How I Practice The Chotto Chodai Walking Meditation

We all have times when, in hindsight, we realize we should have packed some food or an extra bottle of water, left the event an hour earlier, or come in off the trail and headed home before we were exhausted.

But when we’re standing there depleted and have no more reserves or yoyu, how do we keep going?

I had the same question a few years ago after my husband’s surgery. I had planned ahead for the long day but forgot to think all the way through to how I’d feel on the way home.

If you’re here to learn about the Japanese term chotto chodai, skip down to the bottom. Read on if you want to know how I use it to keep going when I’m exhausted.

Prepared Until …

Akira had stage 3 colon cancer and was having surgery to remove the tumor. Before I left for the hospital in the morning that day, I packed a lunch, snacks, bottled water, and even a thermos of coffee so I wouldn’t have to leave the waiting room. I also brought my computer and a book so I wouldn’t get bored. I was totally prepared.

I was so preoccupied with being prepared to stand by and support Akira that it wasn’t until I was sitting alone in the waiting room that I wondered why I hadn’t asked someone to be there with me. Though I didn’t really need anyone, it would have been comforting.

After the surgery, I gathered my things and settled into Akira’s room in the ICU where he was to stay for the night. He woke up several times throughout the afternoon. There wasn’t much I could do except watch over him.

Sitting there in the room, I didn’t realize that my energy was slowly slipping away.

Complete Depletion

I stayed until after visiting hours were over before finally heading home. By that time, I had no yoyu. I was exhausted. I was so depleted that I barely remember walking from the hospital to the station or getting on the train. However, I vividly remember the 15-minute walk home from the station.

I don’t remember why I chose to walk instead of taking a taxi. Maybe habit. Or maybe I knew I couldn’t face the taxi driver and give him directions without crying. I was so exhausted that even putting one foot in front of the other was an effort.

I stood in front of the station and willed myself to keep going. My brain was foggy, and I fought back tears. I was shaking from exhaustion, and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball on the sidewalk and cry. Then, like a B-grade movie, it started raining.

Although I was utterly exhausted, a small part of me was fascinated. So, this is what it felt like. I’d heard people talk about exhaustion. I’d seen people act it out in movies. I always thought it was over-dramatized. Now I knew it wasn’t.

For a second, I thought about going back to the taxis. I could see them, but the effort was too great. How was I ever going to make it home?

Asking for Help

I thought about crumpling down on the ground. It would feel so good. People were streaming by me on either side, going to and from the station. The police box was off to the left.

If I crumpled down right there, an officer would probably ask questions. I would have to explain, which would take more energy, so I took another step forward instead.

Then I saw a tree on my right, standing tall and mostly ignored amid all the busy people, cars, buses, and neon lights.

“Chotto chodai,” I silently begged. “Please share a little with me.”

I’d been navigating the hospital scene all day in Japanese, so naturally, the Japanese came out first. No matter, the tree would know what I needed, whether I spoke Japanese or English. I couldn’t think of what to say in English anyway.

Chotto chodai. Please share a little. Please spare a little for me. Not a lot. Not everything. Just a little, please.

I couldn’t feel anything yet but looked ahead to the next bit of green I could find. There was a pot of flowers in front of a shop. Chotto chodai. I asked the flowers to share a little energy with me.

I saw another tree. Chotto chodai. Spare a little, please.

I saw a dandelion growing in the crack in the cement between two buildings. Chotto chodai. Share a little, please.

I kept walking. I saw some moss on the curb. Chotto chodai. Spare a little, please.

The tears streamed down my face. I hoped no one was looking at me. I didn’t have the energy to explain why I was crying.

I saw another tree. Chotto chodai. Share a little, please.

I reached the next intersection and saw a young, thin tree, itself probably struggling to survive alongside the busy street. Chotto chodai. Spare a little, please. I vowed I would return the favor someday.

Finding My Way Home

I walked with one tree, one bush, one weed in front of the other until I reached home. I made it thanks to those bits of nature along the way.

I never realized how much green was alive in my city. I never realized the compound effect of little bits of energy. I entered my home with more energy and peace than when I’d left the hospital.

I’ve walked the same route to and from the station hundreds of times since then. Many of the trees that helped me home that day still stand. I thank them one by one as I walk.

