Marci and Meilin delve into the deep connections between Japanese culture and nature, sharing insights on finding personal balance and embracing authenticity through ancient wisdom and the concept of 'yo yu'. Join them as they explore the rejuvenating power of nature and the importance of waiting for solutions to unfold in life's challenges. Enjoy ...
Marci and Meilin discuss the deep connection between Japanese landscape, culture, and history, emphasizing the importance of learning from cultural symbols like the goddess Izanami no Mikoto and the wisdom of ancient sites. They highlight the growing interest in Japan's heritage as a source of inspiration for personal balance and mindfulness. Marci, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years, continues to explore and engage with its culture, underscoring the lifelong learning and appreciation of its rich heritage. Through her book 'Finding Yoyu', Marci Kobayashi shares authentic stories and personal vulnerabilities, encouraging readers to embrace their true selves amidst societal pressures. Additionally, they explore the concept of 'yo yu' and the rejuvenating power of nature, illustrating how connecting with natural energy lines can provide guidance and strength in navigating life's challenges.
Timestamped Outline:
(00:04:11) Celebrating Izanami no Mikoto: Japanese Heritage
(00:06:05) Continuous Learning and Engagement in Japanese Culture
(00:13:15) Embracing Authenticity and Sensitivity Through Writing
(00:15:55) Finding 'Yo Yu' for Life's Abundance
(00:24:58) The Power of Patience in Problem-Solving
(00:35:11) Tapping into Nature's Energy for Renewal
(00:36:28) Tapping into Nature's Energy for Strength
(00:37:02) Harmonizing with Earth's Energy for Guidance
Find out more about Marci Kobayashi and her book 'Finding Yoyu' on her website: https://marcikobayashi.com
Moving to oneness. Nourishing curiosity. Embracing differences, Becoming one.
00:00:19 - Meilin Ehlke
One word, two syllabes, and off it goes. You can play with the sounds of that word and it expresses so much how you feel to someone else and you understood so quickly, even though it is so vast. So stay tuned to what those two syllabus are or what fascinating word it is, and soak it in and maybe you will be feeling like using it yourself in the future, which I am already. So.
Hello, everyone. I'm Meilin Ehlke, your host of the Moving to Oneness podcast. And thank you for being here and please welcome with me all the way. And I'm going to say the word wrong because I have it, the city name, always wrong in my head. And my son tries to fix the pronunciation over and over, but I think it is now Hiroshima. Yeah. In Japan. All the way. Talking to you, bringing you the vibe of this magical country that really, in my view, encumbrances Oneness in its landscape and through its beautiful humans and culture. So, hello, dear Marcy, for being on Moving to Oneness and sharing your insights on oneness. Hello.
00:02:25 - Marci Kobayashi
Oh, hello. Thank you for having me. It's so great to be here. I am in Hiroshima. I'm actually not in the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima is a, like a. It's called a prefecture. It's a state or a province or prefecture is what we use in Japanese. And I'm actually really far from Hiroshima City. I'm in the Hiroshima prefecture, the far, far north eastern part of it. Very close to anyone who's familiar with Japan. Very close to three other prefectures, Shimane, Tottori and Okayama. I'm deep in the mountains. It's Hiroshima.
00:03:06 - Meilin Ehlke
Yeah. But that whole landscape. And I really love to connect to the landscape since I'm a little girl. I also studied landscape architecture. But the landscape feeds us, gives us a lot of information, it nourishes us and it shares its history with us. And everyone knows about the sad occasion of the atom bomb that came. But I would like to share or ask you to share a little bit about the ancient wisdom that is in Hiroshima, where the goddess. Right. Which is very close to you, is being celebrated. That is one of the. What is it? The three symbols that carry the culture of the Japanese. Would you share that a little bit before we delve into you and your fascinating being and your great work?
00:04:11 - Marci Kobayashi
Well, I just have to say, to start with that I'm still learning about it. I'm not one who has studied a lot of history, so I'LL probably some of this wrong. But what I can say for sure is just up the road from me is the grave site for the goddess of the goddess, Izanami no Mikoto. And she, together with her husband, Izanagi no Mikoto, they are the two that gave birth to the Japanese islands as it's told. But I think a lot of people, a lot of people around here take it for granted and I think a lot of other Japanese people don't even think about it or realize or know. And I think it's an amazing thing that just up the road in this quiet little place that nobody really comes to visit. That's not true. We do have visitors that come here and there is ski slopes and there is a visitor center, but it's not advertised a lot. It's not something you see in the tour, tour tour books, but there it is and it's this amazing power spot. You can hike up there easily and visit this grave site.
00:05:21 - Meilin Ehlke
So.
00:05:23 - Marci Kobayashi
I'm really keen to learn more and I'm glad that I'm living here now. I've only been living here in this area for a year. This is where my husband was born and raised and his mother was born and raised. And so we, I lived with my husband in Tokyo for many years but now his parents are gone and so we decided to move back here to live on the property and now we're both really excited to learn more about the, the culture, the ancient culture. So I don't really know as much. You'll have to have me on again in the year or two when I know a little bit more. But I do know that much.
00:06:05 - Meilin Ehlke
So yeah, no, it's really interesting. I think nowadays what we have, 20, 25 Japan is becoming very, I'm not going to say, yeah, I'm going to use the word en vogue. For many years it wasn't. But at the moment there is a certain pool and I believe why is that happening right now is because the landscape is pooling that information that is being released out of temples that has been put in there to come out whenever people are ready on this planet also then for people to nourish themselves. And so when they come, they may be enjoying many other sides or the culture, the food, the traditions, right. The beautiful artwork and at the same time they get infused with that and that is in a few other countries as well, places around the world at the moment. But so you're going to have more people interested, I think everywhere and even of the locals to connect with their own old History.
00:07:26 - Marci Kobayashi
Yeah, I hope so. I hope so. I think it's the. The part of Japan that I love the most. I haven't visited, although I've been living here for over 30 years. I really haven't done most of the traditional tourist sites that people go to see. And in fact, in Hiroshima City there is the. The museum where we can learn so much about the. The bomb and the aftermath. And I have visited there, but there's also the Miyajima shrine that I have not visited. And there's a lot of other sites that I have not actually gone to see yet, even in this area where I'm now living. But also while I was in Tokyo, I didn't. I'm more. I'm more pulled to the. The trees, the mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the seaside. That's where I go to get refueled and feel connected. And I don't need to see the, the city, even though I lived there so long.
00:08:33 - Meilin Ehlke
Yeah, but I think that is many countries, it's the same thing. We live in a certain country and I have not. I live in Germany now. I have not seen so much. When I lived though, for 20 years in the US there I would travel more because there was a newness. But that's starting now, I think another interest in the younger generation or in everyone. And I think the energies are right for that. We're looking for ancestors and in the book we're going to speak a little bit about that. You wrote you also hint always on ancestors or they pull us, they provide us with so much information and where did they live or you love to play with words. You're a writer and you teach language. Right. That there is an interest in where does our language come from and what are really the words saying? Why were they created? Yeah, and that is another reason, I believe that people are learning more about their own homeland and their ancestral line and often they, you know, we're also mixed. There's many, many countries involved in there and to figure out what we're made up to, to find a reason for being here and nowadays on this beautiful planet.
00:09:59 - Marci Kobayashi
And a reason for staying here too. I mean, I don't mean staying in the country, I mean staying on the planet, staying in body. Right.
00:10:08 - Meilin Ehlke
Fantastic point. I really like that, talking about staying. So I would love for you to share why did you come to Japan? And you've been there now over 30 years. Right. What was the draw that pulled you?
00:10:26 - Marci Kobayashi
It's kind of my sister's fault. She. It's funny though, is she Actually had her degree in college in German and pr. And when she graduated, she couldn't get a job right away that she wanted, but there was a position available to teach English in Japan. So she went. And she's five years older than I am, so she was already here in Japan teaching English. It wasn't going to be a forever thing, but she was here. And so that kind of piqued my interest. My first kind of being aware of the fact that Japan exists. Of course I knew about it, but I mean, really starting to learn about it. But I. I have to be honest that I didn't have some special fascination or desire to visit Japan. I know that a lot of people do. They're interested in maybe the language or the culture or some. Maybe it's anime now that they want to learn or something else. But for me, it just. I wanted to go abroad somewhere. And because my sister was here, it just made sense, like, okay, well, I'll go to Japan. And before I left, I did study a little bit of Japanese so that I could say a few words. I knew that the main writing systems, the hiragana and the katakana, and I knew at least 500 of the kanji characters, maybe more and more. I thought I could understand a little, but I couldn't. When I got here, I couldn't speak at all. But I was in a course at a college where they prepare you to get into college. So it's a language prep course. It was very intensive, and I was in that for a year. And at that point it just. Something shifted and changed. I just really loved being here. And I was given the opportunity, opportunity to stay for a second year. So I thought, okay, well, why not? I'll just stay on for a second year. And I did go back to my university in the US and graduate, but then immediately came back again. But it never was that. I never thought, oh, someday I want to go to Japan, or, oh, I love Japan. It wasn't that way. It just the circumstances. One thing led to the other, and here I was, and here I am, And I can't imagine not being here. It just. It's right. It feels right. When I go back to the U.S. there's lots of things I like about the U.S. but it doesn't feel like home anymore. I grew up on the west coast near Seattle, Washington, and I have a lot of family there still. But my mother and my sister are now living in Michigan. So when I go home to the U.S. i'm going to Michigan. So, yeah, no but this is my home. This is my home now.
00:13:15 - Meilin Ehlke
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's beautiful. When I read your book, I could really feel. Feel that. And I really would love to tell you that I thought you were very authentic. Is maybe a word used a lot, but you really showed yourself. You know, many books you read especially has like a little not advice section, but little teaching section where you can practice integrating what we're going to speak about into your life and all the stories leading up to that. You really showed the rawness of yourself, the relationship also you have to your husband and also your father in law. And I thought, wow, that is seldom. So I think it gave the book depth because I was able really to feel you. And I know you feel a lot. You're very sensible. You called yourself sometimes hypersensitive, especially if I remember sound or too much energy. And you shared that so freely. And I think this will help many people to recognize themselves. And I hope so maybe use your tips. And now I have to share what book it is. Everyone, I have it here.
00:14:50 - Marci Kobayashi
I have mine too.
00:14:52 - Meilin Ehlke
Oh, fantastic. She sent it. Marcy sent it to me all the way from Japan. So it's really special to me. And if you're listening on audio, please come to the video because you also have to see somehow, you know, have noticed that maybe in few episodes already, somehow I picked the right colors that I wear.
00:15:14 - Marci Kobayashi
Thank you.
00:15:17 - Meilin Ehlke
And so I'm wearing some of her colors. And Marcy is also wearing the other colors that are on the title. You really will love the title, how it looks like. And I'll write everything about this in. In the notes. So finding your you. That's that fascinating word that encumbrances so much. Would you like to share something about the word and why and maybe also then why you wrote it? Why did you think it was so important for others to find themselves within it?
00:15:55 - Marci Kobayashi
Sure, sure. So first of all, certainly everyone has guessed. If you're watching the video of this and not the audio and you see that it's finding you that is not a spelling mistake. It's not finding you. It is finding yo yu. Yo yu is a Japanese word. I've had people reach out to me. You've made a misspell. You've spelled it wrong. No, no.
00:16:17 - Meilin Ehlke
Interesting.
00:16:17 - Marci Kobayashi
Yoyu. And yo yu is one of those words in Japanese that's really difficult to translate into English into one word because we have basically the same concept in English, but just we have many words to you to say the same thing. So we might say reserves or wherewithal or wiggle room or oomph or space. It's whether you have enough margin, wherewithal. All of that, all of those words that we use in English. We can say just one word in Japanese, yo yu. And everyone knows immediately what you're talking about. Even if you don't say clearly that you mean whether you have enough physical oomph or whether you have enough emotional reserves at the moment, or maybe it's that you don't have enough time or even money. But usually from the context of the conversation, we know if we say I don't have you, you what we're referring to. And I, I wrote a book about it because knowing that word and really finding a deeper meaning or connection to it at just the right moment in my life helped me get through some of that difficult, difficultness. And I was just talking about this with somebody else who was also going through a very difficult time in her life. We knew each other at the same time. I was taking care of my father in law who had Alzheimer's and her, she's a little older than me and her husband has Alzheimer's. And we were both the two of us talking each week and helping each other. And we have now since I've written the book and read the book, of course, and she's read the book and we both agree that if you actually don't have you, you it might not be the best time to read the book. You don't have yo you, there's other things that you need to be doing to take care of yourself, but that before or after is when it's so really helpful. Now if you don't have you and you're listening to this, it's okay, you can read the book too. But I started it because I was trying to figure out how to navigate through the difficulty of taking care of my father in law and my husband, who shortly after my father in law came to live with us, we discovered that my husband had stage three colon cancer. And so I was taking care of them both. And my mother in law was also still alive. She was in a nursing home nearby. So I was advocating for her too. But I really, I started writing every morning about what was happening and what I was experiencing and trying to problem solve what we were going through. And the word that kept coming back up again was yo you. Like how when I didn't have enough time or when I didn't have enough money, when I didn't have enough energy, how could I shift things just enough to Feel like I had a little bit more. Now let me back up just a little bit here. The word you, if we were going to like totally oversimplify it. It's two characters, yo and you. And yo means like overflowing or leftover and yu means abundance. So very, very, very simplified terms. It's like overflowing abundance. So do you have an overflowing abundance of time or energy or money or space or confidence, spiritual connection or emotional well being? Do you have that in your life or don't you? And I know me personally today, even all throughout the day, I sometimes have it and sometimes I don't. In different ways.
