Meet Anastassiya Gainey of Instinct Yoga dba InstinctWithin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anastassiya Gainey.

Hi Anastassiya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I first arrived in the United States, everything felt like a dream—this was the land I had long romanticized from afar, where all dreams came true if you just worked hard enough. But stepping into reality was jarring. The culture was fast-paced, the language wasn’t yet familiar, and I constantly felt like a foreigner trying to decode a world that was already in motion. I poured my energy into understanding everyone around me… except myself.

Back home in Kazakhstan, life had a different rhythm. We celebrated longer, gathered often, and valued presence as much as productivity. Here, I watched people work ten times harder, often sacrificing joy for survival. And I thought—if that is what it takes, then I’ll do whatever it takes. So, I chased financial security and stability the best way I knew how: I became a CPA.

The journey to that licensure was no small feat—four rigorous exams, a full-time career, a dissolving marriage, two young daughters, and no fallback plan except raw determination. I left my job, took out an equity loan, and studied full-time. Many thought I’d lost it, and maybe I had—but something deeper was guiding me. I passed. And yet, a couple of months after the celebrations, I felt hollow. I had reached a peak…only to realize it wasn’t my mountain.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was succeeding at the wrong thing. While others were climbing corporate ladders, I found myself aching for something else—movement, vitality, expression.

I began noticing the sensations that stirred within me when I saw others fully alive. Happy couples holding hands. Women who prioritized self-care and radiated confidence. People who seemed to love themselves while still showing up with so much heart and generosity for others. I watched dancers and thought, I wish I were a dancer. I watched professional gymnasts and thought, I wish I were anything but someone sitting behind a desk all day, every day.

I craved a flexible, strong body, a sharp mind, and a joyful spirit. And once I recognized that desire, I couldn’t ignore it. I set out to reclaim it—to embody it—and to whisper to others that they could too. But let me be honest: the path to freedom takes everything but conventional.

One of the first bold choices I ever made was leaving my home country at 19—with no family in the U.S., no familiar faces—just a vision of possibility and a stubborn belief that I could build something meaningful on my own. That leap into the unknown shaped everything that came after.

Like when I left my audit job and took out an equity loan so I could study for the CPA full time—a move that made no practical sense on paper, but led to one of the most prestigious licenses in my field.

Or when I enrolled both of my daughters in boarding schools—not because they were in trouble, but because I believed they deserved more than a copy-paste education. Boarding school gave them independence, access to elite opportunities, and a powerful sense of self. My older daughter is now heading to Cornell, and my younger one reminds me every day that following your own rhythm is the real success.

And now, here I go again—leaving the comfort of a secure corporate job for something that can’t be measured by salary alone. I’m choosing to follow the voice inside me that says, this is what you were meant for.
In July of 2025, I’m launching a membership community—Instinct Within—for those ready to find their own extraordinary path. Because here’s what I’ve learned: the world may reward regularity, but the soul longs for something far greater.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The key to success—especially as an entrepreneur or someone choosing an unconventional path—is simple: fail fast, fail often. With that said, no, the road has certainly not been smooth. And truthfully, the moment it ever becomes too smooth, I’ll start to question whether I’m still on the right track. I’ll likely find that I’m not.
Learning what works almost always comes through learning what doesn’t. And that kind of learning takes courage—the courage to try something new, to fall, and to get back up quickly. That bounce-back depends on having a stable nervous system and a calm, centered mind. That’s the real work.

But the biggest struggle? It was never external.

It was always internal. It’s the way you speak to yourself—because your thoughts shape your courage, your direction, your reality. For a long time, I let my thoughts run on autopilot. And that mental cassette, playing quietly in the background, was filled with assumptions that didn’t reflect my truth or my potential. I assumed I wasn’t meant for anything beyond “respectable.” I assumed I had to pursue whatever was seen as prestigious if I wanted to feel happy or fulfilled. I assumed my body wasn’t strong enough to master things like handstands. I assumed that “better than average” belonged to someone else.

Until I realized: that cassette was mine to rewrite.

