ashtanga yoga

Ashtanga means "eight limbs." Ashtanga yoga refers to the eight limbs of yoga. It originates from Patajali's yoga sutras. I practice a combination of Hatha and vinyasa yoga. "Hatha" comes from the root words, "ha" (sun) and "tha" (moon). Hatha yoga seeks to unite the sun and moon, yin and yang, male and female, right and left sides of our bodies, minds, spirits, and beings. "Yoga" comes from the root word "yuj," meaning yoke. I think of this "yoke" as the line of connection between all levels of our consciousness and beings, as we stand connected to and connecting between Earth and Sky. 

I named my yoga class Earth Sky Yoga. There is an old Chinese creation myth called "Peng-gu kai tian" or "Peng-gu opens the Sky" (盤古開天)... once, a long time ago, before this Earth was born, or Sky, or any of the World as we know it today, there was nothing. One day, in the midst of nothing, there was born an Egg. In this primordial Egg slept a giant named Peng-gu. After many eons of sleeping, he finally started to stir, as his dreams shifted movement into his long slumbering limbs. As he moved, the Egg started cracking, and breaking. Finally, Peng-gu stood and stretched up, dividing the Egg in half. The top half became Sky. The bottom half became Earth. But, if Peng-gu released his arms or legs, then the Egg would close up again. So, he stood firmly between the two halves of the Egg, Sky and Earth, with his arms strongly upraised and his legs firmly rooted, and he stood. And he stood. And he stood... for such a long time, so many eons, he stood there, supporting and supported between Earth and Sky. Slowly, he got tired. One day, he finally fell down to the Earth. But he had stood there for such a long time that Sky and Earth, the two halves of the Egg, remained in place. Peng-gu's body became all the parts of our planet Earth as we know it... his Blood became the flowing Streams, Rivers, and Oceans. His bones became the Soil, Stones, and Mountains. His final Breath wooshed out into the Earth and breathed all the plants and animals into life. That breath continues to woosh and swirl around and through us, connecting us with all of life and each other, and with the primordial Great Mystery that brought Life into being. 

When I stand in tadasana (mountain position with legs firmly rooted and arms relaxed downward), I feel like Peng-gu standing between Earth and Sky, supporting and being supported. As I extend my arms and raise my head up, I feel my plumb line of connection from the crown of my head, through my spine, and back down into Earth through the center of my feet. I am connecting, and I am connected. 

Earth Sky Yoga. 

Here's a brief outline of the eight limbs of yoga, ashtanga yoga. (Each limb builds on the next.)

1. yama (community code)- How do I interact with my community in a good way (5 parts)

- ahimsa (nonviolence/ compassion)- Living a life of unconditional service, and giving without expectation. 

- satya (no lying/ truth)- Am I honest with myself and others in my thought, speech, and action? 

- asteya (nonstealing)- Setting and observing clear boundaries.  

- brahmacharya (abstinence/ chastity)- having integrity with all of my relationships.What is my relationship with my community as a whole? Individuals within my community? My relationship with my environment? 

- aparigraha (noncoveting/ simplicity)- being satisfied with what I have, and willing to give. Keeping life simple, my thought, speech, and actions simple. Being in but not of, this world. 

2. niyama (personal code)- How do I interact with myself and be the best human I can be (5 parts)

- sauca (purity)- Taking showers, eating well, thinking clearly, and speaking honestly.  

- santosha (contentment)- Feeling and knowing the sweetness of life, regardless of life challenges. 

- tapas (fire of self practice/ dedication)- Practice makes perfect. Practice, practice, practice! "Let your practice be the basis of your freedom."

- svadhyaya (self study)- Be as a question.  

- isvarapranidhana (dedication to Creator)- Lokha samastha sukhini bhavantu- May all being be happy. We dedicate the fruits of our practice to all beings. 

3. asana (movement practices)- The body is the doorway to the body-mind-spirit. During practice, maintain relaxed awareness and control over body, breath, and mind. Cultivating a strong and flexible body temple to house our Spirit.

 

4. pranayama (breath practices)- Breath is the line of connection between Earth and Sky, Body and Spirit. Body is the temple, Breath is the key. 

5. pratyahara (sensory withdrawal)- Shut out, to tune in. How does sensory attunement dance with sensory withdrawal, through discernment, and choice making? Pratyahara reduces external stimuli to facilitate focusing on the internal environment of body, mind, and spirit. 

6. dharana (concentration)- Our minds are like dirty wild elephants. First, you harness the elephant. Then, you tame the elephant. Slowly, it becomes cleaner. Then you ride it. Then it starts following you around. Dharana is the beginning of meditation, where we focus on one thing and that opens the door to everything else, which is true meditation, or dhyana. 

7. dhyana (meditation)- Think of Gautama Buddha sitting under the bodhi tree for 49 days, and that little smile he has on his face. 

8. samadhi (enlightenment/ self-realization)- The "purpose" of yoga is to attain samdahi, which is also called "moksha," or liberation. Liberation from the chains that we subonsciously wrap around ourselves, our self-limiting doubts, beliefs, and patterns of living our lives. True moksha, or liberation, and true samadhi, is not something that one strives for, but a state that one lives in, on a daily basis. Think of someone you know who is simultaneously full of child-like bliss (twinkly crinkly eyes filled with laughter), and elder wisdom (a certain depth behind every joke that sinks you deeper into the core of your own being, and your understanding of life.) You are samadhi already, returning to knowing your true nature. 

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 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

hut tour, prana and apana, xylem and phloem

My hut is like a small container that I go into to sleep, cook, and get things. Once the weather gets nicer, I plan to set up a mosquito net and tarp (maybe A-frame style, as usual), and sleep outside too. Once the weather gets nicer, perhaps I will completely move outside into a mosquito net... except for my books and clothing and other perishable non-rain-tolerant items. 

I have little trails that run out from my hut. As you walk towards my hut, I have a special place to park my bike, and a huge wood pile. There are so many downed trees in this area that each time I walk out, I walk back with a load of firewood that I add onto my woodpile. My woodpile sits next to my firepit. My washing area is right next to my firepit as well, which I use as my sump pit (where I drain my greywater). I figure that since I make infrequent fires in my firepit (I use my woodstove more often), then whenever I do use the firepit, it cleans out and dries up my greywater, reducing the possibility of mosquitoes. We'll see if that works. 

Running adjacent to my woodpile is a little path that I take to go to my outhouse. How my outhouse works is I only poop inside. When I poop, I throw wood shavings onto the poop. The wood shavings help to decompose the poop back into soil, reduce stench, and keep bugs away. I poop into a hole in the ground. When that hole is full, I will cover it back up with soil and dig a new hole. 

Walking around to the back of my hut takes me to my forest garden. There is a small downed tree that I like to practice balancing on, walking forwards and backwards, practicing balance-related yoga asanas, and pretending that I am balancing high over the Grand Canyon with soaring orange mesas down below and the Rio Grande churning beneath me. Instead, I am balancing above a small garden that I just planted: local plants from elsewhere in the forest that I am curious if they will grow here as well. 7song thinks that I have so many downed trees around here, because of forest secession (or is it succession?) Regardless, I figure if the forest is changing, then I may as well plant new plants and see how they do. 

Right next to my sleeping-room window is a big older pine tree. I hung windchimes and a small pot of peppermint (from the calamus swamp) that I hope will grow, so that when the winds blow, the windchimes will tinkle, and the peppermint smells will waft in to bless my dreams. 

Every morning, I lay down my yoga mat, which I layered on top of my styrofoam camping sleeping pad (which we called "hoho's" at wilderness therapy camp in UT.) My yoga space is right in front of the pine tree (with chimes and mints). Next to my yoga area is a little path that I take into the forest to my compost pile, which I place below another older pine. I hope that it is a nice place for animals to come and find the food, so that I can watch them from my sleeping-room window (I have two windows). 

And, this is home! And it is constantly expanding! 