00:20:23 - Meilin Ehlke
Yeah. The complexity you wrote also on your title. I'm going to go read it. The Japanese compass for navigating overwhelm and cultivating abundance in seven key areas of life. And I bet there are many more, but these are really important parts. And you hinted to that your father in law, Otto San. Right. Had Alzheimer's. And there are many people that are moving now if they're in our age taking care of the parent. If you're lucky, your parent doesn't have that. I have a mother. I think she's moving more and more in that. And you described how you had to find your. You the. The calming down, the finding new solutions at changing your way of the being to better be in relationship. I think you talk so much about also how we approach and are in relationship and maybe how we re. Navigate. Yeah, yeah, you said that word. But fine tune. Yeah. With that direction. And if we're not really calm within, it really becomes difficult because they act on a different clock. They go so much slower and you come and you run in. For me, I live much further away. You want to help so fast with so many things as possible. And it's exactly the opposite of what to do. It's like okay, can I do one thing and that's sufficient and then everyone will be happy and then you know, my mother won't get restless or as you said, Otto son. He wouldn't get then restless and could also contribute because we want that our parents can keep on contributing to their own life. Yeah. So that I thought was nice. And in every story you show a little bit about your life, you share other people's stories that you observe that go through that and you always create possibility. That's one thing I loved about reading your book. Finding. Not just finding, but how you approach finding ways. Now that is because that is the hardest finding at the end. You know, we can by chance we Find and you do something and, or someone else comes and you observe a new solution. But you have a certain way of saying oh no, stop. This way doesn't function and it doesn't function for me. And then you have it in many funny situations as, as well. Right. Like I don't want to tell the whole book. That's why I'm going to go in too much detail. But even how you can navigate around with your husband. Spaces, you were talking about space, right? The spaces are much closer in Japan, especially in Tokyo. It's such a huge cities you live.
00:23:27 - Marci Kobayashi
In very small, taking a lot of adjustment. I mean the house that we live in now and the property where we live, it's I don't know how many times bigger than where we were at in Tokyo. And that, that was really an interesting challenge trying to figure out how to work from home, live with my husband and also then bring my father in law in to live with us. Now he had lived pretty much all his life here on this property and had, you know, free range to go out and do and work the fields. And so I think it was a little constricting for him to be in the condominium where we were living. But we were able to give him his own room, which was actually much smaller even than what you can see where I'm at here. But he made it his own and that was really important to me was to make sure he felt like he had a place of his own and also that he could contribute and be part of our home in some way. But it did take some creative thinking sometimes to help him contribute in ways that would then still help me in my life too. And I won't give too much away either. But there was a couple of funny times that we had to try to figure out how to, to do that because you wanted to be helpful.
00:24:58 - Meilin Ehlke
So yeah, you're very, I'm going to use even the word brutally honest in the book about yourself and I thank you for that very much because it throws me as the reader and it may throw many others right into their own life where we can observe ourselves and then how you. Looked at different situations in different ways and tried out. And one thing you speak over and over, but is about waiting, waiting for a solution to arise. I really enjoyed that. I could notice, repeated that often and often. And that needs in my eyes a lot of centeredness and trust that the universe will unfold something that brings the right solution. And I think that is something we can all use more and more in our life. To say, okay, now I have this uncomfortable way of being, or this uncomfortable of relation or this I don't feel so good. And then you let go and let it flow through your head, your body. And then suddenly when the timing is right and the universe can cross your path, you find a solution. You did that over and over. And I think these are fantastic tips for others to pick up on. So thank you.
00:26:36 - Marci Kobayashi
Thank you. I didn't, I didn't notice that so much that. But I, I mean hearing you say that, I, I realize that that is something that I do. I'm glad it, I'm glad it came through. I do have. It's that, you know that saying, I don't know who first said it. Give proper credit, but that every obstacle is an opportunity. And I really felt that going into the period of time where most of the book is centered, I mean, I, I do tell stories from earlier in my childhood and also in my early days of being here in Japan. There's a few stories. But the idea about to write the book really was written. I mean the idea or the inspiration to write it came right about in 2015 when my father in law came to live with us. And those first few years while he was with us and right before, a few months before he came, I saw that there was a woman at a grocery store. And I do share this in the book, but you asked like, why did I want to write this? And it's really because of her. So there was a woman who had just started her job at a grocery store and she was not very friendly. And I took it upon myself to try to make her smile. I thought it was going to be, you know, I thought I could do it. And so I would purposely go through her aisle and she would check my groceries and I would try to like say something to her. I'd try to smile, I'd try to make a joke. And everything I tried just didn't work. She wouldn't smile. And I don't give up easily, but I gave up. I finally decided that she just wasn't suited to this kind of work and that she shouldn't. The grocery store had made a big mistake. They shouldn't have her in that position. But a few months later, my mother was visiting and she commented on this lovely cashier who was so friendly to her and I thought I knew who she was talking about. But when we went to the grocery store later and my mom pointed her out, I was shocked because it was the grumpy cashier who never smiled. And she had totally transformed. She was now talking to people and smiling to people. And I thought, okay, yeah, she's got yo yo now. Wait a minute. Yo yo. Yeah.
