11.30.2013

September, October, November



video documentary of the last three months (前三個月的小影片): 

September: Equinox Botanicals (Ohio) fieldtrip with the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine (九月:去森林農場郊遊)

October: autumn fire back in Ithaca, NY (十月:秋天的美景)

November: welcome, Winter (十一月: 進入冬眠美夢) 

11.27.2013

gratitude 感恩

I love my family 
strangers in a foreign land 
this place has become home 

I love my family 
diverging skin colors
birthed from Earth
we are made
whole

感恩家人
感恩世界家人

11.03.2013

Colorado, next











Dear family and friends, (中文在底下!)

New moon blessings!
Most of the leaves have fallen, except for the golden beech leaves and evergreen needles that will hang on all winter. How does the landscape look where you are, now? 

I leave Ithaca, NY (home for almost a year) in mid-December. Living here, I've found a good balance between learning, working, and playing... and feel embraced by (and also in love with) the community of people and nature around me. I feel so blessed here. And it is time to go. 

I'm moving to Boulder, CO to attend the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism from January until June 2014, for their advanced herbalism program.

If you have Boulder connections, then please let me know. I'm looking for housing, a fulfilling part-time job, and like-minded/ like-hearted community there. 

I am also open to study/work/play suggestions driving between California and Colorado, and after Colorado too. 

Thanks for your input, regarding my previous email about massage and/or graduate school. I am still considering those possibilities. But first, more herbs! It's exciting to bring more focus into my life, studies, and work. Besides my herbal studies, I continue teaching yoga (challenging and fulfilling), and cultivating improvisational dance/song (my favorites). I hope to weave nature education back into my life again as well. And, I remain open to possibility, giving space for all the small birds to sing. 

Happy holidays! May your belly-oven be stoked with yummy nourishing foods, and your heart warm and full of daily blessings that radiate in all directions, bringing you light in this season of surrender and transition/ transformation. I wish you good health in all ways, always. Let me know if you have any herbal/ yoga-related questions-curiosities-insights (practice time!). Thanks for the inspiration and reflection that you bring to my life, you bright beautiful star!

Loving blessings, 
Jiling 

家人們好!
秋天葉子都差不多掉光了。只剩冬天的白天空, 天天送下來飄飄的雨, 有時毛毛的小冰塊。 快要下雪了。
你們那兒, 現在開起來怎麼樣? 冬天到了沒? 什麼樣的景象? 
我在十二月中要離開這個紐約州森林家, 回加州拜訪爸媽兩個禮拜。
2014年一開始, 就要搬到Colorado州去另一個學校, Colorado藥草學院。 我打算在Colorado上課從一月到六月。 之後, 再說! 我還在考錄研究所或是學按摩, 但一步一步, 慢慢來!
感恩你的祝福! 
祝你心想事成, 溫馨夢醒!:) 
Love, 
基玲

 ~~~~~~~
  
Jiling . 林基玲 

Ithaca autumn photos


























11.01.2013

natural lubricants


My herb school class project presentation was on the topic of "Natural Vaginal Lubricants." I hope that this information is helpful to you. I have not personally experimented with most of the listed recipes. These lubes are primarily for female-bodied folks, especially post-menopausal women, but are also safe to use for other forms of intercourse. Enjoy, and play safe!
~~~

BOTANICA EROTICA
Natural vaginal lubricants for pleasurable sexual health

THE MOST NATURAL LUBE OF ALL
- Vaginal secretions from sufficient arousal/ foreplay
- Spit (though not for women with vaginal sensitivities)
- General health. Consider diet, exercise, hydration… then, herbs.

