Our Founder’s Philosophy
Zach here.
You've clicked through to the part of the site most people skip. So let's actually get into it. This is the part that explains what's really driving this whole thing, beyond physical therapy.
What is the point of all this?
Many things in life have what seems like a self-evident answer to this question, or at least they should.
Pursuits like improving your health, fitness, and longevity seem to be pretty much unalloyed goods, providing they are undertaken in a balanced way.
But it is a good thought exercise to ask multiple layers of “whys” to uncover our true motivations for doing something. Obviously, I believe pursuing better health is worthwhile. I’ve arranged the majority of my life around these goals. But why?
As I have asked myself these layers of “whys” around my life and work, I have been circling a concept called Yoyu.
Yoyu is a Japanese word made up of two characters. One meaning surplus, extra, additional. The other meaning ample, abundance, ease. Part of the point here is that it can be translated and interpreted in different ways depending on the context, but as a whole, I take it to mean having room/finances/time/energy/emotion in abundance.
The concise translation I have latched onto is “overflowing abundance.”
Yoyu is a beautiful idea. I am sure that the Japanese understand it differently than I do, but through my immersion in the area, I have found it to be a useful, elegant, and malleable concept.
Yoyu can apply to simple, everyday things like having enough time or energy to visit a friend or family member. It can mean there is enough money or other practical resources to allow a sense of ease.
It can also describe a feeling of community support. A kind of invisible (or not so invisible) safety net that gives a sense that you will not be abandoned or left to fend for yourself.
It is the connective tissue that allows a body to function at its best.
Even more important, Yoyu does not imply surplus for its own sake. Hoarding is antithetical. The implication is that when you have more than you need, that abundance is given to others.
Overflowing abundance allows you to show up as the best version of yourself. For yourself. For your family, friends, and community.
Fill your cup, then expand the benefits outward.
Yoyu also carries a sense of flexibility. It is not a fixed and rigid concept. There are times when you will need more for yourself. When you will need to withdraw and focus on your family. But there are also times when you need very little. When you can give generously from a secure place.
So, what is the point of all this?
Striving to be healthy and well.
Getting strong and fit.
Eating nourishing food.
Meditating.
Sleeping well.
Having social relationships.
Getting out in nature.
Having hobbies.
Building a business.
Volunteering and philanthropy.
Yoyu.
Understanding what is enough. Ensuring I have what I need. Building sources of abundance, capacity, surplus. Then deploying these where they can do the most good.
When wrestling with a decision, or beginning to slip into stress and anxiety, I am trying to ask myself: What will support Yoyu?
Then I do my best to move towards the good.
This is my quest in life and in business.
Not chasing abundance for its own sake, but building enough surplus that there's always something left to give.
I hope you'll join me in some way, big or small.
Be well,
Zach Wagner