The Art of Encore Living - DeAnne Gauya

Welcome to The Art of Encore Living, insightful conversations with inspiring difference makers to help you find fulfillment, forge meaning, and make an impact in your life's third act. I'm your host, Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at Creative On Purpose, where we help people like you define the difference only you can make and live your legacy. You can visit creativeonpurpose.com to grab your free copy of The Art of Encore Living Quick Start Guide. Let's meet today's guest, Dan Gaya. Welcome to the broadcast. Please tell our viewers who you are, what you're up to these days, and where can they go to learn more about you and the difference you're making.

All right, so thank you so much for having me on, Scott Perry. I am Deanne Gaia, the creative energetic orchestrator of my own brand, Gaia Fit, and my Surfers Method, which is my own method helping people learn how to become more adaptable, resilient, and reduce stress in their life as best as they can. And I have had a career doing this pretty pretty much for over 30 years with one little break in there. Um, but I've felt just really, um, divinely guided to do this type of work, um, for a very, very long time. Um, I just kind of kept on adding modalities. I started off getting a master's degree from Columbia in exercise physiology and nutrition, and from there I got some other certifications as a personal fitness trainer, and then I became a licensed massage therapist. So I do bodywork. I've I've done bodywork for over 30 years, and then I became a registered yoga teacher. And, uh, so I really help people in any way I can, and I use all of the modalities really to help people just become healthier, happier, fitter, live optimally, live a long, healthy life. And lately, um, the primary thing that I've been up to is the process of transitioning my business from working one-on-one in person, which was the way I had done it for a long time, to moving to an online platform. I've been working on this for about 5 years, and I've had the goal of establishing my own course and eventually a membership and really scaling with the primary goal of reaching as many people as I possibly can. Because I'm a one-woman show, I do it all myself. I've never had a desire to hire people or have people work for me, you know, doing what I, I do. I wouldn't mind other people like doing things that I don't enjoy doing, like accounting or social media. But anyway, so that's my, my goal is really to just help as many people as I can. And related to your brand, um, you know, this I feel is my encore. Not that I've shifted really from what I've done, but I feel I'm going to be 60 next year, and I feel like I just like, now's the time to really step it up and just help as many people globally as I can. And with, you know, the World Wide Web and all these online tools that we have, you know, you can now reach people all over the world, which is super exciting.

Yeah, for sure. Well, I— there's a lot there that I want to, um, kind of tease apart and unpack, but, um, the first thing that I always love to hear from, from guests is, you know, how did you come to be doing what you're doing now? Now, you've been doing this for 30 years, but I'm guessing that little 9-year-old did not wake up one day and go, you know what I want to be? I want to be a multimodality health and wellness coach. So how did you come to be doing what you're doing now?

So I guess really the story begins when I was 4 years old and I was a little girl with my mom in an apartment and we used to watch Jack LaLanne on TV. I don't know if anybody remembers Jack LaLanne. I'm dating myself. But he would be on the TV in his little blue suit with his chair, and he would have us swinging our legs and doing squats, and my mother and I would do it together. And that was like where the seed really was planted for me. And then I went on to become a dancer and a gymnast, so I was always kind of like in my body and enjoyed being in my body. And so that kind of pulled me into health and fitness. But what really, I think, now inspired me so much Going back, one of my first jobs was at the White House Athletic Center, the White House for President George Bush number one. And we went to an event on the West Lawn of the White House, and it was the beginning of Physical Fitness and Sport Month, which is in May. And so I got to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and all these different people, but the best person who I met, all of a sudden I look across, who do I see? Jack LaLanne in his blue suit. And I ran over to him and I was like, Oh my gosh, I said, Jack, I remember doing your show with my mom when I was a little girl and you planted the seed for me in exercise and fitness. I said, you look fantastic. He goes, well, I feel fantastic. And he dropped down. I'm not kidding. He did like 12 perfect one-arm push-ups and then got right back up. And he was 70s. And I was just like, holy crap, like, this is what fitness can do for a person, you know? And so that's really what brought me to the work and then really inspired me to continue down this path of helping people through fitness and holistic fitness.

