE!Warning: we chat about sexual assault, violence against women and some heavy world news in this one, so please look after yourself while listening. If you need support in Australia, 1800RESPECT is there on 1800 737 732. Oh, and a few little Fourth Wing spoilers too! If you have not read book 1, block your ears when we get to that part! haha.What we chat about:Emma's Puglia must-eats: bocconotti for brekkie, orecchiette with cime di rapa, bombette, octopus panino and figs straight off the tree (maybe don't do that last one)The cutest towns: Martina Franca, Ostuni, Locorotondo, Monopoli, Lecce and CisterninoWhy the late-night passeggiata is the most Italian thing everWatching five groups doing photoshoots at lunch… and then scheduling our own reels like, what are we doing?!The AI yoga accounts taking over our feeds (so weird)Why we really want to bring back in-person eventsSpeaking up about the hard stuff, and raising little boys who step inCarla's birthday week, newborn life and 2am squats while rocking LeoEmma's local chestnut festival and a bike ride on the Via Appia AnticaThreshing Day is out!! Our fave stories so far (Xaden, obviously)Our takeaways:Live it first, photograph it second. Take the pic, sure, then put the phone down.Real humans matter more than ever. Especially when half your feed is AI.If you're safe to speak up, speak up. Be the one who calls it out.The hard seasons pass. Dinnertime chaos won't last forever (and maybe it's the whole point anyway).Stuff we mentioned:Bar Adua, Martina Franca (THE bocconotti)La Pasteria, Martina Franca (fresh pasta, so good)Threshing Day by Rebecca YarrosFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosWindy City series by Liz TomfordeSherele Moody and Australian Femicide Watch: australianfemicidewatch.org1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Come hang out with us in MerryBody Like we said in this ep: if you need a bit of yoga or Pilates, a reminder that you're already amazing, or just a break from all the "fix yourself" stuff online, come join us! MerryBody is yoga, Pilates and meditation with real teachers and real bodies. No before-and-afters here, promise. Quick classes for busy days, longer flows when you've got time, and lots of positivity but also embracing reality.And if you're loving this little series, please tell a friend. It really helps us so much.Join us direct via the app store: http://geni.us/merrybodyHave a read: https://themerrymakersisters.com/merrybody-yoga-pilates/Thinking about teaching? Our Yoga Alliance approved 200 Hour and Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings are open too: https://themerrymakersisters.com/online-yoga-teacher-training/Thanks for tuning in, see you next week!Emma + CarlaThe Merrymaker Sisters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sorelle Sessions #2 is here! Emma is in Rome, Carla is on the Gold Coast. We hit record on the chat we would have had anyway. No script, no plan, just sisters catching up. Grab a coffee (or a spritz) and enjoy!In this episode:The full play-by-play of the Tuscan wedding menu, from the aperitivo to the never-ending courses to the cake.Why Emma wore her Year 12 formal dress (bought at 17, worn again at 38) and why it looked even better this time.The sisters' teenage hair eras, thanks to one very persuasive hairdresser in Canberra.Radicchio, breadcrumbs on baked veggies, and other Italian kitchen tricks worth stealing.Dance floor lifts, near misses by the pool, and the group chat wedding song.Carla on life with a toddler and a newborn.Sorelle Sessions Italian lessons, how to actually say Fiumicino, and the best pizza al taglio near the airport (called Sancho).For extended Europe stays, car lease option.Why Emma regrets not making the Puglian wedding bigger (but the 40th birthday party idea that might fix it).Links mentioned:The Tuscan wedding food.The dress! Worn at 17 and 38.Join us on the matWhether you're in Rome, on the Gold Coast, or somewhere in between, MerryBody is your home for Yoga, Pilates and meditation. Move in a way that feels good, with two sisters who get that life is busy and bodies change. Try it here: http://geni.us/merrybodyReady to go deeper? The School of MerryBody Yoga Teacher Trainings are Yoga Alliance approved and fully online, so you can study from anywhere (even between courses at an Italian wedding). Choose from the 200 Hour, Yin Yoga or