Showing posts with label herbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label herbs. Show all posts

2.04.2020

Way of Tea: February Puerh notes

image

Here's a few notes from last night's Way of Tea event: 

Tea/ 茶

Dao De Jing/ 道德經
Here's the reflection questions that I posed from passage 9: 
  • What's a tangible example of when you should have stepped back? How do you "step back"?
  • How do you balance work, play, time, boundaries, and other elements with integrity? 
  • Click here
    for a list of free online "Dao De Jing" resources

Stay Healthy
  • Come see me in my clinic (Ventura and Oxnard locations) for personalized one-on-one acupuncture, herbs, and yoga consultations/ treatments! Find more classes/ clinic schedule on
     my website
  • Follow me on 
    Instagram and Facebook for beautiful photos + yummy Chinese medicine morsels. 

Upcoming events

Jiling Lin, L.Ac.

Jiling Lin, L.Ac. 林基玲

2.01.2020

Make Chocolate


Celebrate love:

Love yourself so fully, that from this place of fullness, you shine that love back outwards to illuminate the lives of all you encounter, in turn.

Share love with homemade chocolate. Why not go wild and make a big batch for the whole office? Your whole street? Town? Everyone needs some love.

Making chocolate is easy. By controlling the amount of sugar and other ingredients, you also control the health benefits received.

Here's 2 different recipes for making your own chocolate:
- make it from scratch with "Bare Chocolate"
- rebuild from another bar with "Chocolate Truffles"

Have fun, get creative, and share with everyone!
Love, Jiling


Bare Chocolate

Ingredients
1/4 C cocoa butter
4 T cocoa powder
2 T sweetener (adjust as desired)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. melt cocoa butter in double boiler on low heat
2. stir in cocoa powder
3. add sweetener/ vanilla
4. add herbs/ nuts/ seeds/ fruits/ etc (optional)
5. pour into molds
6. let cool. Once solid, release from molds, and enjoy! 

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
8 oz dark chocolate
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
spices/ herbs (optional. ie cinnamon, nutmeg, etc)
powdered cacao/ roses/ coconut/ etc (optional, for coating)

1. break chocolate to small pieces.
2. add vanilla + spices/ herbs (optional) to chocolate.
3. warm coconut milk in double boiler until fully melted, then remove from heat
4. pour chocolate- mix into coconut- milk. Let stand until melted, then mix
5. place into fridge to let cool, until you can roll it into balls
6. roll into balls (you can scoop it out with a tablespoon)
7. roll in powder (optional)
8. yum!


Adding Herbs
You can add herbal powders into both recipes. For Truffles, you can infuse herbs into coconut milk, or add herbal powders into the coating- mix. Have fun and experiment! Here's some herbal ideas:



More Resources
 Jiling Lin, L.Ac. 林基玲
Jiling Lin, L.Ac. 林基玲
acupuncture . herbs . yoga

1.07.2020

"Way of Tea" notes

image

Here's a few notes from last night's Way of Tea event. 

Tea/ 茶

Dao De Jing/ 道德經
  • Click here
     for a list of free online "Dao De Jing" resources (see bottom of post)

Upcoming events
  • Please join us for the next Way of Tea, Monday February 3! You can prepare a Dao De Jing passage that you wish to discuss, if you'd like. 
  • Please join us for Community Acupuncture
     on Friday January 24

Welcome
  • Contact me for acupuncture, herbs, and yoga consultations/ treatments! Find more classes/ clinic schedule on 
    my website
  • Follow me on 
    Instagram
     and Facebook
     for beautiful photos + yummy Chinese medicine morsels. 
Have a wonderful first month of 2020!
Jiling 

PS-  Here's the reflection questions that I posed after reading passage 39
  • When do you feel "in harmony with the Dao"? (give examples from the past month, or year) 
  • How do you "interfere with the Dao"? 
  • How do you "let yourself be shaped by the Dao"?

Jiling Lin, L.Ac.
Jiling Lin, L.Ac. 林基玲
acupuncture . herbs . yoga

11.29.2019

American Horticultural Society



Here's an excellent gift for yourself or a garden-lover that you love: 
A one-year membership to the American Horticultural Society

It costs $35 for an individual, or $50 for two people.

The Reciprocal Admissions Program gives you free or discounted access to over 320 gardens across the USA!
2019's participating gardens are listed here.