That is a fantastic story. And I do, I'm right behind you in terms of approaching 60. And so I do remember Jack Lalanne. I was not a very health-conscious young person. So I did not do the exercises with Jack. I turned the channel to Mr. Wizard or Captain Kangaroo or something.

I watched that one too, Captain Kangaroo, loved him.

So, but that's, you know, what a great story. One of the things that's come up for me in both the conversations I'm having on this broadcast, but in the work that I'm doing with clients, you know, especially in the Western world, I think we're always facing towards our becoming. We're future-faced, we're achievement-driven and goal-driven. And, you know, we equate success with achieving the things that we set out to do and feel bad if we don't. And of course, even when we achieve what we want to achieve, we're not all that happy either. And, you know, a lot of people are talking about, you know, being in the here and now, which is the only place that we can actually do anything about trying to influence our way into our becoming. But as I'm working with clients and having these conversations, I'm encouraging people to look back at their becoming, like what they, or what, you know, what they were what they've been. And I often find that there's this, there's this silver thread, this theme that will run through a person's life, or it may be something that they reconnect with in their encore after they've taken a path, you know, in a career or raising a family or all that. They can re— they return to the thing that they were always meant to do as it was manifesting in their childhood. So it's just, you know, that's, that Your story is a lovely representation of that. You use two words in describing what you do that I would love for you to just unpack a little bit more. One was orchestrator and the other was surfer. So how does orchestration and surfing fit into the work that you're doing now?

Okay, so the creative energetic orchestrator actually has two meanings. So originally it was like that I am a visionary. I'm a visionary. I'm a big big picture person. I'm not a detail person so much. And so the idea was like, how do I pull things together in my business to create this holistic program? Um, and then with each client I work with, it's like each person's issues or things that are going on, it's like a puzzle to me. And it's a unique creation that I help them, you know, bring into their life. And it's a solution that is highly individualized, customized. So again, that's orchestra, like bringing things together. I love the idea of synergy, you know, how do you bring things together in a way where the parts influence, you know, and become greater than the individual parts? You understand what I'm saying? And then lately, I actually— the creative energetic orchestrator— I've really come to think of literally everything I do and everything in the world as being energy. Energy and the expansion of energy or the contraction of energy, whether it's cellular— I mean, cellular onto the cosmos, but it's all about expansion and contraction. So I think of how can I help someone, their energy, like raise their vibe and make it more expansive. So that's that. And then the surfing comes from A long time ago when I did a, I'm sorry, a meditation teacher training with Jon Kabat-Zinn, I did two of them actually. And in his book, Wherever You Go, There You Are, there's a chapter called You Can't Stop the Waves, But You Can Learn to Surf. And I remember when I heard him say that, I was just like, oh my God, like that's it, right? You can't stop the waves. Life is always bringing us all sorts of things, sometimes planned things, sometimes totally unexpected things. You know, particularly now in our world, we live in this VUCA world, you know, volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. So the idea, like, you can't stop those waves, you can't stop what's going on, but you can go inward and learn how to surf those waves with practice. So I loved that metaphor. And then from there, I developed my SURFERS method. And in that, there are 7 letters, SURFERS. And so it's a process that's a circular process that brings— anyway, so that's where it all came from. And I don't know how to surf, so people are always asking me, so don't you give surf instruction? I'm like, uh, you know, this is a metaphor. And I said, I actually do not know how to surf. It is on my bucket list to learn, but I, at this point, I could probably stand on a surfboard on Oahu, like a very long wave, but that would be about it.

