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Winter Lifestyle Medicine
Hi! I’m Jiling, an acupuncturist, herbalist, and artist in coastal southern California bridging medicine and expression through my Ventura acupuncture clinic, Five Elements classes, and Elemental book-in-progress that interweaves nature, art, movement and ritual for thriving personal and ecological wild beauty. Learn more about me here, join events here, and get acupuncture here. Enjoy this month's May 2025 newsletter! Get monthly letters at Jiling.Substack.com
~
Hello friend,
Short days, long nights— it’s the darkest time of year. Embrace your bearish hibernatory need to slow down. Savor the in-between spaces, the mysteries therein.
How do you celebrate the longest night of the year? Winter Solstice arrives on December 21. Welcome the darkest darkness, the slow return of light. Here are seven Winter season practices to light up your life.
Winter Lifestyle Medicine Ideas
* Play with your dreams. Write them down, draw them out, speak them aloud. See what messages your Dream Self has for you, what patterns light up when you pay attention.
* Light candles. Let the dark— be dark. Use soft lighting, like candles, to illuminate smaller pools of light than harsh overhead lighting. Bask in Fire’s warm flickering glow.
* Practice yin or restorative yoga before bed. Gentle movement wiggles out accumulated tensions from the day. Try Legs-Up-The-Wall (viparita karini) or Reclined-Butterfly (supta badha konasana) fully supported with pillows and blankets.
* Meditate for five minutes a day, first thing in the morning. Set a timer if you want. Sit with your steaming mug of coffee, tea, or whatnot. Gentle into your breath, body, and mind.
* Make millet congee with turkey tail and other medicinal mushrooms, adaptogens like astragalus and goji, and warming spices like cinnamon and ginger.
* Stay warm. Soak your feet in hot ginger tea before bed. Drink warm soups. Sip chai tea. Wrap yourself in the warmth of beloved kin and nourishing activities.
* Scribble. Winter season is Water Element season. Tap into Water’s depth and flow with watercolor paints, breath-integrated art, and freeform imaginative creative play.
Annual Reflections
What lit you up this year? What’s coming in the new year? Here’s some sweetness from my year!
Clinic Highlights
* Seeing athletes do their sports again after long breaks from injury or pain— especially getting surfers surfing again after extended periods away from Mama Pacifica.
* Midwifing folks through pregnancy— and continuing support through postpartum and beyond!
* Meeting multiple generations of patients’ immediate and extended families.
* Seeing herbs work! I’ve seen some profound shifts with formulas for hot flashes, dysmenorrhea, stress, and more.
* When small lifestyle changes make big impact! Walking, relaxing teas, removing food triggers…
* Seeing pet photos, hearing love life updates, and living vicariously through patients’ Big Adventures. So much gratitude!
Personal Delights
* Surfing in southern Taiwan and feasting our way through northern Taiwan
* Spring desert teaching and travels
* Summer staycation: local surfing, hiking, biking and backpacking
* Hot springs backpacking trip along the California coast
* Backpacking to alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada
* Ohio writer’s residency— and completing (mostly) draft 1 of my book-in-progress (2026 publication? In the works!)
What’s Coming in 2025
* CREATIVE COACHING: I am now offering virtual coaching calls!
* FEBRUARY: Bimonthly Plant Walks with Ventura Land Trust begins— check my Events page for updates!
* MAY: Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference Elemental immersion in Wisconsin
* ADVENTURES: Surfing C-street and beyond, backpacking, bike-packing, Insight meditation retreat, Writing Residency #2 somewhere lovely!
How ‘bout you? I would love to hear some of your 2024 delights and upcoming 2025 adventures!
Here’s one of my favorite poems for seasonal transitions:
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.
— Wumen Huikai (1183 - 1260 CE), translated by Stephen Mitchell
春有百花秋有月，
夏有涼風冬有雪，
若無閒事掛心頭，
便是人間好時節。
— 無門慧開，《無門關》第十九則
May this Winter Solstice darkness be a fertile resting ground for the swirling waters of your life to settle. No mud, no lotus. I look forward to celebrating and supporting your flowering and blooming— and our collective Wild Beauty— into 2025 and beyond! Thank you for being part of my life.