You receive a beautiful gardening magazine every other month,
and support a national gardening non-profit organization that

"connects people to gardening,
raises awareness of earth-friendly gardening practices,
introduces children to plants,
brings together leaders to address important national issues,
and showcases the art and practice of horticulture."

If you're in California, also considering joining the California Native Plant Society

11.01.2019

the Way of Tea


Legend has it that Shen-Nong, the first herbalist of Chinese lore, was walking one day, when a leaf fell into his cup. He learned about medicinal, edible, and toxic properties of plants, animals, and minerals through ingesting and experimenting on his own body. So, he imbibed this drink... and found it lovely. Welcome Camellia sinensis, or the "Tea plant."

I'm excited to share a monthly discussion group on "the Way of Tea" at Aum Vibe, our local yoga studio and tea lounge. We'll sip tea, and discuss a passage of Lao Zi's "Dao de Jing" (老子道德經) each month.

Read more about Tea in this highly informative article from Kevin Horan, or flip through Global Tea Hut's extensive archives of monthly tea-themed newsletters.

Here's a few different translations/ interpretations of the "Dao de Jing"
Visit my website for more information about my clinic + class offerings! 

9.02.2019

Botanical Products


I create botanical-product custom orders for clients and patients. I make beautiful things for myself, friends, family, and students... but no longer sell bulk items. I'd rather share specific things when I see you in clinic... or teach you how to make it yourself!

Some Herbal Recommendations

Two Los Angeles area herbalists (and dear friends) I recommend for lovely handmade botanical products, and informative newsletters:
For local Ventura herbs, visit: 
For gorgeous natural perfumes, I recommend:

Coming Up

I look forward to sharing ongoing Herbal Classes and Acupuncture- Herbs- Yoga- Wellness Clinic in Ventura, starting early 2020! 

10.31.2018

Past Herbal Classes


Past Herbal Classes

Jiling’s                                             
Botanical Medicine
                            Classes

Learn to use the natural medicine chest surrounding you: plant identification, medicine making, edible and medicinal properties and usage, and so much more!

Class info

WHEN: Sundays 6:30-8:30 PM, 9/27 - 11/22 (Level 2 classes)
           Wednesday 6:30-8:30 PM, 10/14 - 11/25 (Level 1 classes)

WHERE: Out on a Whim Farm
           
COST: sliding scale $30 - $50 per class (pay as you can)
           (Includes tea, samples, projects. Inquire for trades. All welcome.)

REGISTER: ---

(visit www.LinJiling.blogspot.com for more info)

~

Weekly schedule
(Schedule may change. Please RSVP for an updated schedule)

“Level 2” Herbal Body Systems and Plant Walk classes:
Plant walks every other week: 10/4, 10/18, 11/1, 11/15, 11/22
Lectures every other week:
9/27- herbal energetics
10/11- nervous system herbs
10/25- digestive system herbs
11/8- respiratory system herbs
11/22- herbal first aid

“Level 1” Medicine-Making classes:
10/14- Welcome to Herbalism
10/21- Gathering, Processing, and Storing Plants
10/28- Creating Tea
11/4- Oil Infusions and Salves
11/11- Making Tinctures
11/18- Sweet Medicine
11/25- Incense, Dreaming Herbs, and Flower Essences

more details on the above: 


Autumn 2015 Herbal Classes (level 2) with Jiling


Autumn herbal classes alternate between lecture and field classes.


Lecture classes:
Lecture classes cover a variety of topics, primarily materia medica for different body systems. These classes take place indoors with tea, discussion, and samples. A basic understanding of herbal principles is requested for this class.


Field classes:
Field classes take place outdoors; all are welcome. These classes may include plant walks, botanical field identification, medicine making, sharing herbal projects, and general discussions/ Q+A. Please dress appropriately for walking outdoors, and bring your current herbal projects to share. Please RVSP, as some classes may take place in other locations, and the schedule/ location may shift with the season, and weather.

~



Jiling’s Herbal Medicine- Making Classes
Come join herbalist Jiling and learn how to make your own herbal home remedies, with the plants that grow around you. Each class includes a tea party, lecture, and demonstration. Students make and take home a useful natural product with recipes, further resources, and an abundance of information and inspiration.