Well, that's really fascinating. A woman that I work with, Tamsen Horton, teaches us that we're power companies. And so I love this idea that you're sharing about, you know, we are energetic beings. I think, you know, I think a lot about energy and vibrational energy in the work that I do as well. You know, as difference makers, as people that are helping others live from the inside out, I see what we do as to help others see, step into, stay in, and share their power. And I see, you know, see that in what you were sharing about creative energetic orchestrator. It's a really, it's a mouthful, but it's a beautiful mouthful. And I'd like, you know, you and I met through the folks Kylie and Richard at Conscious Marketer, and they frequently talk about surfing and marketing, you know, which again doesn't seem like it has anything to do with marketing, but, you know, catching the wave, you know, are you catching a big massive wave with lots of surfers on it? Did you catch the wave too early? Are you too late? Are you in the middle? I think it's a beautiful metaphor. And as I'm seeing the picture behind you, I can, you know, it all makes perfect sense. But I do remember Being one of those people is like, is she a surf instructor?

No, I just, I love the beach. And again, the metaphor really speaks to me. And also, although I haven't surfed, I do know enough about it that it requires you to be incredibly mindful and incredibly present. Like, there is no way you can be out in the water trying to catch a wave if you're not completely completely present in your body and moment to moment, breath by breath. Um, and again, for me, that speaks to a lot of what I do and how I teach yoga, which is vinyasa. It's very fluid and flowy and moving in and out, and of course, present moment awareness coordinated with breath. So for me, it all just kind of goes together.

Well, you also mentioned something about feeling like your life was, um, kind of divinely inspired or divinely led. And I love that too, because, and along with surfing metaphor, at Creative On Purpose and in the Art of Encore Living program, we have this phrase, don't push the river. You know, so often as Westerners, you know, again, results-driven, achievement-driven, you know, feeling like fame and fortune are the real rewards in life. We end up pushing against forces that are actually trying to conspire in our favor, but instead of going with them, and riding them where they wish to take us, we are— we fight against them, which makes us complicit in our own suffering and whatever trouble we get ourselves into. And so, um, it really does make, you know, complete sense to me. And I love the idea, um, you know, of the reminder of presence and mindfulness. Also, what I'm hearing is, you know, You're going— the wave is going to go where the wave is going to go, and you can help navigate your way within the wave's destination, but you probably should not be too attached to an exact precise destination or results because waves are unpredictable. You have to, you have to pivot and tack and navigate and you'll probably end up somewhere really good, but probably good not to be too attached.

Yeah, yeah, I agree with that very much. And I think along that line too, that is really listening inwardly for guidance. And I mean, if I had one piece of advice to give people, like, that I've learned in my life, it's trust your gut, trust your intuition. You know, when you get these hits, like Don't let the mind or people's expectations or voices or shoulds or whatever, like, just tune them out and just go within. And the more aligned you can be, like, you, you feel aligned and your intuition tells you, like, there's this, this resonance, like, just go with that. Just go with it. Trust it. Trust the process. And, and like you said, don't rush the river. You know, I think so many times we, we're very uncomfortable with not knowing. I think that's so difficult for so many people when you just don't know, where the answer isn't quite clear. And we have this impulse to like figure out the next thing or fill the gap with something. We're like, we have a space, so we can't just let that space be. We have to fill it with something immediately. And I think that a lot of times that doesn't bring people ultimately joy or peace or happiness.

Mm, yeah, well, that ties a little bit to what I think we were chatting about earlier, which is, you know, I think what you're describing is really what, what we've been programmed for by institutionalized education and occupation. Like, here are the rules. If you follow the rules, we'll give you rewards like, you know, money and distractions, um, that will help dull, um, the angst that you feel about like I'm winning, but I'm not happy. And that, you know, that reminder that we really are, you know, while we do like to know where we stand and what's expected, we at one point were creatures that embraced uncertainty and enjoyed the adventure of going to the edges of our understanding and ability. You know, an infant doesn't become a toddler and then a walker by listening, you know, they don't have an imposter in their head telling them that they're not good enough. They don't have peers telling them you're not doing it right. You do it poorly until you do it well. And you find joy in all of it. The failures, the bumps, the bruises, the small successes, you know. Uh, and then suddenly you're just unconsciously walking around all the time and not giving it a second thought. And I think oftentimes this work that people like you and I are doing, and the, the, our life's third act, second half, second mountain, whatever you want to call it, is almost about let's, let's return back to who we really are in our soul's purpose and heed the divine inspiration or destiny's call. And reclaim that, that joy.

