E130 GUEST Misty Tripoli CREATOR of Body Groove shows how body movement taps into self and creates confidence

I'm super happy. Are you happy? Welcome to the Be youe Find Happy podcast. Here you'll find tips and tricks to inspire you on your way to happiness. To live a courageous life of authenticity and learn how to speak your truth with grace. I'm Mikayla Johnson and welcome to our PODC.

Foreign.

Thank you. You awesome, amazing human on this earth plane. I am so grateful that you are here. Just wanted to take a second and say if you click like or hit subscribe, it helps this podcast continue. I want you to live the fullest expression of your experience in life and you can find so much more by visiting be you find happy.com there you'll find Empowered, my motivational journal for women, links to all of the various books and so much more. Thank you for being you.

Good morning, Misty. Welcome to the Bu Find Happy podcast. I'm super excited to have you on today. You're like a really awesome just so with body groove and physical movement, just, just all of it. And I am really excited to dive into world with you. Can you tell the listeners a little bit about who you are and what you do and how you got where you are?

Sure. Well, thanks, Michaela. It's great to be here. I love to talk about this because it excites me deeply, but my name is Misty Tripoli. I basically, in a nutshell, without the story that got me to this point, but just the end result is at this point I've developed this dance concept called the Groove. And my app is Body Groove. And what it does is I basically had taken dance and simplified it and made it accessible to everyone. So anyone that thinks, you know, I'm too, I'm uncoordinated. I don't have the right size shape, I've got two left feet, I don't have any rhythm or even for professional dancers, they love it as well. But it just makes dance really simple, fun and accessible to everyone. And not only that, but it's a, it's a concept that. Because I was in the fitness industry for so many years and I realized that the fitness industry was actually making me more unhealthy, psychologically, spiritually, mentally, because it just, it's driven by aesthetics and, you know, no pain, no gain and all of this. And it's just not realistic. And so I just, I revamped the whole thing and realized that movement and dance and health and wellness should be delicious and fun and feel good and be joyful and. And that's what this, what groove does is it actually connects you to your authentic, creative Self which there's no other fitness program that actually does that. Everything is pretty much follow the leader exercises that you have to do or with groove. I give you some simple basic things and then I invite you to explore your body because everyone's body is completely different and so you know the way your body moves. One of my truths is that you know, you should be different. You are absolutely different. You shouldn't move like anyone else, don't copy anyone else. Move your body your own unique way and then you'll discover your own beautiful creative wave movement and your authentic self. So it really just enhances mind, body, spirit, connection and. But what got me to that point was I struggled with bulimia for 16 years as I was in the fitness industry and, and teaching. I was living a complete double life and a lie and I didn't know who I was. I was completely unconscious, unaware of, you know, who I was, what I was doing, even, you know, why I was doing it. I never asked myself what am I actually doing and what am I doing it for. And, and one day I just. This massive awakening. I literally felt like I woke up, I was like born with new eyes and saw everything completely different and, and I turned to dance to heal myself. And that's where this method came from. And now I. Up until Covid, I pretty much travel the world full time teaching workshops and leading these, this dance experience. But now I'm fortunate that I have teachers now that teach my method in 49 different countries that provide this experience live. And so you can take classes all around the world and also dance with me at home in your living room if you can't get out of the house.

So that's where I'm at, you know, that is so fantastic. And so much of what you said I was, I resonate with, I stay recovered. I don't think you ever do from anorexia. I actually haven't really shared that on this podcast too much. But yeah, I was hospitalized at 93 pounds, almost 5 10, the whole, the whole nine yards. So I can really relate to the struggle there and you know, the connection to anxiety and self worth and just.

Kind of all of that stuff.

Stuff. And that definitely is part of what led me to where I am today.

Too was trying to heal, heal my.

