I encourage you to reflect, briefly, upon the major themes of the Earth Dog—loyalty, trust, safety, boundaries, argument, spite, territory, love, affection, companionship, in/out groups, stubbornness, connection, trauma, anxiety, solitude, privacy, protection, justice, inquiry, fairness, and equity,to name a few.  How have these manifested in your life?  In the world around you?  

Staring February 5th, we “officially” transition into the year of the Yīn Earth Pig, so put on your party hats!  As the 12th, or “last,” Animal in the Zodiac, the Pig is the party at the end!  All your Ancestors have ever wanted is for you to invite the people you love into your home, so you can cook, eat, and make babies—your enjoyment is their immortality!   

As we delve into the richness of the Pig symbol, I invite you to consider the possibility that life can be remarkably simple and that the deepest meaning of everything might be right on the surface.  If you ask a Pig—what is the meaning of life?  If they’re honest, they will probably say, “Food! Sex! Music, Art!”  So, relax.  I know the sky is falling, and we all have monumental ambitions to save the world, which seems to be spinning more out of control every day, but this Year is already inviting us to calm the hell down, eat a snack, get cozy with a loved one, and take a nap—the “future” might actually depend on it.  
    
象 – Symbolism 

First, in order to understand the nature of the Earth Pig, we must examine the Chinese Character for Family, Jià, 家.  The character contains the radical mián, 宀, which means roof, and the radical shĭ, 豕, which means pig/boar, so it’s a pig under a roof, and it is the Chinese word for family or blood relations.  It also means household, home, and domestic, and it is also a term for a lineage, tradition, or school, such as Chánjià, 禪家, or Dàojià 道家 (Buddhist/Daoist).  

The Character Jià, 家, and the symbol of the Pig, are intimately related to the Chinese principal of family, continuity, immortality, and procession, which exemplify the nature of Traditional Culture itself.  The Pig is at the heart of what it means to be Chinese, for "China" was the decision of about 80 cultures to stop being nomads and to farm grain instead.  That meant no more herds,  and since there are no herds of pigs, the pig became their meat of choice.  

There is an expression among Chinese farmers that goes, “we only dig in our Ancestors.”  Meaning the family has been there so long the soil is made of their dead relatives—this is Earth Pig Qì.  This Year will bring forward memories and values so ancient they can’t be named.  This is a year to remember what we are trying to save and to rest so that we can do so.  

Wealth in Chinese culture was often measured by the number of Pigs you owned, for Pigs were and still are a mainstay of the Chinese diet—fatty pork, rice, and cabbage.  Many other ancient traditions outlawed pork, but the Chinese made a different decision, in part because Pigs don’t need to be grazed like cows and sheep.  Everyone in China eats pigs, and as any vegetarian who has traveled in China can attest, it is very common to order a vegetarian meal only to find big hunks of pork in it.  

Of course, this sounds strange from our perspective, but take yourself back to an early agrarian people, transitioning from a nomadic to a domestic relationship with animals.  Within a few generations, the wild boar transformed from a big black hairy tusked beast to a fat pink pig that could give birth to and nurse 60 piglets in a litter—this is the very meaning of family, reproductive essence, and motherhood.  The Pig is therefore the ultimate symbol of nourishment, nurturing, and generosity.  
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-Gregory David Done
http://www.tigersplayastrology.com/about.html

 Join us for a wonderful afternoon celebration !!!!
January 21, 2019 

Games and Cake 
Bring the family to meet our White Tiger
​
We promise he doesn't bite!

Sorig Kids will be offering TIBETAN YOGA classes for children and adults-
​for more info check out https://www.sorigkids.com/

:©Keith Seidel
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Whether from a car accident or a sports related injury from football or soccer, or a chance impact to our heads from a falling rock from above, or us falling and hitting our heads, sustaining a concussion is serious and should not go unnoticed.

SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.” This jostling can cause your brain to bounce around in your skull, possibly stretching and damaging the cells and tissues. 
There are a variety of both short-term and long-term effects from concussions and TBIs. Most of the effects of mild TBIs have to do with one or more of the following areas: thinking, sensation, language, and/or emotion. Severe TBIs can result in permanent disability and even death, and are a contributing factor in 30% of injury-related deaths in the U.S.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A CONCUSSION?