How to Practice The Chotto Chodai Walk

If you ever get stuck like I did, I hope you’ll remember that Source is always present.

There is always help for you when you need it.

However, you don’t have to wait until you’re depleted and completely out of energy to practice this walking meditation. And you don’t need to find a beautiful park or scenic path.

1. Find Nature

In the tips below, I give suggestions for how you can practice the Chotto Chodai Walk even if getting out to walk is a challenge.

However, if possible, I encourage you to try this in a more developed area, perhaps in the middle of town where there appears to be more pavement and buildings than anything else.

From your starting point, look around until you find something from the natural world—something that humans didn’t make. It’s okay if humans put it there, but, for example, look for a tree as opposed to a wooden bench.

There is a spark of universal life in all things, including wooden benches and even discarded plastic bottles, but that is not what we’re looking for on this walk. Instead, look for things in their natural state.

2. Acknowledge and Ask For Energy

As you walk, you might see a bush, a tree, a flower, or a rock.

Then say, aloud or in your head, “Chotto chodai.” (It sounds like “choat-toe choh-dye.”) Or, in English, “Share a little with me, please.”

Don’t worry if you don’t feel anything. The point is to acknowledge the life force and to borrow a little by asking it to share some with you.

You only have to ask for a little. A little here. A little there. It all adds up.

Then take a step and look for another bit of life force—another bush, tree, or even a tuft of grass. Again, acknowledge the life force and ask to borrow a little. Then take another step.

Keep going along your path, noticing as many different life forces as possible. Don’t forget the tiny ones, like a bit of moss or a seedling coming up through a crack. Remember to look up, down, and all around you.

Some tips:

If you do it in a neighborhood or along a path you usually walk, try to look around with new eyes. Or walk the block on the other side of the street or go around the block a different way. Doing it differently will help you notice more.

If for some reason you can’t get out to do this walk, try doing it in your yard. Walk around your yard noticing things in their natural state and say “Chotto chodai,” or ask for a little energy in English. You can even sit in place and do it.

You could also try this walk indoors at a shopping mall. You’d be surprised how many living things besides people you’ll find.

I’ve even done this walk via my living room TV. Try turning on your TV with the sound down. Then for the next few minutes, look for the living things in the background of whatever program or commercial you’re watching.

Afraid you won’t feel anything? You might not feel anything from each living thing you meet, and that’s okay.

But when you’re done with the walk, consider how you feel. Is it better or worse? Every time I do this, I feel calmer, more energized, and more in tune with the universe.

Give Thanks

After you finish, give thanks to all the beings you met along the way.

Then, on another day, when you feel full of energy, make a point to retrace your steps. Return what you have borrowed by saying thank you and sharing a little energy with all the beings you met before and any new ones you meet. Share with the trees, the flowers, the weeds, the ants, the birds, the rocks, and even some of the people.

We don’t have to wait until our cup is empty. We can initiate the conversation now. All we have to do is say thank you.

If this story resonates with you and you wish to learn more about how I handle a deletion of energy and reserves, you can grab this entire chapter of Finding Yoyu with 3 stories and 2 practices for free.

FAQS

How do you pronounce “Chotto Chodai”?

It sounds like “choat-toe choh-dye.”

What does “Chotto chodai” mean, and how do you use it in Japanese?

Chotto chodai is a way to say “give me a little” or “share a little bit with me” without sounding demanding. Let’s break it down.

Chotto means a little bit. If you’re just learning Japanese and someone asks if you speak Japanese, you can answer “chotto dake,” which means only a little. You can also use “chotto” before other verbs, for example, “chotto matte” (wait a second). One of my favorites is “chotto kiite,” (listen for a second) which I use to get my husband’s attention before I start a conversation.

If you want to learn more about how to use this handy Japanese word, check out Chotto: A Little Word with a Lot of Ambiguity.

We use chodai (chōdai) in several ways in conversation, but in this case, it means give me or share with me. Chodai is more casual than kudasai and you can use it with family, and students, but you wouldn’t want to say it to someone older or in a higher status than you.

If you want to learn more, this post from NihongoMaster breaks down the meaning of chodai.

What is yoyu?

Yoyu is a Japanese concept often used to express whether we have enough of something. Whether it’s time, money, energy, or even emotional energy. If you’re not familiar with this concept, learn more about yoyu here.