We were lucky to catch up with Brigitta Dau recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brigitta, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I remember the exact moment I knew I needed to branch out with my services.

At the time, I was working as a Pilates Instructor at a boutique studio in West Los Angeles. I’d been dabbling with life coaching. I knew I wanted to expand the ways I could support people, but hadn’t felt any clear direction in how to do that. Also, I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling was a true calling to work at a higher level, or just a temporary moment of boredom with my current situation.

On this particular morning, I had three of my regular clients working out in the studio. Janice (I’m changing the names of this story, for privacy sake.) entered, clearly distraught. We all stopped and asked her what was going on.
She told us she had been to visit her mother and that her mother had not recognized her at all. Her mother had no clue who Janice was.

I should stop here and add, this was in the early 2000’s when Alzheimer’s was new. The very word “Alzheimer’s” was scary and most of us had little dealings with the reality of this diagnosis.

I just stared at her. I didn’t know what to say.

And what happened next is what I”ll never forget:
One of the clients sat up and spoke. (This particular person had lost both his Sister and Grandmother to Cancer less than a month prior.). “All you will have, after all is said and done…is who you are and how YOU show up. What she does, says, remembers, forgets…none of it will matter. None of that will linger. All you will have is YOU, and how you were able to witness and stay present throughout this experience.”

With that we just stopped everything we were doing and held her as she cried and talked about her feelings.
This was the moment when that thing we’ve all heard of, the “ripple effect” was happening right in front of all of us.
Because after an hour or sharing and caring for each other, we were all changed. Yes, we were going to carry on with our days but with a different level of awareness, compassion, and empathy. And so, off they went. They had work to go to, children to take to school, and Janice would have health care professionals to get in touch with. I would have another four people coming in for their Pilates workout. But…

How we would enter the rest of our day, how we would interact with the people we came into contact with, would be forever colored by this intimate experience of genuine caring and humanity.
That morning I knew I needed to do more than Pilates. I knew that morning that the “ripple effect” is powerful and that yes, even one person can affect the greater good. As my client had so wisely said, “At the end of the day, all you will be left with, is who you were and how you showed up”.

And that is when I expanded my business by becoming a Life coach and more recently, a Reiki Master.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I believe that “Change is Inevitable. Growth is a Choice”. I also know that everyone has their own path to living a life they are passionate about. This is why I work with many modalities and offer various options of support. My years of experience and varied approach to both problem solving and manifesting are what make my services different from the others.

Mixing energy work with Life Coaching has been a real game changer for myself and my clients.

Being a part of people’s growth and evolution is such a privilege. Lovingly supporting people overcome internal obstacles and external challenges is what I do best. Our work together is collaborative and creative as we craft exactly what it is they want to achieve. Just last week, I had a lovely session with a client who a year ago had come to me at timidly wanting to launch her acting career. We brainstormed and navigated how to get her representation, how to get her auditions, etc. In our session last week, we were creating new goals. Now, she not only has representation but she’s booking acting jobs regularly! Our new goals are how to elevate her career to the next level. It’s hard to describe how exciting it is to see such a transformation! In just one year she went from imagining her future to making it a reality. This is the power of skilled Life Coaching and Reiki energy.

I offer 1-1 coaching and Reiki Sessions both online and in-person. Inevitably, people wonder how it’s possible to experience energy healing over Zoom. But yes you can! Not only is it as effective virtually as it is in person, it’s also far more convenient thus creating a better opportunity for healing.

Reiki is a Japanese energy technique that supports healing and stress reduction. Reiki is pure energy and always honors free will, so it only requires your ‘willingness to receive’ to be utilized in the healing process. And because energy is like the air, it is not bound by material limits, it can be sent and received remotely. I liken it to the sound waves of radio stations. I help clients “tune in” to the frequency so they can receive Reiki for their highest good.

I also offer a virtual group Reiki class that meets monthly: Synergistc Sunday. This is my favorite offering and it has become an amazing supportive community of empowered women. I combine coaching, Pilates, and Reiki to create a lovely hour of “stay at home” self-care.
I also have a Remote Reiki Transmission Group. This is a list of people who receive weekly remote Reiki to support their goals. This is by far the easiest way to incorporate Reiki into your life.
I also offer In-Person Fusion Energy & Crafting classes all over Southern California as well as other states. (Check brigittadau.com for upcoming classes.). Combining Creativity with Healing Energy is absolutely a passion of mine and I am grateful to be working with people in this way.
I’ve also written a book, “Crafting a Better Life – Creative Approaches to personal growth” (available at Amazon) and have an Etsy shop with Reiki infused hand knit items, candles, and more. YarnPigCrafts.etsy.com

And, I am currently co-authoring another book and collaborating with another healing practitioner to create an in-person Manifestation Retreat…all in the works for 2025.)

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The pandemic forced me to pivot in ways that although painful, were beneficial in the end.

I lost my entire in-person Pilates business. This was devastating. Until then, had no idea how much this community meant to me. Of course, the business itself was important to me but honestly, the relationships were what I really missed after having to close my doors for good.

Later that year, my mother died throwing me into further isolation and grief.

Throughout this time, I was trying to “coach myself” out of my darkness. Like most healing practitioners, the work I do with others was inspired by my own path to healing. And although my tools were effective in changing my mindset, my energy remained depressed and stuck.

Reconnecting with a friend who was now working as a Reiki Master was my first step out of that dark time. I had always been curious about Reiki but hadn’t had the chance to experience it myself. She transmitted to me remotely (the pandemic made in person sessions impossible) and after just a few sessions I felt a lightness enter my days. My mind became less critical and my internal dialogue became more compassionate. My physical energy improved as and I could finally implement that healthy mindset I had been cultivating.

My friend predicted (correctly!) that I would want to not only become a Reiki practitioner to support my own healing, but I would likely want to become a Reiki Master to support others on their journeys as well. Sharing Reiki energy with my coaching clients has improved my support for them in more ways than I could have imagined.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Whatever it is that makes you “different” could very well be your “super power”.

At times it’s felt quite awkward to put myself out there as the “Mind, Body, Soul Coach”. Traditional coaching is more focussed on cognitive mind sets with linear exercises and timelines, etc. So for me, including artistic expression and energy practices as pathways to success set me apart from the mainstream. So this can create a bit of an uphill battle. I’m blazing my own trail in a lot of ways. This is both fantastic and frightening at times. It’s also worth it.

I often feel like I’m “Flying my Freak Flag” all alone and hoping someone will notice me. But, taking those big risks and putting myself out there with authenticity are what make my business unique. And I absolutely love what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://BrigittaDau.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/BrigittaDauCoaching
• Facebook: BrigittaDau
• Youtube: BrigittaDau1551
• Other: https://YarnPigCrafts.etsy.com

Image Credits

Kathryn Colby Photography