This morning, practicing yoga in front of my chime-mint-pine, I was delighted to connect in my mind a little bit of what we have learned in plant phylogeny class with 7song, with some yoga philosophy. Plants' vascular systems are composed of xylem and phloem: xylem draws nutrition from the soil up into the branches of the tree. Phloem carries nutrition from the leaves, created through sunlight and photosynthesized into sugars, down again through the plant. Xylem draws up, phloem carries down. Likewise, prana and apana in yoga philosophy. Prana is the inhaled breath, apana is the exhaled breath. Prana is like xylem where as you inhale, you can imagine drawing nutrients up from the bottom of your feet and expanding out to all your extremities, as your diaphragm expands with the air inhaled. Apana is like phloem where as you exhale, you can imagine yourself releasing what you don't need back into the air, as well as drawing down energy and grounding back into the earth. Prana: inhale, rise up while remaining grounded (with apana). Apana: exhale, root down while remaining soaring (with prana). The prana in the apana, and the apana in the prana. Like xylem and phloem; plants vascular systems. I can visualize the similarity as I rise up from and reconnect with Earth in a series of yoga asanas drawn together to practice balance and coordination. 

It begins to rain, the wind blowing in quick droplets against my cheeks as I raise my arms up for one final sun salutation before I return to brainstorming about my class project, then bike quickly to 7song's home for another day of work and play. 

I just returned from my day now, as I finish up this essay: me and Joy finished the garden, then we went on a field trip after our work day and saw such a grand diversity of plants and insects. Now, I will bike back to my small hut home, make and eat dinner, and dream about plants once more under the canopy of budding, blossoming, reproducing, and wildly THRIVING plant life, inhaling and exhaling to the autonomically syncopated rhythm of prana and apana, xylem and phloem. 

(PS- thanks to Lyca for inspiration to write about where I live. Lyca made a lovely photo series of where he is living in the woods, nearby. I haven't photo-documented my own space yet (as my space is still evolving), but words can try to capture what photos haven't captured, yet. Thanks also to Jon Young. I got the concept of forest paths from a recording from Jon that I am listening to. It talks about how we usually take the same paths into the forest. These paths form a network criss-crossing through the forest with the animal paths. The animals know our paths, but oftentimes we don't notice theirs. I want to learn this. I have seen squirrels and deer here, and hope to catch coyote one fine morning. Jon encourages taking different paths, since the animals will probably be hiding out around there. I look out in the direction of the cliff, and know that I rarely walk that way; and I will walk there soon. I am enjoying walking the same paths: establishing routine, knowing the trees along the way, watching leaves and flowers changing daily, and feeling my feet slowly wearing deeper trails into the Earth. Thanks to Noah, whose land I live upon. Thanks to 7song for fresh info about plant phylogeny, botany, crass jokes, and solid questions and answers.  Thanks to Richard Freeman, who tapes I am listening to, to refresh my memory and deepen my understanding around yoga philosophy, from Krish, Murti, and Babu from India, which seems like such a distant land, distant dream. And, I am so grateful to my yoga students (slowly growing in number) for--- already, two weeks into teaching--- stimulating learning and inspiring growth through asking questions and being as you are. Finally, if you've gotten this far... thanks for reading! ;) Let me know if you have any questions or comments! Namaste. ) 

--

 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

plant phylogeny

"Phylogeny" is the evolutionary relationship between organisms. 7song says that there is only one other herbalist in the USA that teaches phylogeny as part of their herbal studies program. I feel honored and glad to be part of this program studying this. A question that often arises for me is, "Why?" This is because I have been asked this question so often through the years, especially in Asia, regarding my life choices, as well as my areas of work and study. So, why? Why would we want to study the evolutionary relationships between plants? In my wilderness work, understanding phylogeny will help with answering the endless questions of my students (excellent questions that make me dive deeper into the depths of my own understanding and non-understanding, creating an atmosphere of constant healthy growth and learning.) Understanding phylogeny also helps with truth-based storytelling that comes from a deep knowledge and recognition of plant origins, from a evolutionary (aka. ancient) backdrop of thousands of years of accumulated history. In healthcare, we seek to find and treat the root cause of the disease. Likewise, if we can understand the root cause of the chemical compounds of the plants that make our medicines, then we can better understand and utilize these medicines for today's uses. Like in yoga, where we root down in order to rise up (first get grounded so that you can fly freely), it is important to understand where plants originate from (their phylogeny) to use them in a complete way (which is, in Sanskrit, "moksha." This is freedom.) 

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We covered three (of five) primary plant KINGDOMS: protista, fungi, and plantae. "Kingdom" means that they all evolved from a common ancestor. 

The PROTISTA kingdom consists of algaes and diatoms. These seem to be primordial sea-based tiny creatures. Diatoms are so tiny that we can barely see them, like krill. Diatomacious earth is one kind of diatom. When diatoms die, they leave behind their hard little shells. I wonder if the crust that slowly develops on top of the desert Earth in Joshua Tree National Park (CA) if composed of deceased diatoms. We focused on algaes, which include seaweeds. The pH of the blood that runs through our bodies mirrors the ocean's pH; our blood is very closely related to seawater! Is this why eating seaweed helps to build healthy blood? Seaweeds make up half of lichens (which are symbiotic relationships between algae and fungi). They are thin enough to take in and put nutrients back out into the water. Algaes (and seaweeds too) don't make seeds. They can both sexually and nonsexually reproduce.

The FUNGI kingdom includes mushrooms, yeasts, molds, mildews, and rusts. Mushrooms are the obvious fruiting bodies of fungi. Mycellium is the fungi itself, often threadlike. If you pick a mushroom, you can see the white threads of connection running beneath the Earth- this is mycellium. I like to think of it as a huge net right beneath the soil, binding all the Earth together, recycling dead matter into fresh energy right beneath our feet. (But what about concrete jungles?) Fungi reproduce with spores. In class, we ended up talking a lot about reproduction because this is how life continues: we grow, we procreate, we die. And if we don't procreate, then there is no continuation of life. (I am speaking from the perspective of mushrooms, but also human beings.) Fungi are all heterotrophs (live off of photosynthetic organisms), instead of autotrophs (who photosynthesize and produce their own food from sunlight, CO2, and water.) 

The PLANTAE kingdom takes us to our next section... 

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The PLANTAE kingdom includes bryophyta, pteridophyta, and spermatophyta. (These are great names to name your children!) 

The BRYOPHYTA plants are nonvascular spore-producing plants that include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. These are the oldest plants in the world, from dinosaur days! Mosses have rhizoids, instead of roots; they anchor loosely to the soil. Mosses take in water directly from the atmosphere, like a sponge. They are autotrophs that photosynthesize their nutrients. The difference between spores and seeds: seeds are baby plants, containing all the genetic information needed to create a whole new plant. Spores only contain half the gametes (specialized reproductive cells) to create a new plant. Thus, spores need to meet another spore of the opposing sex to reproduce. Mosses need rain or wetness to reproduce. When the rain droplets (or wind, or whatever instigates the movement) hit the moss arms (I am unsure of the technical term of the non-leafy moss arms), the male spores go flying from one moss arm off to meet a female spore on another moss arm. If the male spore lands below the female spore, then it will use a process called chemotaxi (amazing) to travel up the moss arm to meet the female spore. The male spores can only chemotaxi in water, that's why you will find more mosses in wet environments, such as in Taiwan (gorgeous). When the male spores chemotaxi up the moss arm, it propels itself with a little tail, much like a male sperm cell, or tadpole. Except that it has two tails! Another amazing quality of mosses is that they can dessicate (dry up) and live! They need water to reproduce, but can dry up for a long period of time, and then come back to life (I will try this one day). 

The PTERIDOPHYTA ("pterido" means "winged" and "phyta" means "plants") plants are spore-producing and vascular plants that include ferns, club mosses, and horsetails. These plants came after the Bryophyta plants, with real roots that pull nutrients from the soil, allowing them to grow taller and closer to the sun. These plants dominated during dinosaur days. When they died, they turned into coal and other natural resources that we are still utilizing today. Vascular plants have vascular bundles that carry water and nutrients throughout the plant. They are like the circulatory system of the plant. Two groups of cells form the vascular system of plants: the xylum and phloem. Xylum carries water and dissolved nutrients from the roots and soil up to the topmost extremities of the plants, while phloem carries the products of photosynthesis (usually sugar) down through the plant. Xylum draws nutrients up, phloem carries nutrients down. In a tree, the xylum becomes the hardened heartwood in the center of the tree trunk. The phloem becomes the bark. Over time, the hardened rings of xylum and phloem (the vascular bundles) become the tree's age rings: you can watch the aging process of the tree by looking at the patterning of its vascular bundles in a cross section of the tree trunk. The vascular bundles are the most chemically rich part of the tree, most often used for medicine (such as slippery elm bark, cherry bark, willow bark, etc.) These plants defend themselves by being silicacious (rough bodied). They don't contain much medicinal value. Ferns reproduce by spores. When the fern fpores fall to the ground, they turn into a prothallus (sometimes called just a "thallus.") The prothallus is a sporophyte (where sex cells are made) that contains both the male sex cell (antheridia) and female sex cell (archegonium). Once the prothallus falls on the ground, the antheridia (male) swims over to fertilize the archegonium (female). Then, the prothallus grows small roots and starts becoming the new fern (gametophyte). 

SPERMATOPHYTA ("sperm" means "seed") are vascular seed-producing plants that are most of the plants that we know today. Next section! 

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SPERMATOPHYTA plants are either angiospermae or gymnospermae. 

ANGIOSPERMAE ("angio" means "vessel," and "sperm" means "seed") are flowering plants that have seeds with ovaries. These comprise 90% of the roughly 250,000 species of plants on our planet. Angiospermae are either MONOCOTYLEDONS (when seeds open, one leaf emerges) or DICOTYLEDONS (when seeds open, two leaves emerge). (A "cotyledon" is the leaf that emerges from the seed.) Most plants are dicots, with 4-5 flowering parts, vascular bundles on the outside (well organized), and leaves with reticulate veins (think of your usual leaf). Monocots have 3 flowering parts, and less changeable. They have leaves with parallel veins and randomized vascular bundles (with no growth rings). These plants fall down easier, as they don't make heartwood. 90% of woody plants are dicots. 

GYMNOSPERMAE ("gymno" means "naked," and "sperm" means "seed") are wind-pollinated plants that include conifers, ephedra, and gingko. They have unisexual flowers (staminate/male-only or pistillate/female-only). These plants developed before insects came along to help pollinate flowers. Thus, they are wind pollinated. The ovule (female part) is not in an ovary; their ovules are exposed to the wind (like a pine cone). The wind will blow the pollen (male parts) around to meet and fertilie the ovules (female parts). These plants are either monoecious or dioecious. Monoecious plants have both male and female flowers on the same plant, such as corn and conifers. Dioecious plants have male plants and female plants, such as ephedra, gingko, and marijuana. 

Let me know if you have any questions about any of this phylogeny information! I am very new to phylogeny, and find it fascinating. Every person has a unique history (herstory) and story, and plants do as well! In class, I feel like it's story-time: I settle back into our comfy chairs and blankets as it's raining outside, sip steaming herbal tea, and listen to 7song tell dramatic true stories about plants and how they procreate and how our world and our medicine came to be. Love it. 

(photo of yucca from Taiwan) 

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 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

滿心，滿星。滿月，滿悅。慢步，快活。

(my monthly Chinese letter) 

(fox and turtle photos from my teacher, 7song)

朋友們好！

祝你們滿月快樂！ :) 

時間過得真快。 我已經在這兒(ithaca, ny)快兩個月了！我們開學兩個禮拜了。 感覺又滿足， 又有一點overwhelmed(中文怎麼說？）我感覺像我們該學太多東西了！了解用藥草不只包跨了解藥草的用處， 也需要了解：

- 人體：結構，不同病

- 診所：怎麼問病人好問題，怎麼做好的治療師

- 植物：化學品質，怎麼種藥草， 怎麼在野外認識藥草， 怎麼採不同的草藥， 怎麼把植物變成藥

- 人體和草藥： 什麼琴狂改用什麼植物， 植物和身體殘生什麼反應

雖然我老師7song用草藥治療病人， 但他很注重西醫的看法和治療方式。我們在學很多西醫看人體和治療人體的方式， 但用草藥。 我最喜歡星期四。 我們每個星期四都在診所裡看病人。 我們看每個病人半小時。 大部分都在跟病人聊天。 7song老師的診斷方式就是問病人很多問題來了解他們的病況， 生活習慣， 等。聽完病人故事之後， 7song會給他們開藥： 藥酒， 草藥茶， 等。 

我給你們看看一些照片。。。我家附近的美妙奇景！ 我終於完全搬進我的小木屋。有一天早上在我 家門口， 看到這隻烏龜。 小野狼們也是我的鄰居！有一隻媽媽野狼住在那兒， 陪著大的五隻小狼寶寶！最後一張照片是我在森林摘的野蘑菇。好好吃哦！

學校很忙。 我們一個禮拜上課三天， 有一天我們去診所， 然後別的時間我們三個小徒弟在幫7song老師整理教室， 種田， 做藥， 等等。大部分的時間， 我沒空給自己時間。 好不容易每天早上還繼續練瑜伽或是自發功，盡量吃好食物， 和冒險去探索和研究我附近的森林和朋友們。 我上個禮拜開始在附近教瑜伽。第一堂課只要一個學生！很好玩。 希望像在印度一樣， 每一堂課在多一個學生， 慢慢的長， 就好了。 上禮拜， 也交了新朋友。我在漸漸認識周圍的人和活動。我們五個女人（都是藥草同伴們）和一個男人鄰居都擠在一起在一部車。我們去contradance,傳統美國東北部的團舞---好好玩哦！！！我笑得嘴巴和不容；三天之後， 臉(怎麼說cheekbones are sore?) 都還是笑疼了！ 哈哈， 好開心哦。 

我也愛晚上聽貓頭鷹和野狼的叫聲， 傍晚從老師家騎腳踏車下坡回我的家， 和烤火。 我們天氣還算是很冷。 我晚上睡在三個睡袋當中！白天還在穿毛衣！

我現在坐在小溪旁邊打字， 鳥兒叫聲在旁邊，松鼠在跳， 和鄰居們種蘑菇在小溪對面。整個天空都是灰灰的。 晚上應該會下雨。 

親朋好友們， 祝你們平安幸福開心！

love, 基玲

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 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

Ayurvedic Doshas

There are as many different ways to treat people, as there as so many different ways to diagnose people. That's partially because we have 7.2 trillion people on this planet, and human cultures of treating and diagnosing disease go back thousands of years. With so many different people and different cultures, of course our bodies are all different. But, we can generalize our bodies and temperaments somewhat, into different body types, or constitutions. 

Ayurveda is traditional Indian medicine (from India). 7song likes to use the Ayurvedic way of generalizing human constitutions, known as the "doshas," to help with diagnosing and treating people. People rarely perfectly fit into a pre-boxed categorization of their personality or body type, but these generalizations are helpful for understanding and treating people and conditions. 

There are three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. Vata people tend to have more air and fire energy. Pitta people have the most fire energy. Kapha people tend to be more Earthy and watery. Besides being purely vata, pitta, or kapha, we can also be a mix, such as vata-pitta, kapha-vata, etc. Some people are all three doshas together as well, but that's rare. 

We just talked about doshas in class last week with 7song, so most of the info here comes from that class, though I will try to put it into my own words. 7song greatly dramatized his explanation of the doshas, making it highly enjoyable to learn, and just a bit easier to understand. Most of the qualities of the doshas revolve around negative aspects, since having doshas means being out of balance. Thus is the human condition: being out of balance. And what is health? Homeostasis. Being in balance. What is healthcare? Helping to restore homeostasis, or balance. Yoga means "yuj," or yoke. Yoga is having control over homeostasis, being sovereign over my body-mind-spirit state of balance. 

We are born as a certain type of dosha, and we will live our lives and then die as that dosha. Our dosha is unchangeable (this information comes from 7song and I question this part about having unchanging doshas for life- but so far in my life, that has been the case. From observing my childhood friends, this holds true as well. But I think some would argue that we can change our body type. I wonder.) I like what 7song says about this, "Be the best dosha you can be." This basically means that if you are born as a pitta person, then rock out your pitta self, and be the best pitta you can be. Every shadow comes with a gift. Our tendencies toward imbalances also gift us with other tendencies that can balance out ourselves and our communities in other ways. So, be the best dosha you can be! Our goal is to become healthy in whatever dosha we are, not to strive towards something that we are not. 

Now, for the three main doshas... 

VATA

I think of vata people as bird-like and airy. The wind blows around uncontrollably. Likewise, vata people tend towards uncontrollable, unpredicatable, and perhaps random or spontaneous activity and thought processes. Vata people may have sporadic diets. Snacking throughout the day is better for vata people, rather than eating large meals. Vata people are usually thin-framed, with high metabolism. It is best for vata people to eat more oily and nourishing foods, as they are more prone to having nutrient deficiences, dry skin, and general lack of grounding in body and mind. Vata peoples' thoughts are also more airy, having difficulty focusing on one thought, their thoughts are blown about like the wind. This also lends to greater creativity, though difficulty in pulling through with projects. 

PITTA

I think of pitta people as flaming arrows. Passionate and directed, pitta people know where they are going, and their fiery qualities can manifest as strong emotions, easy anger, focused minds, need for control, and strong charisma. Pitta type bodies are in between the two extremes of vata-thin and kapha-large. Quoting the three little bears, "juuust right." Pitta people tend to have good metabolic fire, strong personalities, and great organization. Pitta people oftentimes push themselves too hard and forget to relax. If they get sick, then it is because they ignore their health issues until the last minutes. Pitta people can be intense, judgmental, critical, and with strong forward momentum. 

KAPHA 

I think of kaphic people as cow-like: more slow, steady, Earthy, gentle, and strong. Kapha people tend to be the most compassionate of all the doshas. Their voices are deeper and bodies are larger, with tendencies towards obesity and over-eating. Kapha people enjoy indulgence, and their bodies tend toward sluggishness. Kapha people need to have good exercise and eat moderate quantities. Kaphic people tend to be more emotionally stable and content, but when off balance, can tend towards depression and desire to do nothing. It's good for kapha people to fast once in a while, bathe frequently (their bodies tend to be more oily), and be with community. Kapha people won't tip the status quo, but are steadfast, dependable, and somewhat predictable, enjoying regularity and comfort. 

... So, what's your dosha? :) 

Please provide me any feedback or questions on this essay: such as what qualities you are interested in comparing between the doshas, what I didn't address sufficiently, etc. I would like to learn more about how doshic understanding ties into clinical diagnoses and treatment- and am interested in your ideas and experiences. I am also interested in diverse means of diagnoses, having only been exposed to American, Chinese, Indian, and energetic diagnostics. If you have any further info, please do share. Thanks for reading! 

(about the photo: these are morel mushrooms that I found near my home in Ithaca, NY. They are delicious! They are all the same genus and species of mushrooms, but see how diverse they are! It is like us: we are all homo sapiens genus and species so we are all similar and basically the same thing... but also so individual and unique! May you honor your own unique nature and general dosha- and be the healthiest and best of yourself that you can be!) 

--

 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

Earth Sky Yoga

Earth Sky Yoga 

Thursdays 10-11:30 AM 

at the Foundation of Light (397 Turkey Hill Road)

with Jiling (626-344-9140 / linjiling@gmail.com) 

(everyone welcome; beginner - intermediate Hatha yoga; $5 suggested donation)

Breathe deep, feel full. Empty bowl, surrender. Wild body, made of Earth. Flowing breath, remember. 

Earth below, Sky above. Welcome here, NOW. Root down, rise up! Between Earth and Sky, Center. 

--

 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

in retrospect

I filled up my computer with photos, music, and more from constant travels. So, today I am finally cleaning out my computer: storing old stuff into my external hard-drive (I will need to buy a new one soon to back this one up, just in case). I looked through some old photos. (this hard-drive has my photos all the way from 2008, and even my photojournalist portfolio from 2006!), and I feel amazed that I am still alive in some ways. I have been through all kinds of crazy adventures, learned so many things, met so many people. Really, it's beyond words. Looking through these photos makes me wish I could look through the mental archives of my elders. I would love to look thru the memories of my grandparents, my parents, even my sister (she has traveled almost as much as I have, just in a completely different style). I would love to look through the mental archives of my teacher 7song, and all my elders: Tamarack, Lety, Bill, Lucy... Where have you been? WHO have you been? What events in your life sculpted you into who you are, today? What beauty, what pain? Share with me your stories of greatest joy, greatest humor. And then, all the mundane normalcy in between. All the days that blend together. Tell me about those too. 

I ate dinner tonight sitting on my doorstep overlooking the forest, crows cawing overhead (a "murder" of crows!), and I cawed back to them, laughing as they flew back to circle over my head, over my cabin, over the trees, a murder of crows, a bundle of mysteries, about as mysterious, sacred, and beautiful as anything I could ever imagine flying through the lives of all the people I love, and all the strangers and acquaintances I meet, all the plants and stones and trees too... There's an old tree next to where the farmer's market takes place every Saturday. I asked my neighbor Wade how old he thought the tree was. "Well," he replied, "probably 300 years old or so..." I imagine what this forest looked like 300 years ago, before white colonists came in, with Native Americans running through the landscape, old growth forests, no farmer's market, no cars, no computers... I imagine lush forests teeming with animals and diverse plant life...

I delight in the sound of the crows in the nearby trees, the wind blowing through the leaves. My eyes widen into owl eye vision, taking in all the forest, soft green young leaves blowing gently on the trees, dead brown leaves softly trembling on the ground from the wind whistling through my grove. I named my forest that I am living in (Noah's land)- I named this forest "Ling Lin," (靈林) which translates as "Spirit Forest." After a full day of work and over a week of daily work, I start to zone out on the fluttering green and brown leaves, until a sharp crow call brings me back into the present moment. I think of all the moments fleeting and flying, how quickly time flies by, how the days seem to blur together... 

One day, I will look back on photos from this spring to summer time in my cold little sweet and sacred cabin with all the frog songs, owl hoots, coyote scat, and crow calls, and I will miss it. I will think back to my time with Nishaan and 7song and all the other students, clients, and local friends turned into family, and I will smile, and I will reminesce, and I will have so many stories for all my future students of all ages and friends of all backgrounds, but no words or photos or videos can ever fully recapture the preciousness of this very really present moment: back to sitting in the woods alone yet surrounded by and woven completely into Life. 

Precious Life. I hope to live it so fully, and learn so much, and be filled to the brim with good Medicine to share, and share, and share--- and receive again, in full, and share and be filled, and share and be filled... 

The tadpoles grow larger everyday. I watch them swimming around during class break, admiring the swish of their tails, the roundness of their bellies. I wonder what they eat. 

The dandelions have already gone to seed. I like to blow their fluff around and make wishes that I trust will come true, as much as I am willing to work hard to make them happen. 

The garlic mustards are still in flower, and in seed, and young garlic mustards have already sprung up around the first garlic mustard plants of spring, now entering into summer already! Soon, they will take over the whole garden, if I don't eat them all, first! 

Today, I watched an orange newt come lazily crawling out from under the dry soil of my unwatered garden bed. He/she sauntered over to another hole in the earth, and then eased him/herself back into the Earth again. I wonder where he/she lives. 

The moon is getting fuller again. I enjoy watching her through the trees every night. My window is perfectly positioned to catch her glow as I fall asleep at night. 

In the mornings, I revel when I see the glow of the sun, and jump out of bed, twisting and dancing. When it is cold and my breath blows white frost into the air, I curl deeper into my pile of three sleeping bags, making loud "ahhh's" into the soft echos of my little hut, delighted to be sleeping alone again, yet also missing the warmth of another human body cuddled into my own. 

I love biking into and out of the forest, Dragon (my bike)'s wheels jumping up with every protruding root from the Earth, making my breath jump into the throat, and forcing a smile that turns into a laugh up from my unbalanced feet into my open mouth, a loud "HA!" that makes the squirrels jump down out of their warm nests in surprise. 

Beautiful Life. 

Precious, precious. 

