Grooving Beyond Limits: Empowerment and Inclusivity with Carissa Prati

Episode 8: Join us for an inspiring episode as we sit down with Carissa Prati, a phenomenal individual who defied exclusion in the fitness world and found her empowerment through dance. Tune in to hear her heartfelt journey of navigating a world that often overlooked her due to her size, until she discovered the transformative power of Body Groove and World Groove. Through these inclusive dance forms, Carissa discovered not only a way to move her body but also a community that embraced her with open arms. Embark on a story of resilience as Carissa shares how her journey led her to become a Facilitator, passing on the message of welcome and empowerment to her participants. Get ready to be moved by Carissa's message of self-love, inclusivity, and the joy of grooving beyond limits.

Links:
Carissa's Website
Carissa's Facebook Page

World Groove Movement: The World Groove Movement - More Furious Dancing!
Body Groove On Demand: Body Groove On-Demand (bodygrooveondemand.com)

Contact me at happysweatlife@gmail.com for questions, suggestions, or to be put on the email list and be notified of new episodes.

Find my World Groove movement zoom class on Thursdays, under my name, at: https://theworldgroovemovement.com/virtual-search/

If you're interested in starting a podcast of your own, consider joining the SPI Community. The All Access Pass, in particular, has a step by step course for starting a podcast which absolutely was key for creating and launching my podcast. And equally important, I made connections with other fellow entrepreneurs/podcasters. If you do sign up through my affiliate link, I will receive a commission fee.

Transcript

Lisa: 4:29

So I've heard a couple people say that, that they've had somebody make a comment on their body or the fact that they couldn't be a dancer. I, I don't know why dance teachers feel the need to say that. I mean, there's so many different opportunities to be a dancer, you know, in the body that you have. Do you think that's what drew you to a groove?

Carissa: 4:54

I do, I do. I saw, you know, I, I think I saw it on Facebook for the first time. I saw Misty talking about how everybody is a dancer's body, and I I was like, ha, Then my, my, I thought of my dance instructor. I was like, I hope she hears that

Lisa: 5:11

Right. It's, it's amazing how healing that can be to just be told, yes, you can dance.

Carissa: 5:16

Yes, it, but it takes some time. Just hearing it was, was like mind blowing to me. I, I, you know, I'd never heard anybody say that before, and, and I, I thought it was great, but I, for me to actually internalize that, took a, took some time,

Lisa: 6:00

So after you Graduated high school. You said you didn't really do any dancing, so was the groove Facebook ad the first time you kind of thought about dancing again?

Carissa: 6:12

Yeah, I was, I was very physically active. I continued throughout my life. Throughout my life. I've always been active. I've done all kinds of fitness programs. I was a Beach Body member for many years.

Lisa: 6:25

Oh, yep. Remember that?

Carissa: 6:26

I've done all, all kinds. I was a big Chalene Johnson fan. I, I, so many different fitness instructors that I've followed over the years and I, I'm not bigger now, but my whole life I've been a bigger person and you know, there's, there's a lot of stigma around people who are Active and if you, if you don't look a certain way, you know, people assume that you're not an active person. And it was hurtful to me because I, I've always been active. I, I've always tried to be a healthy person. It just didn't reflect on the outside necessarily. And, and for me, body groove, when I saw the videos and I saw people who looked like me and I saw people whose bodies didn't fit the, the typical fitness body stereotype, it, it was just so, it, it was freeing to me. I was like, look, look there, the, I'm not the only person

Lisa: 7:25

It seems like such an easy thing to be inclusive, you know, in who you're showing on videos, but it's so not the norm to, you know, to have that.

Carissa: 7:36

yeah.

Lisa: 7:38

And I think, yeah, I've heard a couple other people just say that they saw that video, you know, different videos that she had and were like, that's me. Even though I don't look like the typical, dancer, like you were saying, or fitness person. Yeah, I, I don't know. That whole idea of you have to look a certain way in order to be fit or to be healthy. It's pretty damaging for people. Unfortunately, you know that that's out there, but,

Carissa: 8:08

It was really hard. It was hard for me to get over to get over that and to just accept my body, you know, how it was and And, and that I think that the thing that I loved that my favorite groove truth is, is that our bodies should be, we, they're made differently and so they shouldn't look the same when we're dancing. Right. They don't need to

Lisa: 8:31

Right so you see the Facebook ad, and what happens? Where do you go from there?