YOUR LUBE OPTIONS
- Water-based lubes (safe, but may need reapplication)
- Silicone-based lubes (unsafe with silicone devices)
- Oil-based lubes (longest lasting, but deteriorates latex)

SIMPLE NATURAL LUBES
- Aloe vera gel (considered a water-based lube)
- Coconut oil (buy organic extra virgin)

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID IN COMMERCIAL LUBES
- benzene derivatives (sodium benzoate, methyl, ethyl, propylparaben, benzoate of soda, boric acid), propylene glycol, parabens, salicylates, anammic aldehyde (in “hot” lubes), synthetic fragrances, glycerine (for irritation/infection-prone folks)

TWO ALOE-BASED COMMERCIAL LUBES
- Aloe Cadabra
- Good Clean Love

FOOD AS MEDICINE
- Essential fatty acids (from fish, olive oil, hemp, flax, walnut, almonds, dark leafy greens, whole grain foods)
- Seaweed (and other iron sources)
- Healthy fats (unsaturated fats, only)
- Eat phytoestrogenic foods (ie. Soy, beans, flax, etc)

TEAS AND TINCTURES: INTERNAL LUBRICANTS
Nourishing herbal infusions
- Chickweed – Nettle - Violet – Linden - Red clover
More stimulating female tonic herbs
- Shatavari – Ashwaganda
Relaxing herbal aphrodisiacs
- damiana - roses - jasmine - tulsi
Heating/ stimulating herbal aphrodisiacs
- cardamom – maca - cocoa – galangal - ginger

DIY RECIPES: VAGINAL LUBRICANTS

Oil infusions (to use solo or in combination)
- soothing herbs (comfrey, calendula, St. Johnswort, roses, chickweed, plantain)
- demulcent herbs (also good in teas) (slippery elm root, marshmallow root, oats)
- estrogenic herbs (not for pregnancy) (wild yam, black cohosh)
- tissue- healing herbs (gotu kola, comfrey, calendula)

Basic template for vaginal lubrication salve
- ¼ C infused oil
- ½ C oil (ie. coconut, jojoba, almond, avocado, olive oil)
- ¾ oz beeswax
- 1 T Vitamin E (or grapefruit seed extract, preservative)
- (optional) essential oils (ie. Lavender, rose otto, rose geranium, chamomile, sandalwood)

Flax Seed Goo (a water-based lube by Sheri Winston)
- 1 C whole flax seeds
- 6 C water
Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 6 minutes. Turn off heat, then let sit another 6 minutes. Strain, and it’s ready to use! Can store in the fridge for 2 months.

Yoni Butter (aphrodisiac and lubricant by Aviva Romm)
- ½ C cocoa butter
- ½ C coconut oil
- 4 oz unsweetened dark chocolate
- 2 T marshmallow root powder (or slippery elm root powder)
- ¼ tsp lavender essential oil (or other essential oil)

Ride and Glide (a nourishing lubricant by Margi Flint)
- 0.8 oz grated beeswax
- ¼ C infused oil (with black cohosh, comfrey root, calendula, wild yam)
- ¼ C coconut oil
Combine and heat the above ingredients, then add:
- 1 T wheat germ oil
- 1 T vitamin E oil
- 1 tsp emulsified vitamin A
- essential oils of 30 drops lavender, 30 drops rose geranium, 10 drops rose otto
Coconut oil suppositories
Coconut oil with your choice of other oils (ie. Jojoba, vitamin E, wheat germ, evening primrose, borage, black currant seed oil). Warm and mix the oils together, then freeze in ice trays to harden. Cut each cube into 2-3 sticks. Use a stick before sex or before sleep.

Herbal ointment (esp. for post-menopausal women)
(by Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist)
Oil infusions, with:
1 part comfrey leaf and root
1 part St. Jonswort
1 part calendula
Heat the oils, then add grated beeswax (1/4 C beeswax for each cup of oil), until beeswax melts. Then let cool.
(Optional: vitamin E, cocoa butter, coconut, etc. oils)

~ by Jiling Lin, 2013 ~
Please contact me with any questions!

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any conditions. All material provided on this website is provided for informational or educational purposes only. And, this information is by no means exhaustive--- there are more plants to explore!