The Waxing Fire Pig
Did you know that pigs could live under an outhouse and thrive? They can literally eat nothing but food scraps and feces and still be perfectly content. The other animal that could do that is the goat; but if a goat eats garbage, it will taste like garbage - both the meat and the milk. Not a pig though. It has the ability to metabolize the mess and still be delicious.
As for the poetry of the moment, how's your appetite? Digestion isn't only for food. We have to break down our emotions too - and they aren't always pretty. This isn't just "looking on the bright side," we've got to process our feelings and assimilate the lesson so we can flush away the funk. If not, our pains can pile up and harden into rocks of resentment, regret, or dis-ease.
To make this make sense, feel your feels and get complete - whatever that looks like for you. The Fire Horse Year is nearly here, and if you're burdened by baggage, that blazing bronco is bound to buck you off its back! We're in Winter now - here's your chance to do the hard work inside so that you can show up big and bright outside. Let's get set to be fresh for the new year!
⧠Emotional Digestion â§
Deal with It: Sometimes we get our feelings hurt.
Know your Pain: Where it lives, how it feels, and why?
Who Else Hurts: Is it possible that others can feel it too?
Break It Down: Question yourself. Journal and reflect.
Wrap It Up: Apologize. Accept. Forgive. Forget.
Resting Bliss Face
Contents
ă»Shifu Says: A brief word from our head teacher, Shifu David Wei.
ă»Bladder Booster: A new Winter workshop with our friend, Holly.
ă»The Daoist Calendar: Special holidays and how to observe them.
ă»Deep Steeps: Tea with Licensed Acupuncturist, Frank Cubillo LAc.
ă»This is How to Brew It: Steeping instructions for this month's tea club.
ă»Final Fortune Cookie: Big wit and wisdom from a tiny little idiom.
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⧠Shifu Says â§
With Thanksgiving now behind us, I want to take a moment to appreciate a dear friend of mine, my doctor, John Kokko.
I first met Kokko through my good friend, Deanna Tasi, way back in 2010 at the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences (ACCHS) here in Oakland, CA. I was still training in the temple then, but I was home for visa obligations and I was invited to be a keynote for their graduation ceremony. At that time, Kokko was still a professor - so that's where it all started.
Later, when I was teaching around the world, I'd always make it a point to come home for my mom's birthday, and of course, get a treatment from my brother Kokko. Back then, I was a strict vegan, and my wanderlust lifestyle was beginning to take a toll on my health. My vision was blurry, I had crazy brain fog, and my hair was falling out in clumps. I consulted doctors from all over the world and ALL of them told me to EAT MEAT - Kokko was the only one to suggest mushrooms and herbs instead. He was the only doctor that could meet me where I was at - a virtue I still try to apply in my work today!
Even later still, in 2012, Kokko was the one to convince me to settle down and start my school while I was still young and vital. He set up my first class on the UC Berkeley campus and he introduced many of my first students - including his own mom! There was even the time in 2014 when I needed an emergency surgery, and Kokko was right there with me in the ER poking my ear with needles to help manage my pain.
In many ways, Kokko's the older brother I never had. Just the other week we went to a concert where he introduced me to a millionaire philanthropist. He just doesn't stop giving. If you're fortunate enough to know John Kokko, be sure to give that man a hug on my behalf. Thank you, King Kokko!
Brothers from another Mother
Boost your Bladder
Pardon our asking, but do you happen to struggle with incontinence? Are you ever afraid to laugh, sneeze, or cough? Do you worry about the smell of urine in your home, in your car, or on your clothes? If any of these examples strike a nerve, then this LIVE online seminar might be right for you.
Next Saturday, December 6th, Shifu is teaming up again with Holly Tse of ChineseFootReflexology.com to offer a focused short course on the urinary bladder and how to maintain its function. This program was designed with the seasonal vulnerabilities of Winter in mind. Theyâll address some of the causes behind nighttime urgency, slow streams, loss of control, and chronic leakage - along with all the fear and embarrassment that can arise as well.
This isnât your average health lecture - it's a practical training pattern built on the foundations of traditional Daoist medicine primed to strengthen your bladder, fortify your kidneys, and restore your confidence. Whether youâre seeking prevention, symptom relief, or a total reset, this is your opportunity to learn and apply new tools that will make a real difference.
If youâre ready to reclaim the freedom of being - without the fear of a spill - then join us. Your bladder, and your body, will thank you.
⧠Bladder Boosting Short Course â§
Next Saturday, Dec. 6th @12pm PST
All Ages / All Skill Levels Welcome
Register Here to Join
Urine Luck!
Daoist Holidays
Tenth/Morning Dew Moon: Yin Fire Pig
Qi Node: Little Snow
Holiday: Zhang Guo Lao (Eight Immortals) Birthday
Get Drunk, Write Inspired Poetry, Do things Backwards
Holiday: Shui Xian (God of Deep Sea) Festival
Visit the Shoreline, Think Deeply, Digest Old Emotions
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