Carissa: 9:15

Well, it took me some time. I saw it and I was really intrigued by it. I thought it was great, but I just kind of moved on, you know, kept doing the things that I was doing. Then I saw it again. Eventually I was like, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna check this out. And I saw that there were some free videos on YouTube, and I, and I gave it a try and I loved it and, and I mentioned it to my husband and he ended up buying me a subscription for, for Christmas.

Lisa: 9:39

Oh, that's so sweet.

Carissa: 9:41

it was great. He's super supportive and he's, he's one of my biggest cheerleaders. But anyway, I digress. So I, I got, I got that for Christmas and I started doing it, and I loved it. I started doing it every day. It became a, a routine, a habit and it was the first program. So I, I mentioned that I'd done a number of programs over the years. Body Groove is the only program that didn't result in some kind of injury for me.

Lisa: 10:07

Oh wow. Okay. That's interesting.

Carissa: 10:09

I, I would go and I would get so involved in something and eventually, you know, most fitness programs, they try to get you to keep up with the instructor. They tell you to push your body. They, they try to get you to do things. They, they don't have any concept of what other people, your body isn't gonna move like mine. So here, do this. You should do, do it the same way I'm doing it. Well, when I was, I was 333 pounds at my highest. I and I, yes, I couldn't do things the way other people did them. So But that didn't mean I couldn't do things. I just couldn't do them the way other people were doing them. And so for me, being able to, to give myself permission to move my body in a way that feels good, it was just like the most amazing concept,

Lisa: 10:58

That is amazing. I find too for myself that often these programs go from zero to a hundred. Like

Carissa: 11:07

Mm-hmm.

Lisa: 11:09

you know, you're going along nice and slow in the beginning maybe. And then all of a sudden they're like, okay, you know, 20 jumping jacks, 50 burpees. And you're like, what? Like, I just started, how can I be doing all that?

Carissa: 11:24

Yeah. And sometimes they're geared at beginners, right? Those programs are, they market them to Yeah. Yes.

Lisa: 11:30

Supposedly.

Carissa: 11:31

I encountered that time and time again, and so I would get down to a certain point. I'd follow the program, and then I would, I would hurt myself. I would, I would be out for weeks, you know, trying to get back. And then you, you get so discouraged when you start over and you're behind where you left. Right. And I just It was frustrating and I always felt like I was chasing something and now I don't feel that way. I just feel like wherever my body's at on any given day is perfect. That's where I'm supposed to be.

Lisa: 11:59

And do you think, do you feel like it's that groove truth about everybody's, you know, going to look different? Are there other ones that resonated with you or helped keep you kind of feeling okay with dancing the way that you were in that particular session?

Carissa: 12:14

Yeah, I mean, I think all of them, right? Like that, that my way is the right way. I think that it, it, it took me some time to internalize them all because, you know, and, and that's the, the last one is that you don't, they don't make sense until you practice'em. And that's true. you can say one, you can say something and it's easy to say something, but actually putting it into practice and, and believing it and internalizing it is, is a whole nother thing. And I, I think all of the groove truths together really have just changed my life for the better. So I, I feel more comfortable in my skin. I feel more comfortable being different

Lisa: 12:55

Hmm, that's nice. So was it kind of a gradual process or was there like a moment you remember where it suddenly kind of clicked for you or

Carissa: 13:07

I think it was gradual. I think it was over time, right? Watching and, and, and doing it every day and practicing it and, and, and then certainly becoming a facilitator I think pushed me a lot even further than just, than just being a participant in the class. Because I actually had to embody these things. I'm trying to, to get other people. To, to believe these truths and, and so I can't expect other people to believe them if I'm not, if I, if I don't really show them that, that I believe this. And I do believe it. I do believe that, that our bodies are meant to be different. We're all meant to be different. We're not meant to look the same. We don't have to look the same. We don't have to move the same. Your way is perfect. However your body wants to move is exactly the way that it should move. And I can't explain how freeing it is when you really believe those things, like you don't, you don't limit yourself, right?

