Mae Yoshikawa | Surprising Capacity of the Heart

Mae Yoshikawa, author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore her profound journey through grief, culture, and embodiment. Her reflections challenge us to see grief not as a problem to fix, but as an integral part of human experience that deepens our capacity to love and live fully. ## **Key topics:** - Cultural differences in grieving: Japanese vs. American approaches to death - The importance of acknowledging and expressing emotion, rather than suppressing it - Ambiguous loss: navigating the slow deterioration of her mother’s Alzheimer’s - Widowhood and what she hopes her children will understand about grief - The transformative power of yoga, meditation, and embodied practices in healing - How cultural norms shape our grief narratives and emotional responses - The role of storytelling, mindfulness, and observation in expanding emotional capacity - Practical tools for holding space for grief in ourselves and others - The shift from seeking certainty to embracing what is through mindful presence ## **ABOUT GUEST** Mae Yoshikawa is an author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, a self-awareness practice rooted in the Japanese concept of kizuki—a moment of deep realization that changes how we relate to ourselves and our lives. Trained in yoga and mindfulness, and recognized by platforms such as Yoga Journal and adidas, Mae brings decades of embodied practice to her work. After the sudden loss of her husband, her path became a living exploration of grief, presence, and meaning beyond fixing or “moving on.” Bridging Eastern philosophy with lived experience, she guides people to meet loss, identity shifts, and life transitions with clarity, compassion, and truth. **LEARN MORE ABOUT MAE:** https://maey.live KIZUKI JOURNALING: https://kizukijournaling.com KIZUKI the PODCAST: https://open.spotify.com/show/7KKMi7W9VOC8ZbNgroJGBW? si=1be426519a3642c9 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/maeyoshikawa ## **ABOUT THE SHOW & HOST** Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, narrative therapy trained social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time. **LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA:** at https://lisakeefauver.com/ **ACCESS GRIEF SUPPORT:** https://lisakeefauver.com/support **READ BOOK:** **Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss.** https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t& **READ ESSAYS:** **AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack** - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm\campaign=profile\chips * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.