Yeah, yes, absolutely. You know, I think like in my Surfers program, you know, part one of the activities is fill and fun, and it's real, and it brings people back to their childhood. And I have people come up with what we call the joy list. And your joy list is just so literally have your joy list and you fill it out yourself, and you go back. It could be as simple as smelling a flower, petting your dog or cat, maybe having a a nice cup of tea, knitting, painting, I mean, whatever it is. But I tell people, I'm like, go back to when you were a child. Like, what did you really just love to do? And for me, when I go back to me being a child, like, I love being barefoot, I love being outdoors, I love running in the grass, I love, you know, I love doing artwork, you know, I didn't watch a lot of TV. So I mean, I go back to that and I can see, like you said, the this silver thread. It's like, I feel very much like I'm just an adult version of that little girl that I was. And when I go back to the things that I liked and the things that I resonated with and the ways I like to be in the world, it was all the same. I don't know, really.

No, I think that's beautiful. I think that's an exercise I've been taking clients through recently is let's find a picture of the 4 or 5-year-old you and tell me what you see. And what were you doing back then? What were the things that sparked joy in your life? What are the, you know, what are the things that you found yourself completely immersed in? And, you know, even as they step into their, you know, toward their adolescence and all those memories, so many things come up that they've forgotten about. But again, you can see that that is where they, you where they were in terms of creative beings, playfulness, the things that brought, that made them feel a sense of awe and wonder and the things that made them feel connected and happy are the things that they're trying to reclaim later in life. It's a really powerful thing. We're coming toward the end of our half hour together, but I want to get into one thing that you said because it didn't— because what I'm seeing is very different than what you said. You said that you're, you're, you're not— something about social media and not being a huge fan. And I see you on social media, I think that you do a really good job. And, um, you also deliver a ton of value. And from the outside, it looks like you're actually having a little bit of fun while you're doing it.

I do have some fun. Well, and thank you for the compliment. I am always stepping out of my comfort zone very much, and you know, people like find that funny— or not funny, but hard to believe. But you know, doing this online business and branding, I have been thoroughly convinced that you can reach a lot of people on the internet. You know, on these social media platforms. And for me at least, I don't spend any money. I mean, except for having a computer, which I've had the same computer for the last 7 years, and Wi-Fi. But I don't do paid ads. I don't do— and I do it all myself. The videos I don't edit. So you can probably— so people are like, oh, you got to edit, you got to do this, that. And I'm just like, you know, that would be great if I had an assistant, a VA or whatever, but I just like point, shoot, post, you know. And I just like, I'm like, it's not perfect, it's not perfect. And, you know, I constantly go back to my why, like, who am I trying to serve, who am I trying to reach, how I want to help. I want to help people, you know, live better, fuller, happier, more joyful lives full of possibility. So I'm like, just get out of your own way, Deanne. Like, I know that that's, that's why. And so I'm like You know, people don't see it that way. Oh well, you know, people somehow think I'm on there too much. Like, oh well, you know, I— people have told me the worst thing to do is post and then run, but I'm very, very busy, so I can't post and then sit there for 2 or 3 hours looking for comments or not. So I just, yeah, I just do it my way for now as the solopreneur.

You said 3 things that I wanna highlight 'cause I think they are instructive for anyone that wants to start leaning into the difference only they can make or are already, you know, wanting to have something that they've built, but they need to reach more people. And that is, you said, what I'm hearing is you have a lot of clarity about who you're doing the post for. You clearly have a very clear sense and great confidence and what you're there to help them do. And you didn't say this specifically, but I see it in the post. You, you have a sense of looseness and playfulness that makes it, I think, probably 10 times more engaging than if you did produce, you know, perfect videos that, you know, delivered the instruction or the ideas that you wanted to share. And, you know, for me, As someone else who has had, you know, I posted to my community recently, I think actually just this past week, you know, a lot of people have a love-hate relationship with social media, but for most of my time on social media, my relationship was hate-hate.

Yeah, I saw that post.