I look back onto Taiwan photos and that world feels so surreal and far away. I have already seen Efan and Shulin who I saw in Taiwan. Soon, I will see Amie again, and Larry too- here in the USA. Worlds falling apart, and coming together again. I keep reminding myself, "I carry Taiwan and my 2.5 years of Asia travels with me. It's across the globe, but it's here inside of me too. I carry this with me." Teaching yoga and practicing Thai massage after so long of no practice after wrist surgery, I question my confidence, my practices, my knowing. I know nothing. The more I learn, the more I understand just how little I really know. The more I desire to learn. The less I feel I know. Empty bowl, full bowl. Full moon, new moon. 

Cycles upon cycles. 

--

 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

herbal medicine clinic- notes

I want to share what I am learning in herbal classes and clinics, and create discussion around these topics, to further our understanding of healthcare and herbal medicine. Please message me with any feedback, questions, or thoughts that arise after reading this, and future posts! Thank you. 

My goal is to write something related to clinical, botanical, or medicinal knowledge/ learnings/ observations on a weekly basis. Below are some herbal medicine clinic notes from working with 7song at the Ithaca Free Clinic, and listening in classes with 7song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. I am greatly enjoying my learning here, and excited to share with you, my larger community: 

How to be an Herbal Clinican... some initial notes:

- Start noticing and observing the patient as soon as they walk in. Note posture, general energy, small details in where they carry tension in their body, their eye contact when they say hello, quality of voice, what they address, etc. 

- Think fast and talk with a calm yet commanding voice. Establish rapport and give feeling of confidence. 

- Know how to gracefully cut people off in their stories. People will often talk for too long about their health-related (or even non-related) stories. As we have limited time with each patient, we must be judicious with our time management, and know what questions to selectively ask, and what stories to listen to. 

- "How can I help this person?" is the first question to ask, instead of "What herbs fit this situation?" 

- Ask, "What are your symptoms?" And then, we can explore what is the root cause of the symptoms (instead of treating the symptoms), and work towards rooting out the the root. Get specific. Is this an acute or chronic disease? 

- For patient compliance, keep the medicine simple: down to 2-3 medicines to take. 

- We're healthcare workers first, and herbalists second. As herbalists, we must know when to refer patients to other practitioners, and not be hard-headed about treating ONLY with herbs. Modern medicine lacks attention to individuality; herbal medicine offers other choices. Holistic medicine looks at the person as a whole being, and treats it as such. I enjoy seeing when people come to us because nothing else has worked... and herbal medicine is working, if only a little, sometimes a lot. I also saw this in the Chinese medicine clinic in Taiwan. I am sure that all clinics see this: Western medicine cannot successfully treat whatever disease/symptoms the person is undergoing so they try something different: "alternative"/ "traditional" medicines. And then, sometimes, in the best cases, it works. In other cases, it offers something new to try. This may give a feeling of hope. Or, this may give a feeling of further frustration/stress when it doesn't work. Either way, it's another choice.

- Herbal clinic work is first being a great listener and asking great questions, and secondly knowing how to treat with plant medicine, or refer to other practitioners. 

- Offer workable lifestyle change suggestions, such as dietary changes, exercise, and changing the living environment, if possible. These can contribute more to longterm relief than medicines. Preventative medicine, first!

- Patients sometimes come in not really understanding what's going on this their own bodies, or not understanding some elses' diagnoses of their symptoms. Know how to explain things in a simple and understandable manner, while understanding the complex language with big words, of western medicine. 

- Facial expressions, projecting emotions, and offering comfort or sympathy: be emotionally present for a patient, but don't belittle them with sad faces or sounds of "awww," as that may make the person feel like you don't know how to help them. Instead, keep a straight face, collect objective information, and offer helpful solutions. 

- Stress contributes a lot to health problems. Lack of sleep can trigger many problems as well. Deep breathing and relaxation can go a long ways toward general health (hooray, yoga!) 

(Photos: a nest I found in the woods near my home, and some young thistles' basal rosette. I offer this circular imagery. as it reminds me of the imagery of the spiral, or of the snake eating its own tail: the Circle of Life. I feel like this Circle imagery is a good representation of healthcare, and life in general. Life is a circle. We are born, we get sick, we die. And a lot happens in between the book-ends of life and death, but this is the basic circle. Good healthcare helps make this circle round and smooth, making life transitions smoother, and the bumps along the way more comfortable and manageable. And preventative medicine is like building a solid nest, a strong bodily foundation, from which to springboard strong healthy vibrant human beings!) 

--

 ~~~~~~~
  Jiling . 林基玲 

  . wild . creative . spirit 

  www.JazArt.blogspot.com 

  626.344.9140 / skype: Lin.JiLing

full moon. women, gather!

dear women of my life, 

i started writing this letter just for the ladies close by in new england that i've seen recently, then realized i wanted to share with my greater community of women as well! 

just got back from a full moon gathering at the "foundation of light," a beautiful community that i just discovered thru a series of perfect "coincidences" (there are no coincidences)... and they're only 4 miles from my home 

before coming to ithaca, i was hoping to find a women's circle, and prepared to create one if i couldn't find one. i asked around all over the place, and couldn't find anything. this morning, i finally emailed this new interesting organization... and was surprised and delighted to find out (i am so blessed) that there was a women's circle here in ithaca... occurring this evening! perfect

ask for what you want

send it out into the Universe

let it go

and it will come 

we give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way... 

tonight, beautiful women 

clear skies 

big full moon 

sacred ceremony 

gorgeous voices lifted up in counterbalanced tones and songs

wild laughter

bare feet 

toe to toe

arm in arm 

new friends

sacred circle 

sacred women 

so 

grateful 

and now, for moon water!

lucy taught me moon water a long time ago... :) (love you lucy mama) 

i was reminded of my moon water ritual by a student i used to live with, who said to me, "jaz jaz jaz! you remember when you used to live at our house, and one full moon night, you woke us up at midnight to sing and dance and drum around the jar of moon water you were infusing behind the house?" i could only laugh, encourage the student to keep the tradition going, and give heartfelt gratitude for all the beautiful women in my life, gratitude for that big round moon that we cycle our blood and days around, and gratitude for all the magic that women have passed down, generation after generation, down to my generation... to pass down yet again! 

much love to you all, on this big belly sacred full round circle women moon spring blessing

big hugs

and a howl

jiling 

滿月, 寫信

i plan to write my chinese friends and family once a month (every full moon) to keep up my chinese skills (i would like to improve my chinese)- here's my first letter back to that home... and they will continue once a month. as an english speaker, you can ignore these letters or just admire the beauty of the elegant chinese pictographs :) 

--- 

家人好！

基玲已經回美國一個半月了！時間過得真快！ 

我要盡量一個月給你們寫一次信， 盡量練習寫中文。 

回了美國， 好開心哦！天天拜訪老朋友。 在加州， 看到大學同學， 還有跟我一起長大的朋友。 我和媽媽去joshua tree 沙漠露營一個禮拜。我很愛這個沙漠。 我回來時間剛好， 走到哪兒都是春天， 下雨， 開花， 新鮮空氣。 好爽！ 

回美國東北部， 來connecticut州拜訪這兒的老朋友。 好冷哦。地上都還是雪。我現在住在紐約州的ithaca小村在城外。 這兒好美哦。 都是樹， 又有水。 我住離老師家只有1 mile 距離。 走路過去只要十分鐘。 這兒有很多小鹿， 多彩多姿的花草樹木和鳥。 真的好美。 我住在一個老屋子。 天氣更好了， 我就要搬進森林小木屋。 

昨天晚上， 是滿月。 好美哦。 肥肥胖胖的滿月把森林和草坪都用光包起來， 雲快快飄飄的飛過去。 打雷， 大雨。 今天早上， 太陽普照。 我要去尋找春天的新花苞。 明天， 我們正式開始工作， 開始種花， 開始變得很慢！ 我今天要享受最後一天的自由！哈哈。

我打算每個滿月寫信過來∼ 如果沒寫， 請提醒我！ 

祝福你春天開花， 天天開心！

love,  基玲

--
 ~~~~~~~
    Jiling . 林基玲 

    . wild . creative . spirit .
    www.JazArt.blogspot.com
    skype: Lin.JiLing
    usa: 626.344.9140

hitchhiking from newtown, ct to ithaca, ny

after a full day of thumbing on the roadside squinting into the sun to look into the eyes of hundreds of drivers in cars rolling by, basking in stories-connection-humanity of five drivers with rich lives and diverse backgrounds, and talking my throat into now-common soreness, i am now delighted and grateful to sit with romantic candlelight, steaming chai tea, warm blanket, rooftop rainsong, and my own quiet self at the end of the day, from one home back to another, happily hitchhiked and safe and home home home 

internally 

home 

i wanted to write and share about my journey today, because i realize that i have hitchhiked so much. and often, i get asked the same questions: "are you safe?" and "have you ever been unsafe?" 

today was a good reflection of the good days 

and a solid reminder of the goodness of humanity 

"don't hitchhike," chided my friend's father, "you'll get killed." 

words like these send a cold numbing chill down my spine. 