Yamas and Niyamas trainings.200 Hour YTT: https://themerrymakersisters.com/online-yoga-teacher-training/Yin Yoga YTT: https://themerrymakersisters.com/yin-yoga-teacher-training/Got questions for the next Sorelle Session? Send them our way. We'll be back in your ears next week!Always merrymaking,Emma + Carla The Merrymaker Sisters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our very first episode of the Sorelle Sessions! I am (Emma) in Rome (well, Rocca di Papa, a town just outside of Rome), Carla is on the Gold Coast, and we thought, why not hit record on the catch ups we'd be having anyway? No plan, no script, just the two of us talking about what's really going on. Grab a coffee or a spritz, depending on your time zone.  In this episode we chat:Italy vs the Gold Coast: 11pm piazzas full of kids vs cafés closing at 2pm, and why Italians don't need a name for "the third place"The real cost of living comparison: €2 chicken Marylands, €7 pizza and €4 spritzes vs $22 spritzes and $26 margheritas back home.Why we chose to buy a little house in Italy instead of renovating in Australia.The ongoing cost of living crisis, small business closures and the hard part of being "in touch with reality" without being consumed by it.Parenting from Instagram: praising effort over "you're so smart," and the "you can walk or mummy carries you" trick that actually worked on Denny.Postpartum recovery done properly the second time: rest, the recovery pants Carla swears by, and why the "bounce back" pressure does more harm than good.Why we'll never sell MerryBody with before and after photos, even though it would probably make us more moneyMum at 68 doing 2 to 3 classes a day and racing Denny down the flying fox. This is what MerryBody is for.Resources mentioned:Emma's blog post on her pituitary gland tumour diagnosis, read it here!The skincare Carla is loving (not sponsored): Froya Organics.The film Emma watched on the plane: HamnetMerryBody snack size classes, the physio-approved sessions Carla is easing back in with: sign up to a 7 day trial!Got a question for next week's Sorelle Session? Italy, small business, Gold Coast life, Yoga, Pilates, teacher training, anything. Send us an email or a DM and we'll add it to the list. And if you have a sister, send her this one. Apparently Harvard says it's good for you.Join us inside MerryBodyYoga, Pilates and meditation classes you can do at home, in your PJs, in 10 minutes or 60. No before and afters, no bounce back pressure, just movement that makes you feel good and keeps you strong enough to run down the flying fox at 68 *( you will get this reference when you listen!). Start your free trial here!!Always merrymaking,Emma + CarlaThe Merrymaker Sisters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one's a wild ride (literally!). In this episode Carla shares her Leo James birth story for the very first time... and it could not be more different to her first birth with Denny.What started as a calm morning of contractions at home turned into a very speedy, very dramatic dash to the hospital… and baby Leo arrived in the car, right out the front of the hospital, with an audience.The hypnobirthing breathing, the birth affirmations, the M1 traffic drama, and the rip... and recovery that followed.A reminder of just how amazing the female body is.  (Please note: this episode includes detailed descriptions of childbirth and bodily fluids.)In this episode:This birth was very different to the first birth with DennyWhy she wanted to avoid an induction and go into spontaneous labourThe tools that helped: the TENS machine, pranayama breathing, hypnobirthing and birth affirmationsRecognising the "I don't want to do this anymore" transition momentThe dramatic 13-minute drive, Gold Coast drivers and waters breaking in the carLeo's arrival in the car, a BBA (Baby Before Arrival!) — right outside the hospitalThe tear, the stitches and Carla's speedy recoveryWhy the second newborn bubble has felt so different (in the best way)What a birth story! We'd love to hear your thoughts... come say hi over on Instagram or send us an email.Ready to move, breathe and feel good in your body? Come join us inside the MerryBody app for yoga, Pilates and meditation you'll actually look forward to — start your free trial here: http://geni.us/merrybody.Emma + Carla,The Merrymaker Sisters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.