NOW AVAILABLE

Ready for More Yoyu?

Feeling overwhelmed and stretched too thin? Finding Yoyu introduces the Japanese concept of yoyu—the bandwidth, capacity, and reserves we need to navigate life with ease. Through personal stories and practical exercises, let me help you cultivate abundance in time, energy, money, and more, so you can reclaim balance and joy.

Finding Yoyu Books

 

Feeling overwhelmed by lack of time, money, energy, or oomph?

We've all been there, but when we navigate life through the lens of yoyu, we begin shifting from not enough to more than enough of whatever we need.

What is yoyu?

Yoyu is a Japanese concept often translated as wherewithal, leeway, oomph, reserves, bandwidth, or capacity.

However, in its simplest form, yoyu means overflowing abundance.

So, when someone says they have the yoyu to buy a new car, it means they can afford a new car, but literally, they’re saying, “I have the overflowing abundance (of money) to buy a new car.” Find out more about what yoyu is here.

yoyu 1080x1350

But what if you don't have yoyu?

For example, if your coworker says, “I should check on my mom on the way home, but I don’t have the yoyu,” it means they don’t have enough time, energy, or possibly emotional wherewithal that day to be supportive to their mother in the way they want.

I’ve lived in Japan for 30 years—more than half my lifetime. I’m not Japanese, but I’m fluent in the language and culture. As an entrepreneur, wife, daughter, and emerging author, I keenly understand overwhelm and what it feels like when you don’t have yoyu.

Now, I use yoyu as my compass to help me navigate and in many cases, even prevent overwhelm, and you can, too.

Hear from Marci's readers...

On how our lives change when we approach life with yoyu

I’m no longer so hard on myself since learning about yoyu

"If I feel exhausted after a day with a lot of family interaction, I don’t force myself to stay up. It’s not that I’m sleepy. I just no longer have the yoyu to deal with everyone. I can retreat to my room, take a deep breath, and feel relief knowing that I’m ok, just low on yoyu."
G.F.

I used to be a last-minute guy

"I used to prepare my PowerPoint slides the day before. I always felt irritated because there was no time to make improvements. After focusing on maintaining yoyu, I began preparing at least a week ahead. Now, I enjoy the prep time, and during class, I'm relaxed and engage my students more."
K.S.

I do it for yoyu

"I travel for work and always pack several meals, so I won’t have to eat out. It saves money, but more than that, I feel better. Understanding yoyu helped me identify what I was already doing to cultivate it. I realized that I pack food to feel good while on the road, and equally important so that I’ll still have yoyu when I get back."
M.M.

About Marci Kobayashi

Hi! I'm Marci. I have a dedicated spiritual practice, enjoy studying alternative-healing modalities, cook a whole-foods flexitarian diet, and explore Japan, where I've lived for 30 years. Learn more about my book Finding Yoyu and journals for adults. Also, look for my upcoming memoir Otosan, which chronicles the five years I cared for my father-in-law, a WWII Japanese war veteran, as he navigated Alzheimer’s.

marci kobayashi profile

Be inspired - A selection of posts for you

Take one step towards what you know you can do right now and focus | Supporting a chemo-free recovery from cancer with Marci at marcikobayashi.com

How did you know what to do first?

I knew exactly what to do first to support Akira after we learned he had colon cancer. That’s the key. I knew what to do first – I ordered Essiac tea. I’m NOT suggesting that Essiac is the one and only best way to support someone with cancer. My point is that instead of getting…

Everything you need to know about how Akira recovered from stage 3 colon cancer without chemotherapy

Want to go chemo-free and not sure if it is possible? In this post, I share why my husband refused chemotherapy, and 4 things he did instead.

Gamifying your Plant-based Diet with Two Simple Habits

Finding Yoyu with Food: Gamifying your Plant-based Diet with Two Simple Habits

Find out how two simple habits help me gamify meal prep and maintain variety and balance in our plant-based diet.

Books with Love and Light

Check out one of my stories and be inspired by life in Japan, how to have yoyu, and maybe even a spider or two! I also write about my experience with caregiving, spirituality, and alternative healing modalities.

Celebrating & Intending Journals

Choose from 10 notebooks for reflecting on daily wins & setting new intentions with your spirit guides, a practice I've been doing for many years.
Learn more about Marci's process for not setting goals.

Write your name in English workbooks

英語で名前を!
自分の名前を書くための英語ドリル~ABCを覚え始めているけどまだ英語の名前が読めない・書けない子どもにピッタリ Personalized workbooks for handwriting practice in English.
See all of the name drill books.

365 Book Series & Soul Biz Book

As a contributing author, you'll find true stories from my life here in Japan featuring inspiration from spiders, cats, nurses, teachers, and even a butterfly or two!
See all of Marci's books.