"how have you remained safe?" spurs on my go-to answer of, "intuition." 

trusting my inner knowing. 

i am safe because i listen to my intuition, i send out and receive back good energy, and my body language says, "respect me. because i respect myself."

i have never turned down a ride, but i have once asked to be dropped off early. 

nobody has ever harmed me while hitchhiking, though i have felt uncomfortable with drunk drivers driving too fast, and should have listened to my instincts and just not gotten into those drunk drivers' cars in the first place. 

but mostly, i have met so many different beautiful people from all walks of life through hitchhiking, gotten where i needed to go, and had my faith in humanity renewed time and again, 

like today 

no big dreamy ideals for today 

i just wanted to beat the greyhound 

it takes the greyhound bus 8 hours to get from new haven, ct to ithaca, ny

it is only a 250 mile journey, which takes 4 hours to drive by personal car

greyhound takes such a long time because the usa, one of the supposed richest countries in the world, has a practically inexistant public transportation system. to get to ithaca from new haven, i'd have to catch the greyhound down into new york city, wait for 2 hours, and then get a ride up to ithaca. 

i looked at the map

decided that i didn't want to go into nyc

and vowed to beat the greyhound 

i would hitchhike my way back up to ithaca 

what a long, beautiful, heart-opening, exhaustingly delicious day 

thank you to the hitchhiking gods for protecting and making speedy today's sacred journey

and big thanks to all the beautiful people sent my way today 

and that's what i want to write about:

the people 

the people who picked me up 

people who pick up hitchhikers in general

and just, 

people 

everyday, most people in the usa drive somewhere 

we pass by hundreds of people in cars without engaging in eye contact 

we are within arm's length of each other but never reach out to touch, or even shout over raucous hello's at stop signs 

i was driving with my elder bill, during his weekly bread delivery of day-old bread that would otherwise be trash, to his friends and people in need who could do with some extra bread, but mostly- extra cheer 

we noticed an interesting license plate on the car in front of us, from vermont 

we bantered and debated over the meaning of the obscure yet fascinating license plate 

at the stoplight, to my delight and surprise, bill rolled down my window and gestured at the mystery driver next to us to do the same 

he obliged, and bill yells over, "hey! what does your license plate mean?" 

turns out it's the name of his farm, a beautiful name, and we all smile, engage in eye contact, 

and we drive off 

the world is a better place 

hearts have been opened just a little bit more 

one 

small 

act

one

small 

question

one 

big 

shout! 

and today,

two thumbs 

first ride of today is pictured here, justin. he is earth; i am sky. we dated each other before i moved to asia for 2.5 years, and it's great to see each other and reconnect again. he's the reason that i lived in ct for a whole year, struggling and celebrating my way through the longest i've-been-in-one-place home since i started traveling (7 years of travel, 1 year in ct). as i return to ct, i see that i am still in love with all my community here, and wonder about this question of "home," again. sacred questions.

justin drops me off at a newtown exit, and i wait about 5 minutes before a man in an office suit and shiny new small red car pulls over. i am too delighted to be surprised. he drives me to danbury, the next large town over, the town we coined "dangerbury" and i hoped not to have to hitchhike though. this man is a truck salesman with a daughter who just graduated from college and started her first job in corporate america, doing women's rights work for a nonprofit, after a year of job-searching post-graduation, and creating a life for herself in oakland, struggling with a job she doesn't like but needs- and her dad is proud of her. i think i remind him of his daughter, which is why he picked me up. he never told me that, but looked kindly into my face, "be safe, okay?" 

todd pulls over in a clunky dark red car, the kind of clunky car i'm used to climbing into as a hitchhiker. his voice and energy reminds me of my high school art teacher, mr burgan, which puts me at ease: he's an artist. he works with wood, making timberframe construction, and is passionate about beauty married to functionality. "i love my job!" he proclaims, and i howl with joy, as we rattle down the interstate at 60 miles an hour, passing exit after exit. he forgets where he is going as we talk about everything from deer beds to art school. i quickly fall in love with this brother who is following his heart, living his dream, working hard, and loving all of it. he is living with presence, and i appreciate that. "i've traveled across the usa 3 times now," says todd, "and now, i'm back." he's a native ct man. "wherever you go, there you are," he says. i mull over his words, savoring stories from a fellow traveler, now grounded back in his motherland, while i still float over the road, coming closer to grounding, still uncertain of what earth tastes and feels like, but eager to try. todd quotes pete seiger, "just find a good place, and dig in!" he acknowledges that life has been difficult, following his heart and doing work as a traditional craftsman, "but it's so worth it. i love my job. i love my life." i think of justin, struggling along financially yet soaring in all other ways, following his heart, working so hard, making his life uniquely his own. i think of my own life with all its twists and turns and invisible bends that topple everything that came before. i think of the lives of my parents who came to this country knowing nothing and no one, then got stable jobs, committed relationships, and have walked down their career paths with one foot right in front of another. joy is what you make of it. and i am accept this dance. 

todd drives me all the way to new paltz. our rich conversation decreases the distance, and i jump out- jerry picks me up next, and drives me a few exits down to newburgh (new york, now!) where he lives- he's originally from down south, but is now a newburgh landscaper who "does everything" for his job. he talks with a strong southern drawl, eyes crinkly from smiling, skin browned from long days in the sun, and large strong hands that open the door for me, help me with my bag, and gesture widely as he speaks, deep vocal tones like milk chocolate. "my nickname is nightcrawler," he says, "they also call me old gizzard... what's your nickname?" "crow," i answer, "my wilderness school students call me crow." he takes me to the bus station to inquire about tickets and rides for the future, agrees with me that public transport in the usa is strongly lacking, and drops me off on the off-ramp where, before i can even get my pack on my back again, i am thumbing at the first car that passes by, and it actually--- this time, i am very surprised--- it stops! 

i didn't even have to wait for this ride, and this ride is gorgeous: a shiny new luxurious jeep with black leather seats, the smell of cigarettes, and a stylish blonde woman my mother's age with a name tag labelled HOSPICE and her name, helen, underneath. what a lucky day. my elder bill was one of the first people to do hospice work in the usa, and i hope to one day do this work, as well. i am fascinated by birth, life, sickness, death, and healing: for this is life. in all its richness, gross rawness, and plain majesty. this is life. helen takes me to her office to refill my waterbottle and go pee. she introduces me to her fellow workers as, "you won't believe this new friend that i just met. i picked her up off the side of the road." and they really didn't believe her. she has three children (always end up learning about peoples' children, in great detail, and to my fascination- i wonder how my parents talk about me?) helen's children are: skydiver, tattoo artist, Ph.D student. she explains that she has always told them to follow their heart, and that the most important thing in life is to "respect yourself." "because," helen adds, "if you can't respect yourself, then you can't respect anyone else, either." i ask her if she ever worries about her skydiving son. "well, he said to me, 'mom, you always taught us to follow our hearts, and do what gives us the greatest joy. if i ever died falling out of the sky skydiving, then i would die with my heart singing and joyful.'"

helen drops me off at the road i need to change onto, 17. i give her a huge hug, and am back on the road again, chill wind blowing, warm sun on my face. it's an intersection with few cars, right next to a hotel, and police sirens screaming around (mystery emergency). i guzzle down my lunch, weaving my thumbs through the air enticingly at passing cars. no bites for a full half hour. feeling tired, getting ready to listen to some ingwe stories to rejuvenate myself when, KSSSHHHH a big black SUV parks a few feet past where i am standing, doing my thumb dance. today is a lucky day indeed. his name is john. he's driving a long ways. he doesn't mind passing through ithaca. hell, he could even just stick my address on his gps and we could go straight there. we do that. 