And once I did, everything began to change.
Of course, mindset isn’t the only challenge. Resources—especially trustworthy ones—can be hard to come by when you’re carving your own path. There’s so much noise, so many opinions, and when you’re doing something that not many others around you have done, the doubt can get loud. But I’ve learned to trust my own instincts more than any algorithm. And that keeps me going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Instinct Yoga dba InstinctWithin?
My business is built for the dreamers who know there’s more—but don’t yet know what it is exactly or how to reach it.
I help ambitious, soul-stretched women who secretly feel behind despite all they’ve achieved—women who are stuck in cycles of overthinking, proving, and pushing—reconnect with their inner compass and finally trust the wisdom within. Through yoga, nervous system healing, meditation, and powerful mindset rewiring, I help them turn down the noise and rise into a life they actually want—not one they’ve simply been conditioned to chase.

But here’s what sets this apart: I also bring my background as a CPA and treasury expert into everything I teach. I know what it takes to build structure. I know the pressure of managing your energy after a demanding day job. And I know that when you’re chasing a dream outside your 9-to-5, you don’t have time to waste. That’s why I help people not only heal and align, but also focus their energy on what matters most—from how to start something meaningful, to how to communicate with the right audience, to how to lay the foundation for a business or a personal brand that lasts.

I’m not here to just teach yoga poses. I’m here to help people feel again—feel themselves, their truth, their joy. We start with remembering the most important person in the Universe –you—and then giving you the clarity and tools to build from there. It’s a movement rooted in daily sovereignty. It’s for women who are done abandoning themselves for expectations, done chasing external validation, and done settling for “good enough.”

What I’m most proud of is the transformation people feel almost immediately—not because they mastered a perfect handstand, but because they finally paused long enough to hear their own voice again.

We’re launching a Founding Membership in July 2025 that offers yoga practices, guided meditations, thought rewiring tools, and breathwork—all designed to calm your nervous system, clear your mind, and reconnect you to your own rhythm. But more than that, it offers community—a space where growth feels less lonely and more electric.

Once you’ve reconnected with what truly lights you up, we don’t leave you there—we guide you through the next steps: how to define your dream clearly, and how to build a strong foundation beneath it. Using my background as a CPA and treasury expert, I help members take that clarity and transform it into aligned action—whether that means starting a business, launching a personal brand, or simply living more intentionally.

Founding members will play a key role in helping shape this space from the ground up. They’ll forever be recognized as VIPs and will lock in a lower price that no one else will ever receive again. It’s a rare opportunity to be part of something from the very beginning—raw, real, and rising together.
If this speaks to you, click here ( https://instinctwithin.com/waitlist/ ) to join the waitlist and be the first to know when we open the doors.

For a beautiful complement to your journey—wherever you are on the path—my Dare Boundless Dreams guided journal offers clarity, space, and direction. It helps you untangle overthinking, connect with what truly lights you up, and take intentional steps toward your boldest goal. It’s not just a journal—it’s a compass.
Feeling drawn in? Take a look inside here ( https://amzn.to/3GMVJOs ).

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books:
• Game Changers by Dave Asprey explores what leaders, innovators, and mavericks do to win at life. Practical and motivational guide on how to succeed in life using success stories.
• Ask and It Is Given by Esther Hicks (Abraham) – life-changing book.
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss was a wake-up call that helped me see freedom as something you design, not just earn.
• Predictable Success by Stu McLaren gave me the structure to combine heart-led service with sustainable business growth.
• Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson gave me the science-backed proof I didn’t know I needed—on how meditation and mindfulness rewire the brain short-term versus overtime.
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s The Science of Being and Art of Living has offered me timeless teachings on clarity, calm, and the true power of inner silence.

Programs:
– Brett Larkin’s Yoga Teacher Training
– Jonathan Rosenthal Yoga & Neuroscience membership continues to provide practical and deeply scientific insights into how the brain and body work together in transformation.
– Sean Cannell’s Video Ranking Academy taught me all things YouTube.
– Jack Canfield’s coaching – helped craft business strategy and kept me motivated and accountable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://instinctwithin.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastassiya-gainey-cpa-3b82b548
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@instinctwithin
• Other: https://instinctwithin.com/waitlist/