Body inside out knowing that, you know, the physical component to anorexia is the least of the worries, you know. So yeah, so I can, I can relate to that a lot. And I also really love that you, you're bringing this to so many people who you know, dance is one of those things. This is really interesting because, you know, I grew up in a family where the, where the radio was always on and. But I didn't grow up in a family where we had, like, dance parties, per se. And when my son was little, I remember he very naturally gravitated towards dance as body movement. You know what I mean? Like, if the radio was on, he was squatting and shaking his booty and doing stuff like that when he was very little. And it's interesting to me to watch him grow and as he got older, how it became like, ooh, that's goofy. That's embarrassing. I can't do that. You know, And I have flipped the opposite where, you know, I'm like the person passing you on the highway doing the car dance, you know, So I do. I see the importance of it even just tapping into like that childlike self. What do you think about that component of it?

Well, the thing is, is that one of the truths and one of the realities that I came across and, you know, one of the things that really drives my method is that we are all born really good dancers. And people, like, are like, no, no. Yeah, we are. Because the reality is that.

No, no, no, no, wait.

Is it breaking up? Can you hear me? Okay?

I can, I can hear you.

Okay. Oh, good.

Okay.

Yeah. And the thing is, is it's like we dance before we walk. Your son is that perfect example. It's like you put music on with babies before they even walk. They will dance. And so it's our most natural, primal form of movement, is to move to music. And our bodies are built for it. But just like what you witnessed your son go through is that around eight, nine years old, there's this self consciousness that kicks in and this primal need to fit in and be accepted, not embarrass yourself. It's actually survival mechanism because in, you know, tribe, you know, tribal days, or in caveman days or whatever you want to call it, if you didn't fit into the tribe and you were outcast, you would die. You had to fit in. And so we are hardwired to fit in and, and to like, adapt to fit in and feel like were normal in that group. And so it's just, it's no one's fault. And. But it's, it's. It's wired into us. And then at one point in time, which I think is so sad, is that they actually try to teach you how to dance, which I think is hysterical, because unless you're actually going to go study an actual form of dance, like a specific ballet or jazz or whatever. That's. That's a whole other kind of dance. That's someone else's kind of dance. This is what's interesting. And that's what's sad, is that when we're young, you might take your first dance class, or you might have walked into and you. And you felt uncomfortable, or you had to left feet or you couldn't pick up the choreography or you. And so you instantly were like, I can't dance. I'm not a dancer. I'm not good at this. I can't. You know, this isn't for me. But deep. I know deep in everyone's core, everyone's soul, if they. Every single person would love to be able to dance and feel comfortable dancing because it's the most. It's the most joyful form of movement. There's nothing more joyful than dancing. It's a celebration of who we are in our spirit, expressing itself in its own creative, blissful way. And. And so, yeah, that's what I felt so sad is that I saw all these literally crippled, I call it fear, restricted movement that even fitness experts and even professional dancers. I went to New York and worked with some of the best dancers in New York City. And I brought this method to them. And they literally were crying at the end because they're like, we don't ever just get to dance. It's like they don't even know how to freestyle. Even a dancer, when they go to an audition, it's funny because they have to do a freestyle. And that's the part where they're the most terrified when they actually have to shine and be themselves. If it's technique and skill and whatever, great, I got it. But the moment I need to shine on my own and have my own voice, that's what terrifies people. And that's what my method does in the most. I mean, it was.

It's.

That's why even professional dancers were just like, are you kidding me? Like, it's this simple. Like, it's all I have to do is tell myself the truth. Like, exactly. You just have to tell yourself the truth and then take action. But I. And like, what you were saying about anorexia, you mentioned something that was really interesting about not ever being recovered fully. And I find that that was something that. When I was in the midst of bulimia, throwing up three, four times a day, throwing up blood, literally, like, I wouldn't stop until I threw up blood. And I Almost killed myself doing it. And what I. My greatest fear was that I would never be on the other side, that my life would never be free of this dysfunctional eating and relationship with food and with my body. And. And I was never gonna be okay in my own skin. And who I was and my body, this. This beautiful body that I was born into, I didn't choose it and just die. This is the one I came in with. And. And to hate it and to abuse it and not be okay with it. It's just like you said, the physical part is the least destructive. It's the mental, emotional, and spiritual part of it. But what blew my mind is that the moment I started grooving, like, really grooving, like, I started to, like, go into a room and just put music on and set myself free with no judgment, no care in the world. And it felt so good, I started to do it a couple hours a day that within two weeks, I literally forgot about throwing up. Bulimia just left me. And I literally haven't had one desire to do it since then. I mean, it's gone. Gone. Like, gone.