How do we know if someone has a concussion? It can be difficult to diagnose, since many of the signs and symptoms are shared and confused with other conditions. The first question to ask is, “is there a mechanism of injury that would cause a TBI?” In other words, did you see a ball hit someone in the head, or did you see them trip and fall? If you did not actually see the incident, look for other clues like a dented helmet or a cut on the head.
If you cannot find any clues to indicate a mechanism of injury that would produce a TBI, look for important signs and symptoms that can help you figure out what is going on. The CDC divides these up into four main categories, with multiple signs and symptoms for a mild TBI under each:

THINKING/ REMEMBERING
·          Loss of consciousness (even briefly)
·         Difficulty thinking clearly
·         Feeling slowed down
·         Difficulty concentrating
·         Difficulty remembering new information

​PHYSICAL
·         Headache
·         Fuzzy/ blurred vision
·         Nausea or vomiting
·         Dizziness
·         Sensitivity to noise or light
·         Balance problems
·         Feeling tired, having no energy

 EMOTIONAL/ MOOD
·         Irritability
·         Sadness
·         More emotional than normal
·         Nervousness or anxiety
 
SLEEP
·         Sleeping more than usual
·         Sleeping less than usual
·         Trouble falling asleep

Some or even none of these signs or symptoms may appear right away. Others may come on once the person starts physically exerting his or herself more, while still others may not present until much later.
 
According to Dr. Yost, at Full Spectrum Chiropractic in Olympia WA,  patients that do not have a loss of consciousness, amnesia or seizures should be monitored for 1 - 2 hours for the signs and symptoms mentioned earlier. Staying off screens like phones ipads etc, and giving your brain some rest is recommended.
Dr. Yost further recommends that if signs and symptoms do develop, visit an urgent care facility near you or Emergency room. (this is the same for a patient who has experienced a loss of consciousness, amnesia or seizures).
Dr. Yost also recommends that if a patient’s signs and symptoms increase during the minimal exertion needed to travel to an urgent care facility, they should be carried or transported and with increased urgency. Dr. Yost also stresses that, “concussed patients avoid a second traumatic blow and should not self-evacuate via bike or skis or any method involving speed or jolting.”
Though it should be noted that there are situations when an immediate, rapid evacuation is necessary. There are some critical danger signs to watch out for that could alert you to the need for a rapid evacuation:

·       Headache that gets worse and does not go away
·       Weakness, numbness or decreased coordination
·       Repeated vomiting or nausea
·       Slurred speech
·       The patient looks very drowsy or cannot be woken up
·       One pupil is a different size than the other
·       Convulsions or seizures
·       Unable to recognize people or places
·       Getting more and more confused/ restless/ agitated
·       Loss of consciousness some time after the initial injury

 
Dr. Yost emphasizes that a patient who is unresponsive, or is only voice or pain responsive after a blow to the head requires a rapid evacuation and urgent medical attention.
Hopefully you will never have, or need to treat someone with, a concussion or TBI. 

Post-Concussion Syndrome
Adults ages 20 through 64 who were diagnosed with a concussion in 2015 were subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome 15.7 percent of the time, which was a higher rate than ages 10 through 19 at 12.4 percent.

Cranial sacral work, acupuncture, and chiropractic care at Full Spectrum Chiropractic pllc are all recommended support for those recovering from a concussion or TBI from an auto accident or  sports injury.

Key Words: Concussion, TBI, Whiplash, Headache, neck pain, head pain, sports injury, post-concussion syndrome, car accident

​Single leg eccentric squat and jump
Standing on one leg, engage core and slowly sit down to a chair (count of 3 seconds) then explode out of chair as fast as possible jumping on the same leg with a soft controlled landing.  That is 1 repetition. The goal should be 5 reps x 2 sets for this exercise.

​References
Stenroos A, Handolin L. Incidence of Recreational Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Injuries: Six Years Experience in the Largest Ski Resort in Finland. Scand J Surg. 2015;104(2):127-31.
Hébert-losier K, Holmberg HC. What are the exercise-based injury prevention recommendations for recreational alpine skiing and snowboarding? A systematic review. Sports Med. 2013;43(5):355-66.
Nessler T, Denney L, Sampley J. ACL Injury Prevention: What Does Research Tell Us?. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2017