00:29:01 - Meilin Ehlke
Okay.
00:29:02 - Marci Kobayashi
In the beginning, she didn't have yo yo to talk to people. All she could do was her job. You know, pick up the groceries, scan them, put them in the bag. That's all she could focus on. Kind of like a new driver behind the wheel. All they can do is the very bare minimum. But she now had the muscle memory to do her job. And she had the yo yo to actually communicate with everyone as well. And that it really hit me like, oh, I get it. That's what one of the meanings of yo yo right. When you have that extra wiggle room and that's in terms of your confidence or capability. But that happened and my husband helped point it out as well. But we talked a lot about that. And then when my father in law came to live with us, we said, let's make sure we have yo you. And when we don't, let's try to figure out why. Let's not just stop with we don't have the ou. Let's not stay there. And that became the guiding. Well, the compass that use the word in the subtitle that it's the Japanese compass for navigating overwhelm. But it was. It was our compass. And it still is today. Still is today. Being here now in this new environment, this new community, there's all kinds of new responsibilities that I didn't have in Tokyo. I never knew that I would be so busy here in a good way. But there's all kinds of committee meetings or community activities that we're being asked to participate in. And I started to feel those old feelings of overwhelm, like I don't have time to write, I don't have time to do my work. I don't like, okay, wait a second. How can I we change this? And so we had to make some decisions about which activities we'd participate in as a family, which things I would do, which things my husband would do. How could we divide up our time and the way that we show up for the community? Our community is really, really small. So it's noticeable if we're there or not there. And I want to be part of it. And I want to meet the people here and get to know them. But yo yo is also important to me. So. Yeah, yeah.
00:31:07 - Meilin Ehlke
So that strong dedication to yourself, I think that is also that why you could write the book. Because you again, you have it in so many different parts or facets of your life. You have it in your work. You have a new personal life again, the relationship to your father, how you approach things in the outside world, how you even speak with the plants. I, I that I really love that. Was it not that it's called the choto sho dai, right? Talk about that. Because I think that is so important and I do that. Anyway, here I have my, this plant I speak with next to. I speak with many plants, but they invigorate ourselves so much. Or when we look at the glow of a flower, if we look at the glow of a leaf, it infuses into us also these vibrancy. So please, I would love you to share a little bit about this.
00:32:17 - Marci Kobayashi
Sure, sure. Okay. So choto chodai in Japanese doesn't have really anything to do with plants or energy or anything. It really literally is just the way to say, hey, could you give me a little bit of that? Chodai means you're asking for, wanting to receive. And chotto means just a little. So if you're ever coming to Japan and you want to say a little, please, you could just say that just means a little.
00:32:39 - Marci Kobayashi
So do you speak Japanese? A little. So this, this thing that you're referring to, though, in the book is an experience I had the day that my husband had surgery for colon cancer. And he did have his tumor removed surgically. But after that, we did not go back to the hospital. We used strictly a new diet and energy work and some herbal teas to help him recover. And he's 10 years, more than 10 years now, cancer free. So yay. No chemotherapy, no, none of that. No, thank you. But that day that he had surgery and I was at the hospital with him, I was really, really prepared for it. I brought snacks, I brought my computer to work on, I brought extra drinks, extra coffee, everything.
00:33:33 - Marci Kobayashi
But I didn't really pay attention to how just being there was draining my energy. And so by the time I left, probably close to 8 o', clock, the visiting hours were over. But I had stayed as late as I could. I don't remember how I got. How I walked from the hospital to the train station. It's just a blur. I have no idea. And I don't even remember being on the train. But I do remember very clearly that walk from the station to our condominium. It's about a 15 to 20 minute walk. But I was so, so exhausted. I was at that point where you just cry for no reason. I wasn't sad. My husband's Surgery had been very successful. Sorry, there's a phone call that just came in. Let me hang that up. The. The surgery was very successful and I was happy and feeling good about that, but I was just physically done.
00:34:27 - Marci Kobayashi
And I should have taken the bus or I should have taken a taxi, but even the thought of trying to do that was too much. I couldn't even figure out how to do that. And I remember standing there like all I wanted to do was sink down on the ground and just like lay there. But there's a police box where the. I don't. That's what we call it in Japanese. Police box. I don't know if that's in English or not. It's not a little police station. Little, little, little police station that. Where two or three are there. That's a whole really cool thing about Japanese culture. Anyway, I knew that if I sunk down to the ground, those policemen or police officers would come over and like, are you okay? And I didn't want to have to try to explain, so I decided I was going to try to walk home.
00:35:11 - Marci Kobayashi
And so I did the only thing I could think of. I looked out and saw a tree. And I said like, please, can you share a little energy with me? And it was enough to get me to take one step.