Wow.

Yeah. Like, and I never thought. I mean, that was the part that blew my mind, is that I was like, I really never thought I would ever not have this desire to binge and purge and that addictive, because I did it for every day for 16 years, and it was gone in two weeks. By just simply spending time every day allowing my body to do what it wanted to do and not judging it and having fun with it. And literally, just. Literally, like, the most powerful medicine I've ever taken. And it woke me up. It woke me up to my own authenticity, my own uniqueness, my own. My dharma. What I'm like, it literally is what gave me this method to take around the world. This is when I literally had downloads. Like, I was dancing. And because when you're dancing and you're not copying and you're actually letting your body just dance and do what it wants, you're connecting to your. Your creative high self. You're connecting to the creative force of the universe. And so when you're tuned into that and you're letting it flow and you're not caring, and you're. You're tuned in. And that's when. Information. That's when. If I ever have a problem, I just go dance, and I have solutions come, and I get the answers that I need. And this is what. The gift that I want to give people. It's not just a matter of, hey, you know Move your body and get fit. It's about no, like, connect to yourself on, like, one of the deepest levels. Because you live in your body. You can't deny that you exist within your body, your spirit does. And that your body is meant to play and be joyful and have fun and be delicious and feel good and have pleasure. And I didn't wake up to that till I was in my early 30s, but at least I woke up to it, thank God.

Concur. And I've been actually talking with a lot of my tribe about the ways in which I think this is my personal thought that women have been taught, like, body movement makes you a whore.

Or.

And don't do it and. Or don't do it on your own unless there's a man guiding the process. You know what I mean? As far as that goes, like, I feel like that's just been something that's been a part of our culture for a really long time. And stepping outside of that to say, hey, me being in my femininity and moving my body with all the curves that I have and being proud of, it does not make me loose. It does not make me a slut. It does not make me. Whatever. Fill in the blanks.

Yeah, no. And it's sad because it's like that's a whole other aspect. Like, we've got the part that we have to deal with with ourselves just getting past our own insecurities and our own self hatred and, you know, and then we also have to deal with that aspect of the masculine and. And that the judgments and the all. That's a whole other, you know, discussion. And it's sad. But the thing is, is it's like we as women. And that's part of what my process does. Because, of course, I think you have mostly, you know, females. Same with me. My program attracts mostly females. And it's. It's all kind of the same thing. Everyone's talking about the same thing. And they love the tracks where I give them permission to be sensual, not sexual. This doesn't have to do with sex. This is. The thing is moving your body sensually doesn't have to do with sex. It doesn't mean sex. It means that you're feminine, that you have the ability to be soft and supple and feminine and move in a delicious, soft, feminine way into feel how good that feels when you give yourself permission to soften and to flow and to breathe with your movement and. And be sensual. And the power of that, it's actual medicine because that's our actual nature. And, you know, I haven't heard a lot of that on my. What I get is a lot that when women start doing this, their husbands are incredibly happy and excited because they say that they feel so much better in their bodies, that they are more sexual, they are more. They. They're more intimate, they want to have more sensuality with their partner. And they're more in there because they're more in their body. They're more accepting of who they are. So they're more willing to express that and share that with their partner, whoever that might be. But, yeah, they're two different things. And both of the things we have to overcome depending on, you know, what environment you're in or where you're at. But I'm talking about just by yourself in your living room, nobody else there, home alone, close the windows, close the drapes, you know, and let your body move and see what happens. And give yourself permission to be sensual. Only you. Like, if someone else told you you couldn't, that you're giving someone else your power, so it's taking back your power and going, I'm the only one that can give myself permission. My body is the only thing I actually own on this earth. Like, it's temporary. Like, I'm only in here temporarily, and it's the only thing that actually is mine. Like, I get to make then, and no one gets to tell me how I get to move, what I get to say, how I get to operate, how I get to have sex, sex what I like, what I don't like. And that's another huge thing I had to overcome because I grew up Mormon and I was devout. I was a virgin when I was. Yeah, I know. I was a virgin when I got married. I was a good little girl. I. You know, sex scared me. I was, you know, I was.