Yeah. And, you know, what happened is I, you know, I just, I came to a realization finally that it's just a tool and how I use it is actually up to me. It's, you know, there's nothing inherently evil about Facebook, LinkedIn, or any of the other platforms. You can use them, as I see you do, as a force for good and to connect with more of the right people and to help spread the word, or you can use them in a really manipulative, um, you know, fashion that, that, um, you know, causes more harm than good to, to you and the people that you're trying to connect with. So just wanted to highlight that I love what I see on social media. I think you're doing it exactly right. You, you and one of my clients, Nikki, are probably my two biggest models. Ah, the way I would like to show up more often on social.

Well, thank you. And one thing I was going to share, just because maybe you found this helpful too, but in the Conscious Launch Accelerator, one of the most helpful things that Richard shared that stays with me all the time is that, you know, if people, you know, don't like what you're posting or they don't like your, you know, content or whatever, that that's actually good. That's actually good because you don't want to speak to everybody. And you want to— so the right people, the people who, who hear what you're trying to share, who resonate with what you're trying to share, who, you know, find value, they're the ones who are going to gravitate. And those are the ones you want. And so when I've reframed things like that, or I'm just like, if somebody unsubscribes from my newsletter, I used to get very upset and I'd look like, who is it? And then I, I think like I should call them, ask them, why did you unsubscribe? Or, you know, reach out to them. And then I thought, you know what, after Richard said that, I'm like, no, isn't that great? Like, no, you go find somebody else who you do resonate with. And I'm glad you figured out it wasn't me. So now hopefully more people, you know what I mean? But for me, that, that little gem from Richard was so helpful.

Yeah, I totally agree. I call it empathetic antagonism. You want to get with the right people, you want to get under their skin just enough to get them to take another step into you and what you're trying to share. And you want to get under the wrong people's skin just enough to help encourage them to continue to move along so that they find the person that's right for them. So the final question that I always ask my guests is around you know, just one final piece of advice or a favorite quote or something that will inspire someone who, like you, wants to, or, you know, wants to advance in an encorepreneur endeavor or maybe even just to get started. And I'm just curious about one of the things that you said just a little bit ago around trust. And that's a big theme of the work that I do as well. And I, if if you can take that question wherever you want to take it, but if you have any specific insight or reflections around how people can learn to more trust themselves and, you know, step into possibility and the difference that they want to make in the world. But what is a final reflection or a piece of advice that you would share with someone who, like you, wants to make a bigger difference in the world in their Life's Third Act.

Could I, could I run and just grab a piece of paper? Because I have something that I was gonna read to my yoga class tonight, so I'll be right back.

Don't be too long or else I'll have to tell bad dad jokes.

So This is one of my most inspirational poems that I've— this is from David Whyte's House of Belonging.

Oh, I love that.

And I have gone back to this over and over when I've had doubts within myself. And so it's called Sweet Darkness. When your eyes are tired, the world is tired also. When your vision is gone, no part of the world can find you. Time to go into the dark where the night has eyes. To recognize its own. There you can be sure you are not beyond love. The dark will be your womb tonight. The night will give you a horizon further than you can see. You must learn one thing: the world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong. Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your own aloneness to learn that anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.

That is beautiful. I almost wanted to guess which poem you were going to read because one of my favorite David Whyte poems is "Everything Is Waiting for You," and I don't know if that comes from "House of Belonging" or not, but encouraging the listeners out there to check out David Whyte for some inspiration and insight into their work. Well, I want to thank everyone for tuning in. Deanne and I really appreciate you lending us your valuable time and attention. And we hope today's broadcast motivates you to take a bolder step into possibility, living your legacy. You can learn more about Deanne and the difference that she's making right down there at GaiaFit.com. And of course, it is always fantastic to see you at Creative on Purpose as well. If you're watching where there's a place to leave a comment, please share a question, lesson, or takeaway from this conversation. If you're listening to this podcast, please consider living it, giving it a 5-star review. And now take the insight and inspiration from this conversation and fly higher in the difference only you can make. Dan, thank you so much for sharing your time and wisdom with us here today.

Thank you for having me, Scott. Pleasure.