Lisa: 14:04

So for the people that don't maybe aren't familiar with the groove truths can you just kind of say what they are? If you don't have to remember all of'em, but if the ones that you do

Carissa: 14:13

Yeah. So one is, is your way is the right way. You can't get it wrong as long as you're doing it your way. Your body is, is built differently. So it doesn't need to move the same way. No one cares what you look like So it's, it's not about what it looks like. It's about what it feels like. I, I love telling people that don't worry about what it looks like. It doesn't matter what it looks like. And if, if somebody else does care, it's not your business. It's, you know, there's nothing you can do about that can't change what other people think. All you can change is yourself. And so focus on what feels good in your body and make yourself happy. And who caress what anybody else thinks. I. How many is that? That was three or four. And then Think so. none of them work unless you put them into practice.

Lisa: 15:05

Thank you for saying those So how long was it between like getting your subscription to deciding to become a facilitator?

Carissa: 15:15

Yeah, I think it was, it was about a year to a year and a half and I didn't know that there was like live classes. I didn't know that I could be a facilitator when I first signed up for Body Groove'cause the companies are, are separate and I. I think I happened upon it by chance. I found like the World Groove Movement website and I was like, wait, this looks like body groove and, and I put two and together and I was like, oh wait, I can teach this to people And that to me was like so exciting because I knew how much benefit I had gotten out of it and I knew how it had changed my life for the better. And I just really, really wanted to share it with other people, especially people who Feel like there isn't a place for them in fitness, because that's where I was I got started. I felt like, you know, I, I was an outsider in the fitness industry, but I loved moving my body and I knew it was good for me. I just didn't feel welcome. I didn't feel like there was a place for me and Body Groove was that place.

Lisa: 16:16

That's very moving. Yeah. To find that.

Carissa: 16:20

It, it was wonderful. Right. I felt included in fitness for the first time ever in my entire life. I've done all these programs. I mean, my whole life I've been very active. I just, people you wouldn't have known you wouldn't have known because I was, I was very overweight. So fitness comes in all shapes and sizes and that's what I, I love, that's probably the thing that I love most about body groove is that they embrace and celebrate that and they want any body, if you can move, you can groove and it, it's really, really true.

Lisa: 16:51

It is definitely, I know you've said you've sort of lost some weight. Was that on purpose or just kind of a natural progression from beginning to sort of feel more self-accepting or, you know, how did that all evolve?

Carissa: 17:06

I think it was a combination of things. So I think body groove really helped because, like I said, I didn't get injured, I didn't have to sideline myself. I, I started eating better. Obviously. That's, I think that's always the case. Eating healthier things like once you get done with a, with A groove workout, you don't really wanna go eat a bunch of heavy, greasy food, like I want to eat lighter food. And so I started naturally eating, eating better. My doctor has also been helping me, so I've had some hormonal imbalances. I found a new doctor and, and I've had hormonal imbalances that I didn't know I had. And so we fixed those and that has made a world, all of those things have made a world of difference. So it was gradual. But I really do believe that body groove Was the, it, it was like the, the instigator, right?

17:57

Just a quick interjection here about what Carissa was describing. I think so much of the current fitness options are more, have a more masculine energy to them. They're about working hard, pushing through, you know, not really listening to your body, but just trying to get it done. As Carissa said when she started Groove, she actually was able to be very consistent with it because she wasn't getting injured. And I think when you have that closer connection with your body, when you start to trust it, maybe when the exercise is a little bit more feminine in its energy then you can really start to listen and connect with your own body which is part of what Groove is all about. And from there, you know, she was inspired to eat healthier as a natural result of that. Again, not from choosing to, you know, force her body through some diet. And then, finally, she was talking about how she discovered that she had some hormone imbalances that she worked out with a doctor. And again, I think that's part of the, the really connecting and listening to your body and having communication and maybe discovering that it needs something else, which probably doesn't come into play when you're doing a more aggressive form of exercise and so that when you don't succeed at it, you blame yourself. You feel like you're not doing enough or you're not working hard enough. But in this instance with Carissa, when she allowed herself to exercise in a way that felt good, then she could really listen to her body and be open to other options that might be. Going on, in her body.