Yeah.

So I had to overcome that. But it was through grooving and telling myself the truth that allowed me to open myself up to my sexuality, which that didn't happen until I was in my 40s. I was very restricted. Like, I still had rules and laws and judgments around certain types of sexuality. And I wouldn't even go there. I just judged it and all the people that did, you know, and not knowing I was still a good person, but it was an internal, unconscious judgment that was restricting me. And then in my 40s, I finally woke up to that part of my life. But dance is a great way to get in touch with your own sensuality and ultimately your sexuality. And who cares what Men think. Sorry.

I would love to be.

Michaela. I'm really sorry. For some reason, I. You're really breaking up. I can't hear you. Oh, bummer.

More uncaring of what I think.

How's that? Is that better? There we go.

Okay, you got me.

There we go. There we go. That's better. You were saying something about not caring.

Yeah, I think that I tend to get caught up in that. I do. You know, I live in a small town where everybody knows what everybody's doing, and I grew up in that small town. And I think that it does apply. And that's been my biggest work, is letting go of the narratives that other people have that I then take on.

Yep, yep. And then you think it's really important. Are you living your life for yourself or for other people? And that was a big thing for me as I realized I was just trying to impress other people. I was trying to have a perfect body so that I could get love and acceptance from other people. And it was ultimately, at the end of the day, that I was like, the only person I need to impress is myself. Like, I need to impress other people. And my method is based off five truths, very simple truths that we don't. We all know them. They're simple, but we don't apply them. And the first one is, nobody cares what you look like. And if they do, it's their problem. Like, let them stew on their own judgments and whatever. Be free yourself. Because nobody actually really cares. And I actually make people prove this to themselves. Like, when I teach a group class, you know, 30, 40 people in a class, and I've got people, I can see that they're uncomfortable and they're holding back because they feel like they're being judged. Or people are looking at them, might be laughing at them. And I just have them. I ask them in the moment, I'm like, while you're dancing, look around and look if anyone's actually watching you check out. Nobody cares. No one's looking at you. You're not that cute. Nobody. No one's concerned. No one's stopping their experience to sit and judge you and watch you and make fun of you. Like, you have to learn to tell yourself the truth.

Look around.

Everyone's on their phone. Nobody freaking cares. And if they do, then they. They have a serious problem. That's their issue, not yours. And so just people's opinions of you have none of your business. And when you really apply that truth, not just think about it. No, yeah, you're right. You're right. No, when you actually live that way. And that's why groove is such an awesome thing, because it allows you to physically embody that truth in the moment. While, like, in my. In my class, you can actually start to flex that muscle of. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks. I'm just going to do it my way. And that's the permission I give you.

So do me a big favor and tell me what it's all about. Like, how. How does it go? Oh, and before you do that, I just have to tell you this funny story that I, you know, spent some time on your Instagram before we met today, and you have a couple pictures.

Of your feet at the beach.

Funny story, my middle toe is also longer than my big toe. My mom always told me it meant I was gifted and talented.

I heard it was royalty.

Okay, we're royalty.

But I was like, amazing women.

And damn it, people like me.

People like me. And my feet prove it.

No.

Yeah.

I was like, oh, she's vibing the same way as me, at least in her feet.

Amen. Amen. We're on the same page. Yeah. Okay.

How do you do groove?

Talk to me about it, how it works. It's okay. So it's super simple. And so anyone out there that's like, what is this? Well, number one, you can literally go to YouTube and just look up Body groove, and you'll find a ton of free videos, and you can try one and just see how simple it actually really is. But what I do is I. I use all types of music, all styles and genres and essences, from soft, lyrical, classical music to trance and hip hop and funk and swing and disco. I mean, we dance to everything. And what I do is in the. In each song, what I do is I give you a really simple movement or a rhythm pattern. Now, these are so simple. Like, the movement could be walking. You might just be walking for the whole song. So I like to tell people, if you can walk, you can actually groove. I promise you. Like, and actually you can just move. You don't even have to walk because you can actually do it in a chair. And you'll see in my videos, there's people in chairs. There's, you know, people that have restrictions and can't move so much, and so they modify. But it's irrelevant where your body's at right now or where you think you can and can't do this. I promise you, you can do it. And so what I do is I just give you a simple move. Let's say, like, walking. So I have. What I do is I invite you first to just start to walk to the rhythm of the music or how you feel. It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter what foot you're on, doesn't matter what beat you're on, it doesn't matter. Because the way your body feels, it's going to be different than mine. But everyone is walking. The key is that we're all unified, doing the same thing together. And this unity creates magic. And anyone that's ever been in a. Like, in a rave, where everyone's jumping together and they feel that unity of everyone moving at the same rhythm, this is that same kind of thing, but even more so. You're walking around the room. And then all I do is I ask you questions. Okay? So now while you're walking, don't follow anyone. There's no front, there's no back. Now I want you to see all the different directions you can go. So just explore backwards and sideways and turning. And so while you're walking, you just. You can't get it wrong. And I keep reminding you this, you can't get it wrong. The way you choose to do it is the right way. Just choose what direction, what foot, and then I'll start to ask you things about, like, now, what would happen if you started to relax a little and put some personality into it? What would your walk look like if you were to smile and put your style and your personality. What would happen if you actually started to pick up your arms and do something with your arms? Remember, nothing's wrong or bad. You just have to be willing to pick your arms up and do something. And what's interesting is, by the end of one song, I've got people that have. That would never dance, losing their mind, going, oh, my God, I can do this. And it's like, of course you can, because you're not following someone. You're actually just moving around your own way and doing what your body wants to do, and you're nailing it, which is what you should be. So it's all kinds. And I also do, like, functional training where we do stuff on the floor. And I get you in all different, you know, moving in all different types of essences. But the key is it's very, very, very simple things. I don't put music on and say dance, because most people won't do that. They're afraid to do that. So what I do is I give you a little bit of guideline, a little bit of structure that Makes you feel safe. Safe. You're like, okay, I got this. I can walk. I can put the beat in my feet. Cool. And then you just build from there. And it's amazing to see what so. And then you're eventually, I call it. You're getting your groove on. So you're in the groove. Once you're fully, like, your personality's coming out, your creativity's coming out, you stop sharing what people thinking. And you're like, yeah, this is my way. Then it's like there's a. There's an aha moment. There's like a click that happens. And once that click happens, it's interesting. I get to witness it in classes all the time. People would never go back. Once that click has happened, they free. It's like a freedom, like an initiation where they're like, oh, I'm a dad. Like, I can do this. And they. I get. If you read, if you go to my, you know, Instagram or I have a Body Groove on Demand page where my customers share their stories, and just to hear the stories, they're like, I can't. I have to dance down the aisles of the grocery store now. I'm like, you, Michaela. I'm in my car dancing down. Like, I can't stop. It's like, now that I've given myself permission to do it and I realized nobody actually cares. And if anything, you're just going to make somebody smile.

Like, that's really what happens. As you were talking, I was thinking about, like, I see old people out places, you know, like that, where there's live music or something, and they're out there scooting. They just don't care. And it's like, it makes me laugh and smile. Like, you know, even if they look totally goofy, it's still perfect. Yeah.

One. And that's the joy of it. It's like not caring and being free. And because in my training, when I train my facilitators, one of the activities we have to do is everyone puts their ipod on, they can dance to whatever music they want. And we go to a public place, we go to a mall, we go to a grocery store, we go out on the beach where there's a lot of people, and everyone has to completely dance their hearts out their own way to their own music and fly. And, of course, so many people are scared about this. So we're going to go in public and put our ipods on and like. Like, we have to dance our own way. Like, yeah. And it's amazing because the people that are the most afraid, they come back, and of course they're in tears. They're like, that was the most amazing, liberating experience I've ever been through. And they all say the same thing. They're like, yeah, I was dancing. I felt stupid, but I just embraced it and I said, I don't care. I'm gonna do it anyways. And the moment they did that, they saw people looking at them, they saw people laughing at them, and then they realized, who cares? Like, why am I gonna let their reaction to me stop me from having this joy? And then they ultimately realized that these people, they brought these, like, yeah, they start. And then people start dancing with you, and they start following you, and they start making faces with you, and they're so happy for you. And it's so awesome for people to see people that are free. And this is the thing, is that I also. What I teach in my training is that you're the example. You have to free yourself first. Because when you free yourself, you're the example. You're going to show someone what it looks like to not care. To just not care. Show them what it looks like to not care, because we need to see that more. Not like, oh, I have to restrict what I'm doing because people are watching or whatever. No, show what it looks like to not care, and then you'll give other people permission. Trust me. I was doing it on the beach. I dance on the beach all the time with my ipod, by myself. I'm the crazy lady on the beach. I'm well known in my city that there's crazy lady and I don't care. I'm out there flying on the beach just in my pure heaven. And I've had people where. I've noticed that there was. It was so cute. There was a couple that was watching me, and they actually were making fun of me. They were mocking me, and I didn't care. That's rude. Yeah, but it was okay. I'm not gonna let that affect me. I just felt bad for them. And then it was funny. About 30 minutes later, they're both up dancing, and I was like, wow, it took you a minute? It took you a minute to get it. But then it was like, oh, maybe there's something to this. But, yeah, first they were mocking me and laughing, and then before I knew it, they were up dancing too. And I was like, yep, see, that's how it goes. Because you end up inspiring people, believe it or not. Like, it's. It's awesome.

So Funny. Funny that you should say that because I find that the beach is a really fun place to dance because it's soft. So you can like jump up and you're gonna land soft. And like, you know, some of the greatest dance parties I've had have been on the beach.

Oh, yeah. No, it's heaven. And well, that's why I hold retreats on beaches. I hold 10 day retreats at beaches so that we can dance on the beach. Because it's my own personal practice. And not just that, like I get down in the sand, I dig holes with my body. Like I'm all in there and I'm like, like I'm like a little two year old in a sand pit. Like, I just. It's. I love it. Yeah, no, it's the best way.

I love that. Yeah, totally. So, okay, so how can people get ahold of you? We always put it in the show notes, but shout it out for those who might be driving and stuff.

Awesome. Okay, well, the first thing is go to Body Groove. You can just Google Body Groove and we have an app, Body Groove on demand, where you can dance with me in your living room. We've got hundreds and hundreds of routines and songs and. And you're part of the. You end up joining part of the community. You can find the same on Instagram, Facebook. Just go Body Groove. You. You will find me. Or my name is Misty Tripoli. And if you put those two names together, Body Groove and Misty, you will find everything you need to find and hope you get get your body grooving as soon as possible.

Love it. So excited to have had this conversation with you. And timing is so good. People need to be moving their bodies more and working out the toxins and the yuck and all that good stuff and bringing in the good. So I just love it. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast.

You're welcome. Thanks for having me. It was great to talk to you.

This has been a be you find happy podcast. For more inspiration, check out the links.