john is my final ride of the day. he has a furry head with hair that runs down his neck all spikey, and i can imagine it continues jogging down his back all the way down to his feet. he sits solid and earthy in his seat, with solid arms that could wrestle a bear, and a big full laugh that fills the SUV with merriment. turns out he's an army veteran, and is now working with fiber optics. he drives around often as part of his work, and is also familiar with travel. "but my greatest passion in life is fishing," he says, eyes lighting up. we jump straight into deep water, as i plumb him for war stories. the reality of these tales move me to tears: war is ugly. death is real. most soldiers are young. they are fighting for some unseen political figure that hasn't grown up and is moving around these human beings as if they are faceless chess-piece killing-machines, playing legos with bodies and artillery. it disgusts me. i cried as john relays the story of how he pulled a friend out of landmine right after the landmine blasted off both his friend's legs. "did he make it?" i ask, knowing the answer. "no," john replies, "and his bright demeanor dims, just for a moment, "he died within 15 seconds, in my arms. and he wasn't the only one." i weep. "i have held dying people in my arms. i have killed." this is so real. "i have been so close to death that it makes me more appreciative of life." we have only one life to live and it is so precious, so transient. we start discussing spirituality and our belief systems. john is hurt. he hates wars now. i can't understand them either. i ask him his solution to war, what's the best way to resolve issues between countries? "easy," he responds, "just put the political leaders in a fighting ring, and let them have at it." i like this idea! if only it were that easy. how does killing, maiming, hurting, destroying solve any problems? it only makes them worse. john doesn't have a solid religious belief. it sounds like he is constantly questioning and reexamining many things. he reflect my question back to me, regarding spiritual orientation. "i don't follow any particular faith," i answer, "but i adore nature." this sparks a delighted flurry of fresh stories from john, who bangs the steering wheel and shouts, "yes! yes! yes! i find God in Nature, too!" he relates a powerful story of being in his small boat, pulling in a stranger's much larger boat in to shore through a massive storm. he reflects on how alive he felt in that moment, and how he felt close to death too. "you're a hero," i say. he says that makes him feel embarrassed  "well, you are," i say, "you did something that nobody else would do. so own it. you're a hero." he has a plate in my hand with multiple pins, like me. we discuss accidents, and i ask him for the story of his wrist. for the first time, he visibly grimaces. "i don't like this story," he says. "i saw my friend stepping onto a landmine, so i pushed him off of it..." he trails off. "...and it blows up on you, instead," i finish for him. his hand was blown to pieces by the landmine. "the worst part of war that you never hear about or see in the movies is the smell. it smells like burnt plastic, burning metal, roasting flesh, dangerous chemicals, and worse." 

today, i hitchhiked with a medium-aged practical truck salesman, a young timberframe construction worker/artist filled with heart and reality, an older landscape designer/gardener with a wicked twinkle and strong accent, a hospice nurse/ mother/ healing-hands practitioner middle-aged woman filled with love for the world and belief in goodness, and a veteran of many wars/ fisherman/fiber optics technician who many people talk with on the streets because of his warm smile

today, i renewed my faith in humanity by dipping into the stories and lives of five love-giving, life-affirming, car-sharing humans