Lisa: 20:01

So you're doing the group for about a, a year and a half, and then you decide to join the facilitator training. And how was the training for you?

Carissa: 20:09

Yeah, it was really good. I mean, I really liked it. It, so right off the bat they have, you go out and do an iPod. Yeah, I think that's what they called it, an iPod groove where you just go out to a public place and you have to put your headphones in and just dance I, I was really scared to do that. I didn't want to do it. I considered not doing it and just saying I did, but I. I, I'm too honest for that. So I, convinced my hu my husband went with me. Actually. We went to a park and took our dog and, and we danced and nobody cared. People, there was all kinds of people at the playground. There were families there, there were, it, it was a busy park and we just, Danced and nobody could hear our music. And we were both doing our own thing and people walked by. Some people smiled. That's, that's it, that's all that happened. And so I was like, look, no one cares right. There's the group truth. No one cares. It's true.

Lisa: 21:03

Right, Maybe that's why they have you do that so you can really embody

Carissa: 21:06

Yep. Absolutely.

Lisa: 21:09

Oh my gosh. And who did you have as an instructor?

Carissa: 21:14

Dani

Lisa: 21:15

Danny. Dani okay. Okay. So did you start teaching, like after you got certified, or how was the certification process

Carissa: 21:24

Yeah, I finished, I had been talking to like my coworkers and to friends and family about body groove and I told them that when I, when I found that I could be a facilitator, I started telling people I'm gonna go be a fitness facilitator and that I. Reminds me that I always wanted to be a fitness facilitator. My, I did like, I had these ambitions, but I, you know, again, I was, I was a bigger woman and I didn't, didn't think that I could. I was like, nobody's gonna come take a class for me. But they did That's the thing, is that I would tell people about this program and I would tell them all the benefits and, and why I loved it so much and why I wanted to be a facilitator. And they were like, yeah, that sounds fun. Why don't you invite me? I'll, I'll come check it out. And, and I got a, a good number of people to come check it out with me.

Lisa: 22:09

That's great. Yeah, I'm sure your enthusiasm and just your enjoyment of it must have shown through. That's so great. and then how soon after that did you decide to keep going with it and take more training?

Carissa: 22:23

I mean, pretty quickly. I, I loved it right away. The biggest thing for me, the hardest thing for me about being a facilitator was, was the marketing and like growing my class. Right. And, and I think I still struggle with that, like trying to, I. Just explain it to people that don't have any idea of what it is and, and, and that, that's been the most difficult for me and it's really uncomfortable for me. I don't like, like putting myself out there in, in social media and stuff, trying to like, attract attention to my posts and like, I'm just not good at that. I'm not good at it. And that's a whole, it's, it's the aspect of this that I didn't consider going into it.

Lisa: 23:05

Yes.

Carissa: 23:06

So that's the one thing that was surprising to me. But I love the teaching. I love the training. I love learning from like other facilitators, taking classes from other people because we all do it differently, right? We're group facilitators. We grew our facilitation, and I, I think it's great. Like I, and we have such a supportive community, right? Everybody supports each other and, and. That's also not something that I've found in the fitness industry until I found groove. So

Lisa: 23:36

Oh, that's so true. I hadn't thought about that aspect of it, but yes. Yeah. Nobody's there to tear you down, but just to, you know, help you and build you up and

Carissa: 23:46

yeah, it's not competitive, right? It's non-competitive fitness, which I think is unique.

Lisa: 23:53

Absolutely. So are you teaching just on Zoom or do you have an in-person class or,

Carissa: 23:59

I'm only teaching on Zoom for now, but I, I would love to do an in-person class, but again, my, my marketing is like my weak point and so you know, just I, I. I have friends and family and coworkers that are all over and they wanted to take my class. And so I knew right away that I was gonna start doing it online. And I do have a, a day job, so I, I've been struggling to find the right balance of, you know, practicing for my classes and get, preparing for my classes and keeping my day job. I love teaching group like I do, and if I. If I could make a living off of it, I would but that's not what I'm doing it for, you know, and I, I don't think any of us do. But it is, it is my passion. It is definitely my passion.

