Marney, tell us a little about yourself, your world, your passions, and what lights you up beyond the treatment room.
Well, I'm a physio and in 2015 I started a holistic total wellness studio in Melbourne, Sum Of Us Studio. Incorporating my passions and knowledge around holistic healthcare, community, connection, intuition coupled with science, and always from a place of truth and authenticity. Outside of the treatment room I love to be outdoors, I love to move and be active, I love to travel and explore, I love wholesome yummy food, dining out on it, shopping for it and cooking it. And I love being with my family and friends.
You're co-owner of Sum Of Us, a beautiful integrated health and wellness studio in Prahran. The name itself speaks to collaboration and community. Can you share the vision behind creating this space and what "Sum Of Us" means to you?
It's hard to put into words how Sum Of Us came to be and what it means to us. I think that's because it was born and has evolved on feel and feeling. You're absolutely right, Sum Of Us is deeply rooted by community, connection and collaboration. We wanted to create a space that felt warm and welcoming, like a beautiful home you felt safe in, that housed all the elements we had seen and believe help to achieve optimal wellness. Community and connection, excellence in holistic multidisciplinary health care, and boutique quality movement classes. All of this housed in beautiful lux spaces that are accessible to all people throughout their lifespan.
Sum Of Us is truly a family, one that we (myself and my partners) started and grew, and our personalities and values ripple throughout the entire enterprise. It's my happy place and I feel good being there. When I step back and look in, I feel the most pride seeing the rest of that family, staff and clients, feeling exactly the same.
Which Mihan Aromatics parfum speaks to you most and why? We'd love to hear what draws you to it.
Sinful Rose is my spirit angel. I'm pretty strong, fiercely independent and have always written my own journey. But I think I possess a softness and femininity to carry those qualities (mostly) gently and effectively. Like Sinful Rose, I feel I am genuine, strong, but with a sweet, endearing, trustworthy softness.
Can you share a scent memory that's stayed with you from childhood, travel or physio days?
Scent is so powerful. Just recently I was with my cousins who I grew up with for a weekend in Yarrawonga. It was hot and dusty and then with a few lightning bolts the rain kicked in. We all looked at each other and said "Smells like home!" (We grew up in the Mallee in Victoria.)
But I have a really defined moment when the power of scent truly resonated. It was around the time when I had decided it "felt right" to invest my life savings to go into business with three people I'd known for a year to pursue our dream wellness studio, and become a self employed business owner at 28. Although it felt right and I was forging ahead, questioning the risk always lingered. Just then I got a whiff of a scent that I used to wear at a time I worked in a previous job, and I resented it. I was taken back to the Marney then, and although I thought I was where I needed to be, I realised I wasn't fulfilled and now I felt completely ignited. Any questions were gone.
As a physiotherapist working intimately with the body and movement, how do you think scent plays a role in the healing process? Have you ever noticed how aromatherapy or the atmosphere of a space impacts your clients' recovery or experience?
Absolutely, I have first hand experience at how scent affects healing and recovery when working with the body as a physio. It has a big impact on both hands on treatment and general recovery.
For hands on treatment I think it's a combination of the sensory effect and the tissue's reaction to the authenticity of the scent. What I see is, if I use a cream or oil that has a clinical scent (think antibacterial or synthetic), the tissue doesn't relax, give or respond nearly as well as if I use a product with a naturally occurring scent.
For general recovery, scent is so impactful in getting someone into a place to feel safe, relaxed and receptive to healing. At Sum Of Us we use scents to stimulate certain effects for certain classes or for individual clients.
When you need to escape work and recharge, where do we find you? Do you have a favourite place, café, weekend ritual, or escape that fills your cup?
Prahran Market, haha. On a weekend when I'm at home I love nothing more than strolling to the market, picking up all my favourite things from my favourite storeholders, getting whatever's best in season and heading home and creating some weekend treats and weekday supplies. I usually find myself with a bunch of fresh blooms. Fresh flowers bring me so much pleasure. A weekend escape always does me wonders too.
