Dancing from the age of two, Merril's life has been filled with movement. She still performs and teaches historical modern dance, specifically the technique of Doris Humphrey, which is entirely based upon the breath of the body and the body's natural rhythm. After discovering the practice of yoga and seeing its historical connections to modern dance, she became hooked. In 2014, she received her 200 hour RYT from Yoga Loft in Chicago. She has also taken training's specializing in yoga for children, as well as trauma-informed yoga. She now has the joy of working with children of all ages, ranging from preschool yogis to dancing grandparents. She loves seeing the developmental process of all bodies in motion, as well as in the subtle state of rest.

When Merril is not teaching yoga or dance, she is working on completing her masters in Education at DePaul University. She believes that yoga and social/political engagement are not irreconcilable entities, but are actually deeply linked. She is always seeking to connect the two and practice in ways that do not create more harm. Rather, she is seeking to imagine and cultivate new spaces of healing, transformation, and ultimately experiential empowerment.