Lisa: 24:50

Yeah, that definitely shows through and just how you talk about it. You're lucky participants in your class,

Carissa: 24:56

Yeah, they, I, I'm so, I'm so grateful to have a class. I have regulars. They come, you know, every week, and I, I just, I'm always so grateful, when, when I finish a class, I'm just, I, I, it blows my mind still some days that I, I am a fitness instructor, you know,

Lisa: 25:15

you're doing

Carissa: 25:16

I am, I am.

Lisa: 25:18

And have you seen any, or has anybody told you about any changes or. Shifts that the people who are taking your classes have had.

Carissa: 25:26

Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, they, they tell me that they're, they feel so much more grounded. Right. And I think one of the common things is people feel They come out of my class feeling energized. So I, my classes are in the Saturday mornings and so a lot of people start their weekend that way and they, they just say that it, it starts their weekend off with such positive energy, right? And they feel so just refreshed going into their weekend, which I think is a great way to start your weekend.

Lisa: 25:55

Definitely, And for yourself, I know. Can you maybe talk a little bit about just the benefits that you've experienced?

Carissa: 26:03

Oh yeah. I mean so many. I'm definitely stronger. Like you wouldn't think that dancing can make you strong. I. But Groove does. I mean, I think that the, the, the kinds of moves that we do, and there's a good variety, like sometimes we get down on the floor, right? And you're crawling around and that's building your arm strength and building your core strength. And it, it, it doesn't seem like it's, it's not like pushups, right? I'm not sitting there doing a million pushups or anything like that. But I definitely get stronger and, and I can do things that I. Have never been able to do like, like pushups or burpees or things like that, that, you know, I wasn't necessarily very fond of. But now they, they get easier. Not, not overnight for sure, but over time I've been doing it for several years now, and so, I think I heard Karin say in, in her interview that she used to groan when Heather's videos would come on, on body groove. And I was, I was in that same boat. I was, I was in that same boat. And so for me to have taken the FIT certification and now I'm a, you know, I'm, I'm certified fit facilitator, like, that's a huge accomplishment for me. And it, it, it makes me feel really, like I'm proud of myself. I am, I'm, I'm proud of, of how far I've come and the fact that I'm Physically able to, to do those things. It's all because of body groove. I mean, I was, I was my highest weight ever. I was not standing. I'd have to take a break after 15 minutes. You know, like that's where, that's where I was when I started Body Groove.

Lisa: 27:40

my gosh. Wow. I, I just was, I think I was reflecting on the fact that for me, I had a shoulder injury and I remember I was in the shower and I was like, oh my gosh, I can lift my arm to shave underneath it, you know? And, and it wasn't anything I had done in particular, but all the sort of lifting of your arms and moving of your arms, you know, anytime you danced in the, in the groove, it just totally li loosened up my whole Shoulder girdle in a way that it hadn't for a long time. So it, it is amazing just how moving and dancing the groove way can have so many physical benefits as well as, you know, sort of emotional. And I could dunno if you say spiritual,

Carissa: 28:27

Yeah, for I would, I would say spiritual.

Lisa: 28:30

Yeah.

Carissa: 28:31

I was, I was not in, not in good shape after the pandemic and you know, I had been working from home and. Yeah, it was, it was not a, not a good time. And now I am, and, and I don't feel like I was particularly happy. You know, things were kind of rough right at the beginning of the pandemic and everything was so uncertain. And I think live, our lives were upended right? And everybody was suddenly shut in and everything changed overnight. And I think I, I was really depressed, I was anxious and I wasn't healthy and Now I feel the opposite of all of those things. I, not that I'm super zen all the time, but the stillness and the meditation aspect that, that you bring into groove it, it has changed me and, and my, I don't know. I'm, I'm a pretty, I'm a type A person and so I'm pretty high strung. But I can totally Let go of things like that. I didn't used to be able to, and, and my perspective, my just I, I'm much more a go with the flow and let things go type of person than I've ever been. And, and I don't have anything else to attribute that to other than Groove

Lisa: 29:46

That's quite a shift. Wow. was there one training that you enjoyed more than the other or that you felt like you incorporate more into your classes or,

Carissa: 29:58

I think the advanced, I probably incorporate more of But I think for me, the FIT training was what felt like the biggest accomplishment. But, I think I definitely incorporate more, there's just more available, right? Because there's the advanced one and the advanced two, so I end up pulling a lot, a fair amount of those into my class classes. Mm-hmm.