i am so grateful 

and now, 

tea time

yin yoga slow practice

and then 

sleep

this is life 

so sweet

yet bitter

sharp yet smooth

just the way i love it

dark chocolate 

this is life

--
 ~~~~~~~
    Jiling . 林基玲 

    . wild . creative . spirit .
    www.JazArt.blogspot.com
    skype: Lin.JiLing
    usa: 626.344.9140

teaching English in Taiwan

here's the go-to website for finding English teaching gigs and relevant info about Taiwan for foreigners

http://tealit.com/

some Facebook resources for Taipei, Taiwan below...

great for finding English-teaching jobs 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaiwanTeachingJobs/

great for finding substitute-teaching jobs

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7582330765/

a potentially good job-search site 

https://www.facebook.com/asianconsultants

asia retrospection

a seven hour bus ride passes in a flash as i organize music and photos
accumulated from my last few months in taiwan
as i realize i am preparing to leave, suddenly everything becomes
absolutely precious, and life accelerates
i haven't fully engaged in my daily practices ever since i bought my
ticket to return to the usa
life has felt nonstop since then
i don't regret any of it
i am grateful for all the movement and excitement, and all the beauty
of my myriad friendships
and i am ready for a week of rest- most likely i will be running
around getting adjusted to my new home (where in ithaca?), and then
breathing deeply thru some quiet peaceful solitary moments before the
new storm
storm of information, new community, new landscapes, new experiences
passing through new york city, i remembered taipei- the largest city
in taiwan, the capitol city of taiwan, my home base for the past 2.5
years in asia
"i thought you wouldn't come back," said brenda, "you sounded happy there."
watching the city people speed walking around, i remember the city
noises, smells, and bustle
the feeling of home, settledness, and community that i experienced by
the end of my time in taipei feels similar to the community feel that
i weave around myself in an eco-village, or any other community
it's not the city or the country
it's what i choose
looking through all these photos and listening to various sound recordings,
i feel glad to have returned to the usa
the question keeps returning:
why
why did i leave
why did i return
what did i learn
what did i bring back with me
what lessons am i continuing to learn
how have i changed
how have i remained the same
and what now
in many ways, i feel like i have taken a long break
and now i am resuming my life where i left off
i came back to ct, back to my family here
and in ma too
though i haven't visited vt yet, i know i have family there too
and now for new family in ny
i was contemplating herb school even before leaving usa
and now time for this
and all the learnings of 2.5 years of asia travel will more greatly
inform my life choices
i feel more "mature" and strong and grounded
i also feel older
2.5 years have taken their toll on my bones: i no longer jump off
walls and take off running
i carefully crawl down
i still feel scared to confront uncomfortable issues
but i am more honest now
i feel a nagging sense of exhaustion
is it over fatigue from travel
or just unintegrated experiences weighing on me and erupting yawn
after yawn from my mawing mouth?
"you seem stronger," says kari. i feel it
i feel a mountain rising within me
how to integrate?
keep writing chinese letters back to taiwan friends
practice writing chinese articles regarding the herbal medicine i am
learning here
stay connected with my blood and other family in taiwan
teach yoga
stay strong in my personal practices of yoga, pranayama, zifagong
give massages
practice acupuncture point location via acupressure and meridian
scraping and moxibustion on myself and others
chop wood, carry water
in taiwan, chop wood, carry water
in usa, chop wood, carry water
everywhere, same same.
but different.

some powerful/beautiful/life-changing life-affirming heart-opening
moments over the past 2.5 years of asia travel:

- 3 months taiwan -
- birthday camping in wulai mountains with uncle, watching shiny
silver fish swimming from high on cliff, jumping into ice cold waters
and screaming in delight at beauty of frigid emerald green pure
taiwanese deep mountain rivers
- celebrating chinese new year with family
- watching new years fireworks from rooftop, 13th floor
- visiting tayal tribal folks with taymu watan in wulai mountains

- 3 months china -
- practicing yoga on shenzhen rooftop in morning silent stillness
- dancing with hundreds of people in park with kendal and laughing
uncontrollably
- folk dancing with frederik late night in park
- biking through endless muddy paddy fields with indier staff, pre-students
- my last group of students, just watching their bright faces and
listening to their stories on train ride home, all in same cabin,
laughing and sharing

- 3 months thailand -
- reconnection with old college friend sab in bangkok, near river
filled with floating lilies
- studying massage with guy and muay, biking into and around chiang
mai, daily massages
- permaculture studies at tacomepai with sandot, tadam, damien, and
family in the edible jungle garden where you throw out mango seed
after eating mango and after a few days, mango grows
- morning hot spring motorbike visits with damien
- swinging machete thru forest, making bamboo baskets and ties with
mountain folk, warming fires, bright green snakes, bamboo rice, native
lifeway
- wet, cold, weak, hungry, mosquito bitten 4-day fasting in hammock in forest

- 5 months taiwan -
- finding family: tara, ah ji, ah fu ge, marina, etc
- my sit spot behind ah ji's house at river and stones (ah po tan) in
yangmingshan mountains
- spending half week in mountains, half in city
- struggles and inspiration in acupuncture class and clinic
- sacred silence after my final performance piece for teacher wu's
body-theater dance class and every amazing class, learning how to
"fly" our bodies
- sacred mountain time camping at taroko for birthday, river adventures

- 4.5 months india -
- my sit spot near river in kerala, playing flute, swimming, watching
sky and birds and reflections and bananas
- the first rain, right after training finished- dancing, celebrating,
running, singing through rain, watching river
- sharing heartsong bird story for graduation ceremony for the second
training, sacred silence after
- singing sacred songs with babu and feeling spine tingles
- laughter, comraderie, connection, delight during song sharing
circles in my room, echoes bouncing off walls
- camping in aum aumma cave above tiruvanamali, sacred silence solo,
final night group celebration/ sacred improv and bhajan music echoing
in cave
- laugher yoga with rumi and friends on big rocks late at night after
visiting sadhu's pool, back to temple
- deer park: tinkling bells, prayer flags, winds, stars, milky way,
himalayas, endless treks, waterfalls, sacred river, sunset rooftop
songs with lingjia (my best friend there and soul-brother), teaching
lamas yoga and english (i love my crazy lama students), laughing
endlessly, meditating in sacred temples, sleeping under stars, roaming
with hairy himalayan dogs, feeling so strong, healthy, happy, peaceful

- 1 month nepal -
- jumping wall out of temple to visit lingjia, share stories, laugh,
jump wall again, pretend to be a good meditator, count mosquitoes
- recovering from toe infection thru diverse medical explorations

- 1 month china -
- beautiful yunnan province and kindness of friends of friends, tea parties
- unexpected connections in shanghai, laughter yoga, yoga students
turned best friends
- river time under wudangshan, visiting daniel

- 6 months taiwan -
- deepening body-mind-spirit connection practicing 5 hours daily of
zifagong chigong (spontaneous chigong) and expanding awareness and
perception, refining my senses in monastic environment
- sharing heartsong bird story in chinese, getting audience to sing,
sacred silence afterwards, "you brought me to tears" feedback
- teaching chakra yoga and vocal opening classes- i love teaching, and students
- sharing taiwan and chigong experience with ma and sister
- wrist surgery heartbreak, struggle, and community support
- sacred connections with community all over taiwan: my zifagong
community, mountain community, dance community, and local community of
larry, marina, alex/yulia at end

this was a quick summary
that tries to condense 2.5 years of magic into a smallish collection
of experiences
looking back at my asia travels, even my most recent travels back into
california and new england...
every moment is so precious
i remember a particular experience
when i first landed at deer park institute (a converted temple) in
northern india
that night i climbed up to the top of main temple to watch sunset
on nearby building, i see one other person. he sits in the shadows,
playing guitar
wind blows over a few strands of music
and i love the ethereal improvisational tingly tangly melody
half of me is tired, shy, wary
half of me really wants to go connect
"just go," whispers my adventurous, knowing, self, "you only live once"
and so, i went
and every night afterwards we made music together on rooftop, he with
guitar, i with vocals or flute
and we became best friends and travel partners
whenever i feel too tired to adventure or too lazy to try something
new, i am reminded of this experience
and how taking a chance and saying "yes" to the unknown, infinite
possibility, slight danger of anything happening
leads to surprises that gives me cheek-aching endless ear-to-ear
smiles that radiate from heart to eyes to face and all the way out
into universe
and so, i make my leaps
saying things i wouldn't have said before this trip
looking people in the eye when i'd rather shy away
and walking out into the dark night to jump on the trampoline when
half of me would rather be sleeping
take chances
say yes
delight in each moment
on the last leg of my all-day triple-connection flight from los
angeles to new york city, i sat next to a young man from punjab area
of india
he bobbed his head and his shoulders went up and down as he enjoyed
his music on headphones, fingers tapping on legs, feet moving, entire
being engaged with the music
as we prepare to take off, he flattens his hands against his legs,
lips pursing into a "shhheeeoooo!" sound
i mimic his movements, and he looks at me and nods, smiling (no
self-consciousness whatsoever)
"this is my favorite part of flying," he says, hands dipping down
along his run-way leg and taking off into the air
tracing miracles in the air
i agree, "i love taking off... and landing too.
there's something magical about leaving the ground, and returning again."

ithaca, day 2

clouds move quickly over the sky
stars glimmer through
i know i am not alone
i am filled with ecstasy
for a moment
i feel absolutely light, interconnected, empty and full all at once
suspended between earth and sky
in between jumping between the medium-tempo-clouds above my head and
the huge bouncy black trampoline beneath my feet,
each jump like a dip between magic and magic
my body feels so light, my heart as well, my mind empty
bliss
i live a mile from 7song
we have 50 acres in our backyard that connects with other peoples'
backyards or woods
my next "free" day i will go introduce myself to all the neighbors and
invite myself into their backyard woods
and figure out how to traipse to 7song's house through the woods
i'm living in the barn, waiting out the end of winter and patiently
(yet eagerly) awaiting warmer days, so i can move out into the woods
in the meantime, i have finally unpacked a month's worth of 80 pound
luggage from taiwan to california to new york to connecticut to ithaca
lug-around-sound-like-airport-smell-like-endless-travels big blue
suitcase, medium grey backpacking pack, and small leather purse
have made myself at home and am delighted to have peace, my own space
(it's really nice), a kind landlord/neighbor/new friend, no running
water yet (frozen pipes) but functional electricity and heater (though
i still feel cold), and trampoline, treehouse (deer stand), and
abundant woods to explore and fall in love with (it has already
happened)
at 10 pm tonight i found myself full of energy and delight, and
walking under starlight and clouds to the trampoline that sits at edge
of field and forest, the magical place where so many plants thrive
jumping like a happy kid, a month of travel exhaustion leapt out of my
body as well
finally flumping down and uncontrollably laughing with joy i fall into silence
and feel my heartbeat and breath moving the nylon fabric of trampoline
as from a distance i hear and feel west wind moving through the forest
trees above my head finally tremor and sing as wind pulls thru
i nestle my body deeper into the trampoline, my shavasana (corpse
pose) solid and sticky like dehydrated mangoes- delicious, too
earlier in the day, during sunset, i jogged through the forest to get
to the western high point
treehouse (deer stand) at the highest corner of the land
small drop-off leads to a valley i haven't explored yet, can fuzzily
make out ithaca through the trees, in the distance
can barely hear sound of cars, drowned out by sound of trees rustling,
wind blowing, birds laughing
climbed up treehouse- will add rope reinforcements tomorrow. still a
little dangerous right now climbing up to eagle's eye view, 360
panorama
rainbow sunset, endless parade of naked trees preparing for spring
buds, soft golden earth below me
made a promise, asked for blessings, sacred herbs blown into wind for
this land and all listening spirits- i am here, i am yours, be mine
too
we are for each other
big gratitude
and now!
sleep
(below, in chinese- i want to keep practicing chinese. this is what
that looks like. my best try :) and, i will keep persisting!)
第二天在ithaca
好開心哦
找到了
美麗的新家
心家！
我喜歡我的師父，7song(七歌!)
他知道很多， 又愛說笑話
很有趣
我住在農夫的家
一個大屋子裡， 只住我一個人
屋子後面就是森林
我家離師父家很近
後面森林裡有小木屋
現在晚上還太冷
地上還有雪
天氣1-2個月好了之後， 我會搬到森林裡的小木屋
也有一些在高高的樹上的treehouse
在小山坡上， 風景很美
能看到整個山谷
因為現在樹還沒有葉子
夏天時， 應該看不到山谷底下了
會有太多葉子！
從樹上看太陽下山太美了
靠近馬路我們有個大草坪
因為這兒沒有樹， 看得到廣大的天空
夏天會有螢火蟲
現在晚上好冷哦
我師父家後面有個下池塘
剛剛融化
我們也有小池塘
有些還有冰塊！
晚上雖然冷， 如果沒有雲， 就看得到天空滿滿的星星
我開心極了！