00:35:23 - Marci Kobayashi
Okay. So I kept walking. And every tree I saw, every plant I saw, every bit of moss or green, any little thing I saw, I just kept saying, choto chodai, choto chodai. And I. I didn't feel like this massive energy. It wasn't like suddenly a big transformation, but each step of the way it was enough to take the next step. And it gave me something to look towards. But it did have a compound effect because when I finally did walk in the door, I had more energy than when I had arrived at the station and started walking. And I had believed before that that we can communicate with plants and plants have energy, of course.
00:36:10 - Marci Kobayashi
But it just didn't occur to me that I could really ask. I could ask for help. And that's kind of the biggest problem I had throughout that whole time, taking care of my father in laws. I would forget to ask for help. Not only from the plants and the trees and the rocks, but I'd forget to ask people too.
00:36:28 - Marci Kobayashi
But that day walking home, it changed a lot for me. I realized I could ask for help and I could be given a little bit of energy and a little bit, a little bit, a little bit, a little bit wouldn't take all of the energy away from the plants and trees and the bushes and the rocks and the birds and bees, that they'd be okay and that they'd be willing to share that. And then later I did go back and give it back and say thank you. I walked the same route home. And thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
00:37:02 - Meilin Ehlke
Oh, I love that. And it is really something people have forgotten. Let's say it's cultures. We're able to do that, all of us. And I'm really happy that you added that little part into your book. It is something we can utilize now. As a shaman, it's very easy for me, but I could feel it all my life. So for example, animals, they don't walk in a straight line. They follow energy lines. Like when you said you go a lot into the woods. You see those trails that animals walk or created and those normally how the energy flows within the soil. Yeah. It's not that designed on a piece of paper, straight line. And we should go there. And children use the same one. That's why they always want to run off the path. They're so fine tuned to the energy lines. Right. And how can we get back to that? And your ways of describing starting with a little bit and feeling how it supports you. I even believe they push us, really provide a lot of energy also if you need it. Maybe if someone gets exhausted in the woods, just try to connect to the soil and let yourself be pushed by the soil. Or you connect yourself heart or from your heart center to the heart center, for example, of the mountain. And you let yourself be pulled by the mountain. And in ancient ways. And I wouldn't say ancient ways because some native tribes still do that around the world. Aborigines, the. In South America, in the jungles, you have the Native Americans, they still know how you can use the energy of the earth, of the landscape to be pushed or pulled. And this helps. I've experienced a few times in extremes how the landscape pushed me or pulled me to a certain spot where it's needed. Yeah. And there's another great book which talks about. It's more a fantasy book, Marcy. It's about Aragon, but he and his dragon, they soak up energy. Right. And that moment I thought, oh my God, this is fun. And I wanted just to learn more and more about that. But in Germany that you were able to walk from in the Ice Age, people didn't stay in the cold weather. They would move all the way to Africa and they could walk in eight days, all that distance of over 2,000 kilometers because they get pushed and pulled and there's stories why you know, others can move so quick or fast. The Native Americans, the children, 60s, 50s, right. When they're around the world, children were just taken away and put in institutions over the day or forever. And then the mothers were there before lunch, you know, almost faster than the, the, the bus. And they could never figure out why are they so able to move so fast so that we find new ways. And your, your book starts showing or reconnecting the reader while reading to these new dimensions, these new. They're not ideas because they're actions. So you create small and small actions. And what I also love that you have a website on your website bonuses where people can go and read it just for free. You know, with even out signing up. I thought that was very generous. I really appreciate that and I think that's the new way of being. So why don't you share at this moment right away maybe your website how people can work with you or find these bonuses because you can look everyone at those bonuses even if you don't read the book. But I would say if you have time, it's cut in pieces. You can slowly or fast read the book. Yeah. Share a little bit about that.
00:41:18 - Marci Kobayashi
Sure. So the website is marcy kobayashi.com and hopefully you'll have that in the show notes because it. It's easy for me to spell but I know it's difficult for some people. But really for the bonuses is marcykobayashi.com forward/bonus. Very easy. You can go there. And it's true most everything there is just available for you to look at. And so if you don't have yo yu right now, whether it means you don't have time or you don't have money, there's still. Or something else. There's still resources there for you to get the feel for what yo you means. There is one thing at the very bottom of the page that is something that you would put your email in for. And that's just a. What is it what I call it. I can't remember the name, the official name I gave for it. Sorry. But it's a whole bunch of questions like reflection questions that go along with each chapter. And that's a big chunky PDF and that one is the only thing that you would need to put your email address in for. But it's free. But everything else, all the other bonus materials are there. So that is a place to start if you're curious about what is you you. And also on my website I do have a Blog post, that is what is you you that you can learn more about it. And if you just wanted to get the book and you wanted to bypass all of that, it's the book, the paperback and the ebook and the audiobook. They're all available now at bookstofind.com forward slash, fy for finding yo you fy. That's all. I would say. The audio at this moment, today as we are recording, it's not yet on audible. It should be very soon, I hope. But it's on all the other major audio platforms like Spotify. It's funny though. Spotify. We have Spotify in Japan. But I cannot. We can't. We don't have the audiobooks that are available through Spotify. We don't get in Japan. So I can't even hear my own book. It's on Spotify.