Lisa: 30:20

I think I re remember watching your video after, I'm not sure if it was level one or two, but advanced one or two. You had talked about being a better observer I wondered if you could maybe talk a little bit about that.

Carissa: 30:33

Yeah. I mean, observation I think is such a, it's a key thing when you're facilitating, because when, when I first got done with my training, I was rattling through a checklist, right? I'm like, well, I need to remember to tell my style words and I need to remember to, to give the moves in this way, and I need to remember to tell people to, to relax or I want, like, I had all these things that I wanted to say to people, and it was really just me. before the class, figuring out what are the things I wanna say here? And then going through and saying them and, and no, no kind of particular rhyme or reason, just spouting them off because I had the checklist in my head,

Lisa: 31:07

Right. I.

Carissa: 31:08

Well, that's, that's how, it's when, when, when you're first getting started and, and even now, sometimes. I mean, it's not like I'm perfect and I'm, I never do that. But you know, it it, the observation takes you out of that when you stop. And don't just worry about what you're gonna say next, but stop and look what's happening in my class. Do I see people connected? Do I see somebody you know struggling? Do I see somebody who maybe looks tired? Right? Because sometimes I have a, a, a mix of, of ages and, and physical abilities in my class. And so I have to pay attention to, am I Am I giving enough permission for, for people who may not be wanting to go as high intensity today? I need to give them more reminders to take it at their own pace and to go slow and to listen to your body. And I'm not doing that if I'm just rattling through the things that I think I need to say. So just paying attention to what I see happening and then responding to that and that it just takes practice.

Lisa: 32:09

it does take practice. Yeah. And I, as you said, sort of the, the training starts to bring your awareness more to that aspect of the teaching.

Carissa: 32:19

Exactly. Yeah. Because I wasn't, I wasn't aware of that until I got the feedback. Right. And another thing is, is my My enthusiasm and, and I get really, really excited about teaching Groove and like in my classes. And I have to remember when we're doing a soft, slow song not to be as you know, my voice needs to be soft and slow. And so that's been just, it's been a, a, a growth experience for me. So, yeah.

Lisa: 32:51

That's so great. I mean, yeah, just from starting out, just doing it for yourself and then, you know, becoming, becoming a facilitator, Kudos for you,

Carissa: 33:02

Yay. I just want, I wanted to share it. If I can touch one person's life, you know, the way that it has touched mine, then it's all worth it. That's how, that is truly how I feel. I.

Lisa: 33:49

I'm just curious, when you were doing the body groove on demand, was there a particular teacher that you resonated with or you really looked forward to?

Carissa: 33:58

I think probably Misty and Miranda were the two that were my favorite to, to gravitate towards. I think Misty's personality is, is, is great. I think it was, you know, She really drives home the, you can't get it wrong, and, and the inclusive aspect of everything. And I just, her story, you know, really resonated with me. yeah, so,

Lisa: 34:23

I'm always sort of amazed when I,'cause I try to watch her videos and then I'm like, what is she saying? And it's, it's so just natural for her, I think, you

Carissa: 34:33

Yep. Yep.

Lisa: 34:34

it's so encouraging and it always seems like the perfect thing to be saying, you know, to help somebody. Dance to their fullest.

Carissa: 34:42

Right.

Lisa: 34:44

Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, that's something we can all grow towards and, and work on, you know, to find our own way of doing that. But it sounds like you've, you're sort of settling into your, into your style

Carissa: 34:57

I hope I am. I mean, I try, I'm, I feel like I'm still learning and growing, but the trainings definitely help. And I think just Continuing to, to have class every week, right? Like that is where I learn the most, is just doing it. And, and sometimes things aren't successful, especially over Zoom, right? you could try to teach something and, and you do it and it's like, oh no, that just, that just didn't work at all over Zoom. I won't do that. I won't do that song again. But you never know until you try. So

Lisa: 35:28

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Carissa: 35:30

group, groove that's another groove truth

Lisa: 35:33

do you how do you put together your playlist? Like are you trying to do a different set of songs every time or do you repeat a little bit? Or