The Classes

Welcome to Herbalism (Oct. 14)
Come experience and experiment with a variety of herbal medicine making techniques and menstruua (solvents). We’ll introduce making teas, tinctures, vinegars, honeys, and oils. Further topics may include preparing salves, sugars, glycerites, flower essences, elixirs, oxymels, incense, and food. Students are invited to bring their favorite preparations, recipes, stories, and more to share after class!

Gathering, Processing, and Storing Plants (Oct. 21)
Once you know what plants do, how do you utilize their resources? We’ll explore some local edible and medicinal wild plants, then discuss ethical wild-crafting tools and techniques, and plant harvesting, processing, and storage methods and considerations.

Creating Tea (Oct. 28)
Teas are an ancient way to ingest plants, which is still ritualized in many traditional cultures. We’ll share a tea ceremony, then prepare teas, infusions, decoctions, and topical tea applications (washes, compresses, poultices, steams, baths). We’ll discuss some local delicious and nourishing plants for tea, then formulate a useful and delicious tea blend.

Oil Infusions and Salves (Nov. 4)
Our skin is the most exposed part of our physical body. We’ll discuss skin-care, and create a luxurious aromatic skin-healing oil infusion and salve.

Making Tinctures (Nov. 11)
Tinctures are plants extracted in alcohol. They’re easy to make, transport, and ingest. We’ll prepare tinctures with fresh, dried, and other plant materials with the folk method, and scientific method. We’ll discuss formulation, cordials, elixirs, and plant actions. Other possible topics include organoleptics, Ayurvedic constitutional evaluation, vitalist energetics, and balancing the five flavors.

Sweet Medicine (Nov. 18)
A spoonful of sugar truly makes the medicine go down. Sweet medicine is often delicious, as well as medicinal. Just don’t eat it all at once! We’ll make honey infusions, syrups, glycerites, and pastilles. Students will bring home a yummy medicinal honey infusion.

Incense, Dreaming Herbs, and Flower Essences (Nov. 25)
Working with plants on a ritualistic or energetic level can complement any self-care or therapeutic practice, and enhance the process of coming to know oneself, in relation with plants. We’ll discuss plant connection exercises, dreaming herbs, the ritual usage of plants, and how to make flower essences. We’ll make an incense blend in class, for students to take home, and continue the journey.

 ~

Jiling’s Spring 2015 Herbalism Classes

Come join us for an empowering, informative, and fun herbal workshop series in Bethany, CT this spring, with herbalist Jiling Lin. These classes provide a solid introductory foundation for the vast world of western herbalism, rooted in hands-on medicine making, plant identification, and other practical skills. Students will learn and explore experientially, making an herbal medicine in each class, and gaining useful tools for self, home, and community.  
When: Tuesday nights (6:30- 8:30 PM), and the first Saturday of each month (10 AM- 3 PM).
Come for one, or all, of the classes. Open to everyone.
Where: Out-on-a-Whim Farm
Register: Contact Jiling ---
For more info, visit www.LinJiling.blogspot.com

Tuesday Evening Medicine- Making Classes
When: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 PM. March 17 to June 2
Cost: Sliding scale $30-$50 per class.
We’ll share tea, and explore a different topic each week: practical medicine-making skills, formulation, applicable theory, plant identification, local edible and medicinal plants, and more!

Free Tea Party (March 17)
Come join us for a free tea party to welcome the coming spring, and the beginning of a weekly and monthly herbal workshop series! We’ll discuss different approaches to exploring the world of plant medicine, with plenty of open space for collective sharing, asking questions... and savoring samples! Please bring your beautiful self and any interested friends, and a snack to share. Hope to see you there!

Creating Tea (March 24)
Teas are an ancient way to ingest plants, which is still ritualized in many traditional cultures. We’ll share a tea ceremony, then prepare teas, infusions, and decoctions. We’ll discuss ethical wild-crafting tools and techniques, plant drying methods, and storage techniques. We’ll formulate customized relaxing blends for each student, exploring relaxing herbs and nourishing nervines, and how they interact with unique body-types. Other topics we may explore include topical tea applications (washes, compresses, poultices, steams), local delicious and nourishing plants for tea, and powders.

Oil Infusions and Salves (March 31)
Our skin is the most exposed part of our physical body. We’ll discuss skin-care, salve making, oil infusions, formulations, and create a luxurious aromatic skin-healing salve.