❤️ May this be the best season of your life,
Jiling
Jiling Lin, L.Ac. • Acupuncturist, herbalist, artist • JilingLin.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jiling.substack.com
View all episodes
By Jiling Lin, LAcHi! I’m Jiling, an acupuncturist, herbalist, and artist in coastal southern California bridging medicine and expression through my Ventura acupuncture clinic, Five Elements classes, and Elemental book-in-progress that interweaves nature, art, movement and ritual for thriving personal and ecological wild beauty. Learn more about me here, join events here, and get acupuncture here. Enjoy this month's May 2025 newsletter! Get monthly letters at Jiling.Substack.com
~
Hello friend,
Short days, long nights— it’s the darkest time of year. Embrace your bearish hibernatory need to slow down. Savor the in-between spaces, the mysteries therein.
How do you celebrate the longest night of the year? Winter Solstice arrives on December 21. Welcome the darkest darkness, the slow return of light. Here are seven Winter season practices to light up your life.
Winter Lifestyle Medicine Ideas
* Play with your dreams. Write them down, draw them out, speak them aloud. See what messages your Dream Self has for you, what patterns light up when you pay attention.
* Light candles. Let the dark— be dark. Use soft lighting, like candles, to illuminate smaller pools of light than harsh overhead lighting. Bask in Fire’s warm flickering glow.
* Practice yin or restorative yoga before bed. Gentle movement wiggles out accumulated tensions from the day. Try Legs-Up-The-Wall (viparita karini) or Reclined-Butterfly (supta badha konasana) fully supported with pillows and blankets.
* Meditate for five minutes a day, first thing in the morning. Set a timer if you want. Sit with your steaming mug of coffee, tea, or whatnot. Gentle into your breath, body, and mind.
* Make millet congee with turkey tail and other medicinal mushrooms, adaptogens like astragalus and goji, and warming spices like cinnamon and ginger.
* Stay warm. Soak your feet in hot ginger tea before bed. Drink warm soups. Sip chai tea. Wrap yourself in the warmth of beloved kin and nourishing activities.
* Scribble. Winter season is Water Element season. Tap into Water’s depth and flow with watercolor paints, breath-integrated art, and freeform imaginative creative play.
Annual Reflections
What lit you up this year? What’s coming in the new year? Here’s some sweetness from my year!
Clinic Highlights
* Seeing athletes do their sports again after long breaks from injury or pain— especially getting surfers surfing again after extended periods away from Mama Pacifica.
* Midwifing folks through pregnancy— and continuing support through postpartum and beyond!
* Meeting multiple generations of patients’ immediate and extended families.
* Seeing herbs work! I’ve seen some profound shifts with formulas for hot flashes, dysmenorrhea, stress, and more.
* When small lifestyle changes make big impact! Walking, relaxing teas, removing food triggers…
* Seeing pet photos, hearing love life updates, and living vicariously through patients’ Big Adventures. So much gratitude!
Personal Delights
* Surfing in southern Taiwan and feasting our way through northern Taiwan
* Spring desert teaching and travels
* Summer staycation: local surfing, hiking, biking and backpacking
* Hot springs backpacking trip along the California coast
* Backpacking to alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada
* Ohio writer’s residency— and completing (mostly) draft 1 of my book-in-progress (2026 publication? In the works!)
What’s Coming in 2025
* CREATIVE COACHING: I am now offering virtual coaching calls!
* FEBRUARY: Bimonthly Plant Walks with Ventura Land Trust begins— check my Events page for updates!
* MAY: Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference Elemental immersion in Wisconsin
* ADVENTURES: Surfing C-street and beyond, backpacking, bike-packing, Insight meditation retreat, Writing Residency #2 somewhere lovely!
How ‘bout you? I would love to hear some of your 2024 delights and upcoming 2025 adventures!
Here’s one of my favorite poems for seasonal transitions:
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.
— Wumen Huikai (1183 - 1260 CE), translated by Stephen Mitchell
春有百花秋有月，
夏有涼風冬有雪，
若無閒事掛心頭，
便是人間好時節。
— 無門慧開，《無門關》第十九則
May this Winter Solstice darkness be a fertile resting ground for the swirling waters of your life to settle. No mud, no lotus. I look forward to celebrating and supporting your flowering and blooming— and our collective Wild Beauty— into 2025 and beyond! Thank you for being part of my life.
❤️ May this be the best season of your life,
Jiling
Jiling Lin, L.Ac. • Acupuncturist, herbalist, artist • JilingLin.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jiling.substack.com