Carissa: 35:42

Yeah,

Lisa: 35:42

that

Carissa: 35:43

that I don't, I, I try. I, I try to do a little bit of both, so I, I feel, I asked my participants once, I was like, do you all want me to have repeats? Like, I tried to put myself in their shoes and when I was, when I was doing body groove, right, there were certain tracks that I really liked and I found myself wanting to do them again and again and again, and other ones that I didn't like so much. And so I thought, well, I'll bet that's the same for them. And I don't, I don't know, they, it's not like they They do a survey or something and tell me which songs they liked and which they didn't. But sometimes I'll ask, I'll ask for feedback at the end of class, you know, was there one that you particularly liked or something that you didn't like? And I did ask them if they wanted me to, to mix in some older songs or if they liked having all new songs and they said, oh, a little bit of both. So that's what I try to do. I don't have like a formula of, of like old to new and some weeks like, I think last week I don't think I had anything old in it. Just'cause I wasn't, I, I go with what I feel. I think I, I go off of like, what's my vibe for right now that when I'm putting a playlist together, I have, I do it in Excel because it's easier for me to make sure I, I don't wanna have too many of the same moves. Like, you know, I, I make sure that we get a full body experience. Like I wanna make sure that we work some of our arms and some of our legs and like, I don't want it to be Too heavy or intense on, on any, like, not too much cardio. And I try to give a well-rounded experience and usually a variety of genres and things. And they, they always, they know they can always get a Latin track out of my classes. I, I the Latin so that's, that's something that I do try to get at least one Latin track in every song. So,

Lisa: 37:25

I like it.

Carissa: 37:26

I grew up on the border. grew up on the border of Mexico. So for me like that, yeah, like it's just, it, I love it. I, I, it reminds me of home. Home. I've been here as long as I live there. I have two homes so

Lisa: 37:39

Yeah, where you grew up though is always, you know, kind of got a place in your heart, I'm sure.

Carissa: 37:44

right. That's exactly right.

Lisa: 37:46

I was just thinking about like, how do you tell somebody. Like likes a song. I, I remember my fellow facilitators, they'd be like, whenever they, you know, whenever you start to play a song that they like, they'd clap their hands silently over the video.

Carissa: 38:02

Yep. I do that. I totally do that. I'm a clapper or putting my hands on my heart something. Yeah.

Lisa: 38:08

Yeah,

Carissa: 38:09

Yeah.

Lisa: 38:10

It is. It is kind of encouraging when you see somebody do that.'cause you're like, oh good, they're gonna enjoy this.

Carissa: 38:15

Exactly. Exactly. Because, because you do wanna know. I mean, that is something like, how do we get that feedback from people? I don't know. I've gotta, I've gotta work on that. I try to, try to ask, at the end of every class, I ask for a word. I ask for one word. That,

Lisa: 38:28

Oh

Carissa: 38:30

Summarizes how you're feeling after class. So, It's not quite the same as getting feedback on my playlist, but it, it helps me know if I, if I hit my mark right, because some weeks I'm trying to be more energetic and energized, and other weeks I might wanna be more just like refreshing and just like maybe peaceful and calm. So yeah.

Lisa: 38:50

Hmm. I think that's one thing that's kind of fun about being a group facilitator is there's so many songs to pick from. I. You can really put it together in any way. I mean, there's sort of a format, but any blend of songs that you want, you know, in your own style. I know like some people like to do themes and I've, I'm a bit more like you. I just kind of go on what I feel for the

Carissa: 39:20

Yeah, I, I've tried to do some themes and I feel like when I do themes, they don't They don't tend to work out as well because you're, you're trying to box yourself in right. And, and, You can end up with the same type of song like, I think I did. I, I don't remember what I did, but I did some kind of confidence a, a theme and, and it ended up being a lot of, like, there was a lot of sassiness and a lot And by the end I was like, okay, people are probably tired of being sassy now. But anyway, that's how my

Lisa: 39:50

another funky walk.

Carissa: 39:52

exactly. Exactly. You get, you get tired of it. So for me, I, I, I, I need to stay away from themes. They don't work well for me.

Lisa: 39:59

I'm the same I have tried a few things, but not so much theme oriented, but

Carissa: 40:06

Yeah. Yeah.

Lisa: 40:08

I also want to ask you like how easy it was to sort of keep doing your own groove and teach, like to, to balance both those things.

Carissa: 40:15

That's tricky. So like I, I find that I don't do body groove nearly as much as I used to. And that's just because when I'm not practicing or getting ready for my class, I'm taking someone else's class, So, for me, like groove has become, it's become a bigger part of my life than body groove. And that's just because, you know, I'm a facilitator, I'm part of a community now and I'm building these connections and, and so, It is a struggle because I, I do have a day job, so I need to, I, I have to spend my after work, my after day job hours, planning for my class and, and working on my playlist and working on my marketing and, and then practicing your playlist, right? So there's a whole process. I feel like every week I have like a cycle. I need to go update my website and I need to go do this, and I've gotta send out my email and I've gotta, you know, so I, I, I have specific activities that I do on certain days and Body groove is the thing that I think has fallen away. But when I, when I don't have something going on, I know it's always there and like when I'm traveling, that's what I go to. I take my phone out and I can body groove wherever I am. So it's accessible to me anytime of the day, no matter where I am in the world. And, and I think that's, it's great

Lisa: 41:35

That is great. Yes. The world has changed in terms of that. Just all the streaming. It's amazing.

Carissa: 41:42

Yeah, it is. It's, it's great. I mean, we can, we have access to it whenever, whenever we want. And I have, I have traveled, I, I was traveling for work and I was able to take my body groove app and, and know, I was in the hotel room dancing away, so

Lisa: 41:58

That's great. That's great. Well, anything that you feel like you, we haven't covered or you feel like it's important to bring up or any anything else you'd like to talk about or explain about your groove experience or.

Carissa: 42:14

I don't think so. I mean, I think, I think it's just a all around inclusive and welcoming non-competitive experience that really can it, it. It just will change your life. That's what I think. If you, if you can, you know, give it the chance and if you're looking for something a, a way of moving your body that is different than anything you've probably experienced and, and it'll teach you to, to honor your body and to just show yourself love through movement. Right? Like that's, that's how I. Look at Groove is that it's, it's something I do to show myself that I love myself.

Lisa: 42:59

That's beautiful. I, I like that. Yeah. So any advice for somebody who's, you know, curious about it, maybe wants to try it out? Like where, where would you have them start or what would you say to them?

Carissa: 43:13

I mean, it, it, they could do body groove. Certainly. I think it's a wonderful way to get introduced to the program. I think that the, being able to see the diversity on the videos, like there's people of all ages and abilities and shapes and sizes and ages. Like they even have people sitting in chairs, right. Doing it in chairs. And I think that, for me it was really helpful because it, it, it's showing you, it's, it's one thing for people to say, do it at your own pace. Or, you know, listen to your body. But to see a bunch of people exercising together and everybody's really, really doing it their own way, it, it drives home that that's okay. And, and so I think body groove, you, you might not get that if you join a Zoom, a zoom class, right? Like you're gonna see, you may see people of, of all abilities and ages and sizes, but you may not, you may it, it. In the body groove videos, they've done a really good job, I think of, of showing that it is for every body. And so if you're, if you're concerned or if you're, if you have doubts, I'd say start with body groove and, and see that this really is for everybody. And, and there, there is no reason to, to hold yourself back. Try it and, and see if you like it. And if you do, then there's a whole world of groove. You know, there's in-person classes and there's zoom classes and there's a community and you could be a facilitator and like there, there's, there's just a whole world opens up to you. So I don't see what people would have to, to lose by just checking it out.

Lisa: 44:55

Great advice. I like it. well thank you so much Carissa, for spending the time and talking to us about your

Carissa: 45:03

Thank you for having me. Yeah.

Lisa: 45:06

Very inspiriing

Carissa: 45:07

Aw, thank you.

Lisa: 45:20

Thank you so much for listening to the interview with Carissa. If you were interested in taking a class with her or would just like more information, I will have her contact information in the show notes below. If you know anybody that you think would enjoy the podcast or benefit from it, please feel free to share it with them. And I look forward to bringing you another interview next week. I'm going to be talking about West Coast Swing with Morgana Rae.