Making Tinctures (April 7)
Tinctures are plants extracted in alcohol. They’re easy to make, transport, and ingest. We’ll prepare tinctures with fresh, dried, and other plant materials with the folk method, and scientific method. We’ll discuss formulation, cordials, elixirs, and plant actions. Other possible topics include organoleptics, botany, Ayurvedic constitutional evaluation, vitalist energetics, and holistic health.

Sweet Medicine (April 14)
A spoonful of sugar truly makes the medicine go down. Sweet medicine is often delicious, as well as medicinal. Just don’t eat it all at once! We’ll demonstrate making honey infusions, syrups, glycerites, pastilles, cordials, and elixirs. Students will bring home a yummy medicinal honey infusion.

Aphrodisiacs and Herbal Chocolates (April 21)
Since food is one of our most powerful medicines, let’s begin with dessert. We'll explore aphrodisiac plants, uses, and formulation. Focusing on roses and cacao, we’ll concoct decadent herbal chocolates, and luxurious rose coconut oil.

Incense, Dreaming Herbs, and Flower Essences (April 28)
Working with plants on a ritualistic or energetic level can complement any self-care or therapeutic practice, and enhance the process of coming to know oneself, in relation with plants. We’ll discuss plant connection exercises, dreaming herbs, the ritual usage of plants, and how to make flower essences. We’ll make an incense blend in class, for students to take home, and continue the journey.

Women’s Herbal Circle (May 5)
This class is for the ladies. We’ll discuss dietary, lifestyle, and herbal support for women, and the female reproductive system. I’ll tailor the class to the needs and interests of participants, so please register, and let me know who you are! We’ll formulate a supportive tea for the female system, and create a moon-time medicine kit.

Herbal First Aid (May 12)
Using herbal medicine in acute first aid situations is one of the best ways to learn, through hands-on practice in everyday life. We’ll discuss how to address common first aid concerns with herbs, such as open wounds, infections, digestive disorders, headaches, emotional distress, and more. Students will bring home an herbal medicine to start, or complement, their own herbal first aid kit.

Spring Edibles and Digestive Bitters (May 19)
Many of the first edible plants to rise in the spring are bitter. We’ll discuss the importance of bitters for healthy digestion, identify spring edibles, and make a delicious digestive bitters tinctures blend, and infused vinegars.

Food as Medicine (May 26)
Let thy food be thy medicine... and let thy medicine be thy food! In this fun and delicious class, we’ll demonstrate creative ways to prepare local wild edibles, kitchen herbs, and integrate herbs into food. A few possibilities include making gomasio, pesto, finishing salts, infused oils and vinegars, sauerkraut, tonic soups, adapto-balls, and more!  

Free Tea Party (June 2)
Welcome to another community tea party, now at the culmination of the spring herb classes, where all students are invited to share their herbal projects, experiences, plant stories, and more! I’ll share upcoming summer herb class activities, and some spring treats. Please bring a locally grown or wild-harvested snack to share. Let’s celebrate the abundance of spring, and the upcoming pleasures of summer!

First Saturday Botanical Field Days
When: First Saturdays of each month, 10 AM- 3 PM, April to June
Cost: Sliding scale $65-$85 per class.
Field days include plant walks, medicine-making, and more. We’ll explore field botany, ethical wild-crafting, and land stewardship. Please come prepared to be outdoors, learn, connect, and have fun! Please register in advance, for location and other details.

Plant Identification: Intuition and Observation (April 4)
Understanding botany is essential, for conclusive plant identification and safe/ effective medicine making. This class combines intuition, observation, and science to help newcomers learn practical botany skills. We’ll discuss organoleptics and botany basics, then embark on sensory explorations, and practice “keying out” plants using botany tools and books. We’ll discuss ethical wild-crafting tools and techniques, then make a fresh plant tincture and oil.

Experiencing and Creating Flower Essences (May 2)
Flower essences contain the vibrational essence of the plant. They work with people on a subtle yet powerful energetic level. We’ll connect with plants through field botany and a variety of awareness exercises, make our own flower essence, and experience a variety of plant essences.  

Herbal Medicine Making Intensive (June 6)
Making herbal medicines involves understanding a simple set of techniques, then repeating and adapting them, under a variety of circumstances. We’ll do a plant walk, botanizing along the way, practice plant connection exercises and ethical wild-crafting, then explore a variety of field medicine making skills, including drying methods, plant storage, tinctures, oils, honeys, glycerites, liniments, and vinegars.