00:43:29 - Meilin Ehlke
That's funny and not global. Right?
00:43:34 - Marci Kobayashi
I know, right?
00:43:35 - Meilin Ehlke
But that makes it a character. It makes things fresh. And then we don't become the same. And I think that is so important that. That we have our new nuances, that we're different, that we can learn from each other, that another person with touches new places within ourselves that wake up through that and we reflect. So I love that idea that you have a whole worksheet or a work or book in a way. Right. You said a big PDF where you can answer and reflect over your own life. And I think this is supportive for many because the world is changing so quickly and we're trying to find ourselves. And how can I swim with those energies and play with that light and feel a light and be connected to everything that happens outside in the outside world, but also feel then really centered and calm within. So for that, your book is also a good solution.
00:44:55 - Marci Kobayashi
Yeah, I appreciate you saying that. And I think the people who are here listening or watching are open to that. I would say that I think it would be a disservice to everyone if people thought that the word yo yu was just a spiritual word. Not just. That's the wrong word. I. I guess I want to clarify that the word yo yo actually is very, very common in Japanese language. It's used all the time, every day and daily conversation to talk about whether you do or don't have the oomph in these different areas. And there have been some people who have read the book who are a little disappointed because they are not so interested in spiritual ideas or connection to nature or energy in the way that we've been talking about. I don't think that's a problem with the people who are listening here. But that. That is. If that is something you're interested in that. That is the place where I'm introducing the concept from. Because that's the way I live. And I think that. Yeah. If you. I hope that makes sense. Yeah.
00:46:12 - Meilin Ehlke
You. You. You create a harmonious and balanced life. Yeah. And not everyone desires it, but I sense that more and more that is being looked for. Finding ways to live harmonious and in balance. Yes. You know, the. The moon for example brings us. And we're now at the starting at a new moon and growth. Right. To support you in birthing these new way of being into the world. Right. That's also what we're interested to be also in harmony with nature and every other human being. So that is always a way of looking at our own life. How have I lived? How do I really want to live? And for many we want to show more of who we are. But that's not so easy because you have so many cultural settings. So it's a little bit easier in Japan. But in other countries it's not so reflected to you in the daily life. And then you have to adjust. And sometimes maybe the idea of the book they take in a little bit of the energy and then it takes time. It's like infuses. I love that word for your book. And then it can marinate.
00:47:36 - Marci Kobayashi
Oh yes. Yes.
00:47:38 - Meilin Ehlke
So it marinates. And more and more they will understand the. It's not complexity. The multifacetedness and the vastness of you. You. And also about life. Because that how a life is. And we are trained to minimalize ourselves and not live all of us. Right. Especially women. I think men will not have so much of these problems a little bit as well. More and more. But this way we can expand and you know, everything we write is for a few people and not for others.
00:48:22 - Marci Kobayashi
That's right.
00:48:23 - Meilin Ehlke
But there is something in your book for everyone, I think.
00:48:29 - Marci Kobayashi
Wow.
00:48:30 - Meilin Ehlke
Little interested in feeling more of the Japanese culture of themselves and the landscape. Who desires to live in good relation, Ship with a partner, with a family, with their children, with your. Your business, how to get the energy. You even have examples in there. I even tried it. It works. I played with my son to try it out. But I won't tell you that people have to read it. Yeah. So. So many little things. And I have to stop because I think I love new books so much. I already told two friends that need to read it and that they will love it. So what would you say is for the listener, you know, the moving to oneness listener is more on the spiritual side. What comes for you in the moment now? What needs to be shared for them to understand you? Maybe the Japanese culture a little bit more or yo yo.
00:49:37 - Marci Kobayashi
Okay. I would say in terms of Japanese culture that even though I have lived here for so many years, that there are still so many things that I. I do not know. I'm always learning, always learning. So I don't feel like I can be a teacher of Japanese culture. I think coming here, engaging in some part of Japan is always going to teach you something. So to learn more, in terms of learning more about me, I think what comes to mind that could be helpful is for people to know that I'm just a normal person. There's nothing special about me. I mean, I am special. I believe I'm special.
00:50:25 - Meilin Ehlke
Right.
00:50:25 - Marci Kobayashi
But I. I'm not. Yeah. When I was going through the things in the book, I mean, I'm not some superstar or anything special. I'm just a normal gal who's sitting at the table trying to figure out how to get through life. And I wrote about it. So I think I'm pretty relatable. I'm showing up here in my jeans and a T shirt. I didn't do anything special. So if they're looking for something else, then they're not going to find it me. You're just going to find me just being me. But in terms of yo you, if there's anything else that I would want to share or want them to know is it's okay to not have yo you sometimes that we're always going to be shifting in between having and not having yo yu. Just like the tide, the ocean comes in, the ocean comes out. So there's no way, I don't think there's any way to say stop from those moments of feeling like you don't have the wherewithal, the reserves, the oomph, the. The yo you to do whatever it is you're trying to do. However, we can make small changes in our life little by little, little by little, so that we're shifting our entire life towards having more, you know, you more of the time. So that when we sometimes don't have vou, it's not complete depletion. It's maybe a little bit depleted. And so that it takes you less time to recover, I think. And that's what I'm still working towards because I'm not perfect at this. I still catch myself. I think I mentioned earlier too, in the call that I still catch myself not having yo you're like, oops, okay, what can we do to change that? And finding ways to do that. But. But my. My goal, what I'm working towards now is to shift my entire life towards having more yo yu more of the time than not. So cultivating yo yo I guess so that's what I would want people to know. That it's okay if you don't have it. Just how can you shift your life in little ways so that you can have more. More of it more of the time than not.
00:52:45 - Meilin Ehlke
I loved your humbleness and I thought that was right. So Japanese maybe you've taken so much on on the culture. Sometimes we don't even notice it anymore.
00:52:56 - Marci Kobayashi
Right.
00:52:58 - Meilin Ehlke
The colors, they become one with us of culture. We've lived there long enough. And I love what you're saying. You have a strong desire to be the best version of you. And if it's not, then you go and look for it. And I think in the book too, over and over, you never give up on yourself. And this is really, really nice. So everyone see how what Marcy, she never gives up. And that sometimes we know we are on the downfall. But as a creative person, I know that too. Those are also the spots where we start contemplating. We don't contemplate so much when life is. And we party. Yeah. Then a little bit. But the other side is where the growth happens. And that we don't see that as a negative, but it lets us begin to question. Right. And again find a new solution, a new possibility. And Marcy, for that I really thank you for taking time in your life, which is not easy to write a book and to share it with people because you felt an urge that it's needed. Otherwise the. Your body would have not moved in my eyes.
00:54:23 - Marci Kobayashi
Well, and you. You said that I didn't give up on myself, but actually I did. There was one point where I did give up and wanted to not even be here anymore. And I had not started. This is before I was even writing the book. But it's for that version of Marcy actually was to help her figure out a way to keep taking those step forward, those steps forward. Because there was a day I wasn't necessarily. Maybe I was depressed. I never went to a doctor to find out if I was clinically depressed or not. I'm not really sure. But I couldn't find any reason why I should get up in the morning or keep going. I really. What are we even doing here? I didn't want to be on the planet anymore. I was done. I would have been happy if I could wake up and not be here anymore. But little by little, I found ways to enjoy still being here. And part of it was focusing on you. And I didn't go into much detail about that period in the book, but maybe I will in the next book. Yeah, in the next book, which I've tentatively titled Otosan. Otosan means father in Japanese. And that's what the word that I use to always refer to my father in law. And I mentioned him quite a bit in this first book, finding you. But there was. There were too many stories, too many things that happened and that some of them I pulled out and saved for the second book. And there is that point in the second book where I do hit a kind of rock bottom. But I made it out. I'm here today, on the other side of it and very happy to still be walking the planet.
00:56:09 - Meilin Ehlke
Yeah. So thank you very much for deciding to say stay and stay. Stay where you were stayed. And also for writing your next book because that is also so timely as less and less young people are there to take care of the elder and the social structures are also not there and often we're left alone. So that maybe a book will your book in the future and already now maybe you is a little support in reflecting how to interact or move forward with ourselves and the relationship to our parents or the parents in law. So Marcy, again, thank you and thank you for what you're doing for really, really young children, for old children. You have a vast. We didn't even speak about everything. But you're right, we have to come back together. But you touch every generation and thank you for that and bringing that light to everyone.
00:57:19 - Marci Kobayashi
Thank you, thank you for this opportunity to share it with.
00:57:25 - Meilin Ehlke
So if you're now curious about you, you, you better be because it is really fascinating. So delve in, go to Marcy's website or even get the book or gift that book to someone you think may need it and play with it or just contemplate and think about where do you have yo yo in your life or where you could have a little bit more or travel now to Japan if you got a little curious about this beautiful culture and island. Everyone, I wish you the best do take yo yo into your heart, play with it and I'll see you soon again. And thank you Marcy, for being here, sharing your light, your love and your energy with the community of moving to oneness. So goodbye everyone.