Marns, you have incredible style, effortlessly chic yet functional. Are there specific designers, brands, or pieces that you gravitate toward? How do you approach getting dressed for your day?
That's very kind of you to say, thank you. Again, this is one that's hard to articulate because I tend to work on feel. I probably base dress for the day on the following:
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Function. What I need out of it.
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Feel. How I feel in myself, what I feel like my body needs to wear, light, flowy, tight, etc.
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Aesthetic. Colour palette, shapes, look.
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Impact. How do I want to impact how others see me or feel when they see me, what impact am I going for.
My preference and strength is to just buy when I find pieces that resonate with me. If I were to reflect on my style, I think it would be "autonomous".
Sum Of Us offers everything from physiotherapy and myotherapy to reformer Pilates, yoga, meditation, and even a café. How do these different modalities complement each other in creating total wellness? What do you hope clients take away from their time with you?
We have married together all forms of health, wellness and medicine that have stood the test of time and proven to help people. Eastern Health and medicine, Western medicine and science, Blue Zones, Exercise and movement, Nutrition, community/belonging/faith. We have successfully bound these together so that people aren’t confined to following one method but can create a combination that works for them. We hope that clients walk away feel heard, supported, empowered, inspired and wanting to walk right back in to support there health and wellness journey.
You've recently acquired Happy Melon Studios in Armadale, a stunning mind and body sanctuary with reformer Pilates, yoga, sauna, ice plunge, and recovery spaces. What drew you to bringing these two studios together under one vision?
We had had a long relationship with Happy Melon, opening at similar times and with very aligned values. We’ve always respected the community and brand that Happy Melon grew. The opportunity came up, and although it was not part of our plan, we realised we could not let this opportunity pass us and the timing was actually not bad, and it just felt right - right for Sum of Us and right for Happy Melon. Sum and Happy have so much to compliment each other, and enable so much more potential for our clients, communities and staff.
Happy Melon is known for its luxurious, home-away-from-home atmosphere with state-of-the-art facilities, recovery rituals, and a strong sense of community. How will you curate the sensory experience across both spaces, from scent to sound to the way people feel when they walk through the door?
We use scent to evoke the feeling and experience of each space and can now unite these across both studios for a consistent sensory experience.
In our calm spaces for Yoga, Meditation, Recovery (Sauna, Red light), Massage, Reiki, etc we burn scents combining plum blossom, sandalwood, cassia
Throughout the rest of the studio we have a gentle Sandalwood scent running to bring a sense of calm and warmth, as well as calming the nervous system to assist all clients and staff in being able to get the most out of there physio, pilates, podiatry, reflexology, strength and fitness.
You're treating patients, running two wellness studios, and navigating the beautiful chaos of life. How do you maintain your own wellness while holding space for others? Any rituals or practices that keep you grounded?
Yes, my roles in my work are a lot about giving from my cup - treating patients, rehabbing and training clients, empowering and upskilling staff, upholding a culture, etc. There is a lot of “being on” and for me, who needs and enjoys my space and quiet, retreating and finding quiet is really important to re-fill my cup. I have found solo sauna-ing and redlight therapy sessions really helpful, as well as a good walk or run, ideally along a waterway like the Ocean Grove beach or the Yarra river in Melbourne.
Looking ahead. What excites you most about the future of wellness in Melbourne, and what role do you see Sum Of Us and Happy Melon playing in shaping that landscape? Wellness in Melbourne on a skyrocketing trajectory!!
Large group Pilates classes and attendances has seen the biggest growth globally and across Melbourne which is pretty cool. Melbourne has housed the launch of member based exclusive wellness clubs that are now spreading across the nation, also very cool! Sum of Us and Happy Melon have been doing these things for 10 years and will continue to be the front runner and long stayer, delivering excellence white upholding authentic values and culture and continuing to evolve for the long haul.
Thanks to the beautiful Marns for interview and pictures. You can check out Sum Of Us Studio and Happy Melon here:
