// Out of the rut and into the groove
by Misty Tripoli
After 15 years of teaching group exercise and trying to copy, mimic
and duplicate what I thought was ‘right’ or ‘perfect’, I got to a point
where I wasn’t enjoying teaching anymore because I couldn’t quite
measure up to the seemingly unrealistic industry standards and the
expectations I had created for myself. I was getting to a point where I
had to do it my way or not do it at all. I just wanted to twist and
wiggle and feel good but was afraid of how my participants would react
to such a departure from the norm. Didn’t they need structure and rules
and guidelines? And then whose structure, rules and guidelines should I
have them follow? Wait a minute – who made up the rules? Not me –
actually I don’t really like rules – and the rules and guidelines just
seemed to get more and more complicated and rigid. It just wasn’t fun
anymore. I was on auto pilot mentally, physically and spiritually.
Then came the turning point when I realised that the pain, the general
dissatisfaction with my life, my refusal to accept my body the way it
was, my structured mimic-like teaching and my unfulfilling
relationships had to change. I didn’t want my life to look like this
for one more minute, God forbid another ten years.
I couldn’t help but ask myself, ‘Is this as good as it gets?’ I refused
to believe that this was what life was supposed to be for me –
something had to change, but how? I didn’t really know what to do so I
started to close my eyes and breathe and watch and breathe and watch –
and began to be fascinated with me, the wonderment of my existence. I
searched myself, questioning everything about the way I was living my
life. What am I here for? What is this amazing thing I get to move and
play in? Why do I treat it so badly? What will it take to make me
happy? I had been looking outside to everything and everyone else for
the answers and for my happiness, which is totally ridiculous
considering that pretty much everyone else I was associating with was
as disconnected and messed up as me. Nobody had it figured out,
especially the ones that thought they did! So, what if I stopped
looking outside and went in and found my answers within me?
FIND YOUR GROOVE AND FIND YOUR SELF
The one thing I did know is that I loved to dance, so to make myself
feel good I would go to a studio put on music that I loved and just let
myself dance. I needed to heal. I can’t even begin to describe the
euphoria and bliss I experienced, and still experience, when I just let
go and let the music move me. It was so powerful and felt so good that
I thought ‘maybe this is it – I am totally happy and I can flow with
life more effortlessly when I’m in the groove’. What I had labelled my
‘problems’ literally disappeared when dance allowed my thinking mind to
stop and I got to feel, and just be, totally 100 per cent me. This was
it! This was what I was born to do – it had to be. It was effortless,
as if I was a puppet and something greater than me was moving through
my mind and body.
It was an incredible feeling, and one which I wanted to share with my
students. Then, bada bing, bada boom, Body Groove® was born!
Now I am in heaven when I teach. I surprise myself all the time; the
more I let go and allow the creative genius that’s in me to play, the
more it takes me to places I never thought possible. And the crazy,
wonderful thing about it is there is a
LET YOUR GROOVE ECLIPSE YOUR EGO
Helping others to find their groove is the fuel that energises my love
of teaching, and it feels so much bigger than me. I am just a vessel
for the love and creative energy of the universe to flow through. It’s
the ego in me that wants to control, take credit, get the fame and make
it to the top; it’s that part of me that gets scared, worries, judges
and compares. It’s nice to drop all of that and just let the magic of
the groove take over. When you’re in the groove, fear disappears and
bliss takes over.
If you want to find your groove start asking questions. Don’t try to
create the answers, just sit with the questions. Who made up your rules
and beliefs, and do they serve you or limit you? Spend a few moments in
total stillness every day just observing your body magically breathing
and your heart beating. YOU ARE AWESOME! Marvel at your own magnificent
existence. You are more interesting than anything or anyone else on the
planet! Close your eyes and look inwards; when you find the greatness
within you, it is reflected back to you in everyone and everything you
see. There really is magic in the groove!
Enjoy your journey, and I hope that our paths cross in the future and we can all groove together!
Misty Tripoli
Based in Los Angeles, Misty is
the creator of the Body Groove Method®, a Nike Endorsed Elite
Instructor and one of the worlds most innovative and engaging fitness
instructors, mind/body specialists, dance choreographers and personal
trainers. Misty is well-known for her many trademarked revolutionary
fitness classes which exude passion for dance, yoga, self discovery,
creative expression and meditation. For more information visit www.mistytripoli.com
NETWORK • SPRING 2008 • PP24-26
