KIZUKI the Podcast

Mae reflects on a single therapy session that gave her something she didn’t even know she needed: a button. A symbol of support in times of need. A lifeline. Drawing from a grief-soaked chapter of her life, she explores how even one conversation can anchor us—and how we all need someone to be there before the fall. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ ,...

Mae shares a surprisingly powerful insight into digestion, nervous system states, and why she stopped doing business meals and serving during family dinners. A subtle but transformative reminder that true nourishment begins with presence. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self-awareness and transformation. A pioneer in wellness...

Mae reflects on a sudden realization: smartphone addiction is quietly consuming people she loves. In this clear and compassionate episode, she offers three small but powerful shifts to help you return from dissociation to presence—the practical way. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self-awareness and transformation. A pioneer i...

Mae reflects on a profound moment that uncovered an old survival pattern: the belief that joy must be earned. Speaking directly to the part of us that doesn’t know how to rest, she shares a personal realization—and a collective truth—that we are allowed to receive joy simply because we are. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self...

Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, Mae reflects on the history we rarely learn—and the reckoning required for real peace. From global politics to her own relationship with her teenage son, this episode invites listeners to begin where they are, with truth, humility, and heart. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self-awa...

Over dinner with old friends, Mae is reminded how often we lack real tools to process or prevent stress. She shares the conversation that inspired her to name her own go-to methods—and invites you to do the same. Whether you’re in reaction mode or building better rhythms, this episode nudges you back into conscious care. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y met...

Mae reflects on the subtle ways our bodies resist what we most long for—especially when it feels unfamiliar. Through a vivid dream and a childhood memory of a hotel closet in Hawaii, she explores how cultural coding, family dynamics, and emotional safety shape our capacity to receive love, space, and abundance. She shares what it looks like to gently rewire the nervous system, expand into new terr...

Mae shares a powerful train ride moment with her son that reveals how unfiltered honesty—especially about grief—can shake social norms. Through the eyes of a child, she reflects on how truth, even when uncomfortable, is what connects us most deeply. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self-awareness and transformation. A pioneer i...

Mae explores the hidden ways we cope with overwhelm—especially through busyness and workaholism. Drawing from personal stories and cultural insight, she reflects on how productivity can mask deeper pain, and why even our coping mechanisms deserve kindness. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Journaling MAE Y method™ , a powerful tool for self-awareness and transformation. A pi...

In this reflective episode, Mae shares a powerful kizuki sparked by the words “forgive before you see error.” Through the lens of parenting and the nature of unconditional love, she invites listeners to question the old paradigms of forgiveness, judgment, and emotional boundaries. What if forgiveness came first—not as a response, but as a way of being? This gentle meditation offers a new way to wa...

On an ordinary day, a small gesture—a train horn in response to a child’s wave—becomes an unforgettable kizuki . In this tender reflection, Mae revisits a story her father once shared, and pairs it with a real-life letter from a Tokyo train driver. Through both perspectives, this episode explores the quiet power of small moments, unseen gratitude, and the profound connections we often overlook. Ma...

In this quiet yet piercing episode, Mae explores how our social selves, shaped by culture and conditioning, often lead us to adjust, strive, and “be good”—at the cost of being real. Drawing on Cory Muscara’s insight and Martha Beck’s concept of the essential self, Mae unpacks how performance—even in spiritual practice—can subtly sabotage our presence. What remains when we let all that go? Mae Yosh...

In this follow-up to The Slow Death of the Do-er , Mae explores what it truly feels like to “just observe” when fear arises. She reveals how real surrender isn’t about silencing fear, but meeting it with gentle awareness— kizuki . This honest reflection offers a step-by-step glimpse into moving from fear-based doing to soul-aligned flow. Mae Yoshikawa Mae Yoshikawa is the creator of the Kizuki Jou...

In this deeply personal episode, Mae reflects on what it actually feels like to live inside the spiral—not as an idea, but as a lived, looping journey. She shares a recent kizuki around the subtle performance of surrender, and what happened when she finally allowed herself to stop trying and just soften. An invitation to all of us who are tired of striving: maybe your softness is already the retur...

In this episode, Mae reflects on her spiritual development through the metaphor of the spiral, exploring the quiet shift from mental mapping to simply being—letting go of the personality’s need to plan or perform. A journal entry from two years ago reveals she’s been here before, contemplating surrender. But this time, it’s different. The episode gently invites listeners to recognize their own pat...

Mae reflects on a lifelong narrative she’s carried about her parents’ divorce—and the realization that the deepest wound wasn’t the event itself, but the unintended self-blame that followed. Through this powerful kizuki , she explores the difference between pain… and the pain we cause ourselves in reaction to pain. A gentle but profound invitation to release what no longer needs to be carried. Mae...

In this quietly powerful episode, Mae shares a raw, present-moment realization: that surrender isn’t one grand moment, but a hundred tiny ones. She speaks tenderly about what it means to soften, to be shaped, and to keep walking—through storm, grace, and even breaking apart. A deep, human reminder that we’re never alone in the unraveling. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation pract...

Have you ever witnessed a moment of silence so brimming with meaning that it stayed with you, even without words? Such was Mae’s experience when she watched a young man hold his own next to another who was puffing himself up—at his expense. True confidence isn’t about proving or reacting but about staying deeply centered. In this episode, Mae explores how we cultivate that quiet, unshaken presence...

Mae explores the tricky nature of fear—how it subtly creeps in as she moves toward big changes. She shares her personal realization ( kizuki ) that fear is often a habit, something her system has used to fuel hustle and survival. Now, she is choosing a different way—one that is softer, kinder, and more powerful. Instead of letting fear hold her back, Mae learns to honor its presence while continui...

We rarely question the idea of “mine”—my body, my time, my life. But during pregnancy, Mae experienced a profound kizuki : the realization that the life inside her was not hers to own, but a gift to nurture. This led to a deeper question—was her own life ever truly hers ? In this episode, she explores the illusion of ownership and what shifts when we see life as something entrusted to us rather th...

This episode explores the power of quitting—how letting go can be more transformative than starting something new. Reflecting on two of the hardest things that Mae ever quit in her life—cigarettes and self-criticism—it highlights how quitting creates space for what’s next and invites listeners to consider what they might be ready to release. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation pr...

In this episode, Mae unpacks the concept of empathic guilt—the tendency to feel responsible for others’ confusion—and explains how to let go of it. She discusses honoring your clarity, holding your frequency, and stepping fully into your sovereignty. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, Mae became the first Japanese woman to be authorize...

Mae explores the unseen reciprocity in giving and receiving. Through a recent visit to a beauty salon, she discovers that what seemed like an occasion of receiving was also a significant moment of giving. This episode invites listeners to notice the quiet flow of exchange that is always at play. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, Mae b...

Mae reflects on what "Thank You for Being" truly means. Through a period of deep grief, she discovers that our worth isn’t tied to doing—it’s inherent. A schoolgirl’s laughter outside her window reminds her that simply existing is enough. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, Mae became the first Japanese woman to be authorized by the fou...

Mae reflects on being called chibi (the little one) and how she unconsciously accepted that role in her family. Over time, she realized that being the youngest didn’t mean being the smallest. In this episode, she explores how shifting the story we tell ourselves is the key to stepping into our full potential. Mae Yoshikawa Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother....