1) Guru Padukas (Holy Sandals of the Master)

​According to all the traditional texts on Yoga, before a person can begin a practice of Yoga, they must receive the blessings of a realized Guru. It is the nature of the ahamkara (ego) to bind itself and to remain bound, and the nature of the realized master to stimulate awakening in the disciple. Wooden padukas are the traditional footwear of Yogis. The wood protects the feet not only from physical objects which would injure the feet, but also from all sorts of impurities and negative energies on the ground. This style of foot wear is anything but comfortable, and it requires the utmost mindfulness to constantly clutch with the toes. Having worn only wooden padukas for several years. I can attest that it is an awkward exercise in mindfulness to wear them, with injury the result for a momentary lapse of attention (especially on stairs). I was amazed to see one of my masters who is well into his 70's walking in padukas in an extremely graceful way as if he was floating. Guru padukas are the holy sandals of the Guru. They are a symbol of the master. Whenever the student sees the teacher, they rush forward to receive blessings by bowing and touching the holy feet of the teacher. Yoga understands that much energy leaves the body through the feet and that powerful energy to stimulate our process of awakening imbues the seeker who makes themselves humble before a master. When encountering the footwear of the master, the disciple will bow and seek blessings, because even the chappals are blessed by the contact with the master's holy feet. When the disciple can not be in the physical presence of the master, a small pair of padukas is kept for worship. This helps maintain mindfulness on the blessing of the Guru's grace, without which no progress wold be possible on the path of Yoga. This is why we are listing gurupadukas as the foremost prop for any yogi.

2) Kamandalu (Water Pot)

Kamandalu is a water pot, often with a handle at the top and a spout. Traditionally used by Yogis for carrying water for drinking and for offering in prayers. Many Yogis pour morning tarpana oblations to the Sun from the sacred kamandalu. Water is a must in every puja ceremony, and most rituals for purification, like punyahavachanam, rely heavily on the use of pure water. The kamandalu has become not only the symbol of a the simple, austere, self-sufficient life of a Yogi, but also a symbol of spiritual purity which comes to the Yogis who maintain an austere existence, remaining aloof from society, abstaining from material pleasures and comforts, and remaining absorbed in their quest for realization. The kamandalu has become a symbol of the Yogi's absorption in their quest for God, and of ascetic aspects of God like Shiva. The kamandalu is also a symbol of the lifegiving powers of water and of amrita (the nectar of immortality). As such, it is associated with deities who relate to water like Varuna and Saraswati.   ​

3) Yoga Danda / Japa Danda (Stick for Mantra Japam)

A Yoga Danda is a stick, usually made from wood, constructed with a support at one end, designed for use in mantra japa. The Yoga danda enables long hours of mantra repetition, counting the mantras recited with a japamala, so that the mala can be held without touching impurities on the ground. Items used in the practice of Yoga are regarded as sacred and are always treated with the utmost respect. This includes not touching them mindlessly, not moving them around hastily or carelessly, not touching them with the feet or touching them to impure objects like dirt or waste, not allowing them to touch the ground, and not allowing them to be seen casually by people who lack reverence and respect for their sacred nature. Yogis often use the Yoga danda in conjunction with a cloth to cover the japamala from drishti (a gaze from onlookers which transfers negative energy). Japa is possibly the most important of the higher practices of Yoga. It is different than affirmation, as it uses sacred Sanskrit sounds to open inner channels and to carry consciousness transcendent states of awareness. It is different also from kirtan or bhajana, where mantras are sung in musical ways, which is more of a practice of bhakti Yoga. The practices of bhakti Yoga help to instill a love of the Divine which helps later to give the aspirant the faith and courage to persist in the higher practices of Yoga. Japa is repetitive and very dull. It is a meditation.

4) Asana (Seat / Meditation Mat)

​The asana is considered an indispensable prop for traditional Yoga practice. People wrongly think that asana means various postures, but asana means to sit, or in this case a seat for sitting on for meditation and mantrajapa. The Yoga sutras of Patanjali say only "Sit in a comfortable posture" in reference to asana and does not mention a single pose. Most of the other older texts on Yoga list only a small handful of poses, which are mainly sitting poses for meditation. It was not until the 20th century when modern Indians, who were not Yogis, began to add stretching poses of modern aerobics to the practice of Yoga in an effort to make the esoteric practice of the mystics more widely applicable to the general public.

The importance of an asana, or a seat for practice is based in mystical knowledge of transfer of energy. Asanas made of certain, pure substances help to prevent the loss of spiritual energy through the legs and feet as they come in contact with the ground, and they help to create a protective barrier from negative energies which would otherwise be transferred from the ground and hinder the Yogi's meditation. Suitable substances for construction of an asana are said to be wood, cotton, wool, silk, darbha grass, or animals skins. Animal skins should be tanned from animals that have died of natural, peaceful causes, and the best are said to be from a tiger, lion, deer, or antelope. It is possible for an asana to be made of various layers of all these substances. Obviously, wool, silk, cotton, or animal hide is the easiest to travel with for wandering Yogis and therefor the most common. Wooden and dharbha asanas are more common in Temples and homes for puja ceremonies.

There are various yantras drawn on asanas along with specific mantras for purification which are used to purify and empower the asana for use. As an asana is used repeatedly for sadhana, spiritual energy builds and it helps to empower one's practice. Its use may seem excessive to novice practitioners of Yoga, but for the mystical Yogi attuned to the subtle energies around and aware of their effects on consciousness the asana is an invaluable tool to help empower the practice of Yoga.

5) Rudraksha Mala (Strands of Sacred Rudraksha Seeds)

​Rudraksha mala is worn by nearly all Yogis. Rudrakshas are the sacred seeds of the bright blue fruit of the Rudraksha tree, Elaeocarpus ganitrus, native to the foothills of the Himalayas in India and Nepal. They are very sacred to Hindus and many Buddhists for their sacred nature and effect on consciousness. Contact with rudrakshas is said to calm the mind, increase spiritual awareness, and lower blood pressure. The beads are used to make japamalas for mantra practice and kanthamalas for wearing. Wearing rudrakshas is said to have a protective energy and helps keep a person current facing their karmas. Rudrakshas open a channel to inner realms to deepen meditation and help a person to connect with the devas. Yogis wear rudrakshas at all times to aid in their practice and to help avert negative energies and keep them connected with the devas. It is said that a person who wears rudrakshas at the time of death will be benefitted to have their astral body projected to the higher astral realms and not suffer from being caught in the hellish lower astral realms after death. Rudrakshas have lines along them called mukhis or faces. Five mukhis is most common. Each mukhi rudraksha 1-12 is said by the scriptures to have specific energies and abilities relating to various Planets in Vedic astrology and capable of helping with specific problems. Some like the one mukhi rudraksha are very rare and sell for a great deal of money. Because of this, it is common to encounter fake rudrakshas. For general use, the 5 mukhi rudrkasha is best.

The Rudrakshajabala Upanishat says:

"Wearing rudraksha removes the sins committed in day and night. Seeing it produces 100 thousand benefits, and touching it produces 10 million. Wearing it produces a billion benefits, and wearing and counting mantras on the beads produces 100 billion benefits."

6) Vibhuti / Bhasma (Holy Ash)

Vibhuti or Bhasma is the sacred white ash which is very dear to yogis and sadhus. The ash, 'bhasma' is made in a proscribed method, building a fire using dried cow dung and darbha grass. Offerings are made into the fire of ghee and sesame seeds to empower the sacred ash with specific mantras. Pure white ash is then collected and powdered finely and sometimes scented for use. The sacred ash empowered in this way is known as vibhuti, or 'powerful.' Vibhuti is applied as a part of the traditional tilakam, or sectarian markings on the forehead, arms and chest of Shaivas, Shaktas and Smartas along with specific mantras, and the othodox never leave home without wearing it. If vibhuti prepared in this way is unavailable, the shastras allow the use of any ash from a sacred fire where offerings are made regularly. The vamamarga shastras also allow the use of ash from cremation grounds, and many naga and aghori sadhus use this. Vibhuti is most commonly applied in three vertical lines called, tirpundra. According to Shaiva philosophy, these lines represent the burning away of the three pashas, or 'bonds of the embodied soul.' These are anava, 'the false sense of being limitted;' karma, 'action arising from this delusion;' and maya, 'the phenomenal world which arises due to action.'

Vibhuti has mystical powers to open a channel to the inner realms. It casts an emanation of astral light around the wearer through which the Devas can see into the physical realm. Vibhuti has a purifying effect upon consciousness, keeping a person current with their karmas, and it has a protective effect. Wearing vibhuti protects from all sorts of negative energies from people and places one goes and actually can help to protect from physical dangers as well. When performing the pancha agni sadhana, the austerity of sitting in fire, Yogis first place vibhuti on the body to protect from physical burning. When Yogis pierce the tonque and skin with metal spikes as a part of traditional kavadi offerings to Lord Murugan, they place vibhuti on the skin before inserting the metal spike to reduce bleeding, infection, and other forms of lasting damage to the body.      

Vibhuti has such a strong purifying effect that if water is not available, "agneya snanam" is considered permissible, which is to bath using holy ash. It is a very powerful practice of purification, in fact many times more powerful than a regular water bath to apply vibhuti all over the body head or toe. Vibhuti is always offered to Lord Shiva, and is commonly offered as prasad (a blessed sacrament) at Shiva temples. Small amounts are eaten for healing from serious diseases.

The Skanda Purana says that if a person performs any act of worship of the Lord while wearing bhasma, it will have great effects to purify that person and uplift them toward spirituality, even if they lack faith and merely do the outer actions of worship. This is the sacred power of vibhuti.

7) Tulasi Dalam (Holy Basil Leaf)

Tulasidalam -  Tulsi or Holy Basil leaf is very sacred to the Vaishnavas who worship the plant as a Goddess incarnate. Unlike most other substances on earth which are said to require prana pratishtha rituals to open channels to the inner realms before they are considered fit for worship, Tulasi is said to occur naturally with those channels fully open. Offered in every Vaishnava puja, tulasi is considered an essential substance for prayer. Malas are made for wearing and japa out of beads carved from the sacred wood. The tulasi plant is also a veritable medicine chest. The fragrant leaves are capable of helping to cure any dis-ease condition a Yogi may experience. They even have the capacity to bring the dead back to life, which is why they are a compulsory offering in every Hindu funeral ceremony. Tulasi leaves are offered to ensure it is the Lord's will for the soul to depart before funeral pyres are ignited. Having sacred tulasi leaves nearby means for wandering yogis that the cure to any potential dis-ease condition is nearby. Living a self imposed transitory life of poverty and austerity means that medicines are not always available to a yogi. The great Yogis have revealed simple practices for self-healing for such wandering ascetics. Consuming tulasi daily not only uplifts a person's awareness and calms the mind for meditation, but it also boosts ojas (immunity) to help prevent dis-ease. Like rudrakshas, tulasi has the capacity to attract divine beings and to keep a person current processing their karmas. With the proper knowledge, tulasi can be used to treat any health concern, but few know of the mystical healing uses of tulasi to treat various diseases. The yogis have passed this information down through the generations. This is very similar to the more well known practice of shivambu, involving drinking one's own urine for health and using urine to treat various diseases. These practices are especially important for yogis since they are often exposed to harsh environmental conditions living outside and often go without food and water for long periods of time. Such yogis sometimes eat several peppercorns each day when food is not available to encourage the body to recycle the nutrients of the food they have digested already. The wandering yogi may not always be able to take proper care of the body, or to afford needed medications, but it is always possible to carry a little tulasi or to produce a little urine. Tulasi is a great aid in practice and a literal lifesaver for the yogis subjected to harsh conditions in order to press forward in their sadhana.
​

​Tulasi Gayatri Mantram
Tulasi-devyai ca vidmahe viShNu-priyaayai ca dheemahi
tanno vrindaah pracodayaat          
"May we know that Goddess Tulasi and meditate on the beloved of Lord Vishnu
May that Tulasi, with a cluster of flowers, bestowing virtue and strength, impel us."

8) Kaupina (Loincloth)

​The simple Kaupina is the basic traditional garment of Yogis, Ascetics, and Brahmacharis. Before the modern fashion trends of commercialized Yoga, this simple loincloth was a symbol of humbleness, austerity, and renunciation for Yogis. This is vastly different from modern stylish Yoga garb which are designed to bring attention to the physical body, objectify women, and put money in the pockets of an ever-growing 80 billion dollar global industry taking advantage of the materialistic nature of humanity by commodifying the once spiritual practice of Yoga. Unlike the many expensive Yoga fashions peddled by the Yoga companies, the kaupina is the humblest of garments, worn in India by the impoverished out of necessity and by Yogis and renunciates as spiritual austerity.  A kaupina can be easily made at home from plain cloth. It is a loincloth constructed of a string or piece of cloth which is tied around the waist. To this a piece of cloth is attached which is secured firmly between the legs by pulling it through the string itself (see illustration below). Though some ascetic Yogis have worn nothing more than the kaupina as act of extreme austerity, it is today most commonly worn under the tradition veshti or other clothing by Yogis and brahmacharis. The design of the kaupina itself is a great aid in the practice of brahmacharya (celibacy). The kaupina places gentle pressure around the genitals, stimulating marma points which help to subjugate the sexual urge and activate the higher chakras. For men in particular, the kaupina is a great aid in the practice of brahmacharya because it makes it very painful if arousal occurs. Though it is more common for men to wear kaupina, it is useful and acceptable for women to wear it also. Women have traditionally worn kaupina during their monthly cycle and its design is supportive to the practice of bramacharya for women also. It can be worn under saree or other garments. Blessed with mantras when wearing, the kaupina is not only a symbol of renunciation of materialism which is a great obstacle in the path of Yoga, but a support and constant reminder of the inner quest of the Yogi.

9) Bhikshaa Bhaandam (Begging Bowl)
Picture
The Bhikshaa bhaandha or begging bowl is the universal symbol of Yogis and Sadhus in India. Made from wood, earthenware, or metal, the begging bowl is a necessity for the practice of Yoga. Followers of the lefthanded path like the Nagas and Aghoris often use human skulls as begging bowls to remind them of the impermanence of life. There are few things more humbling than having to beg for ones livelihood. Many times alms are refused and the beggar insulted. Traditionally, Yogis and Sadhus do not remain in one place, but roam from town to town, never remaining in one location for longer than three days at a time to avoid developing attachments. Traditionally, they are permitted by tradition to knock on three doors with their begging bowl each day asking for food. If food is denied three times, they fast that day.

This practice, is one which is practical in the East where Yogis are revered as Holy people, and it is understood that their intense dedication and sadhana has a stabilizing effect on society and human consciousness. People rush forward to give bhiksha or alms to Yogis, because they know that it opens a channel for them and their families to have their karmas and troubles healed by the punyam (the merit) accrued from the many austerities practiced by the Yogi. Householders in the East understand that it is their spiritual duty to give food, and clothing, and money to support the mission of dedicated spiritual seekers.

Traditionally, the Yogi does not just receive bhiksha, but must give karmakanda in return. Karmakanda in this context means the blessing given by a Holy person to those benefactors who sponsor the efforts of the holy person by giving alms. Though people may not have the karma to experience healing or realization on account of their own merits, the act of giving bhiksha opens an energetic channel to the holy person enabling that mystic access to the subtle bodies where a persons karmas are held and carried from life to life. In the highest sense, the Yogi's duty upon receiving bhiksha is to aid in working out the karmas which bind and hinder those who have given alms. In certain cases, there will be no outer action to symbolize this inner work which the Yogi is duty bound to complete. In other cases, the Yogi will demonstrate outwardly the karmakanda by either providing spiritual teachings, pooja services or other spiritual services. Free from attachments, the earlier Yogis wandered place to place with little more than the sacred bhiksha bhanda as an implement signifying faith in the Lord's undying support. Their hearts and minds are open like the empty bowl to whatever the Lord brings into their path, and like the empty bowl which can be filled with food by generous yajamanas, their being is like a blank slate for the grace of God to flow through. Few in the West understand the seriousness of the practice of the Yogis in the East nor do they see it as their duty to support the efforts of such spiritual seekers. People often lack compassion and generosity.

Many are the stories of God coming to a person's home in the form of a beggar to test people's spirit of generosity. It is true that those who give, earn the karma to receive; and that those who deny any person in need, will themselves be denied in the future when they find themselves most in need. We must give to receive, which is a secret that is understood well in the East. For people in the West, the focus is on materialism and material comforts are abundant, but the bhiksha bhanda is empty and our hearts and minds are lacking spiritual bliss and tranquility. In order to bring back this ancient and beneficial tradition of bhiksha / karmakanda, we must start by giving generously to all in need. The enlightened masters are taking birth in the East, because there the system supports their existence and there the people are open to their spiritual assistance. To attract such souls back to the West, we must learn to look at all beggars as God himself asking for us to sacrifice a little and give of the abundance we enjoy. We must begin again to see it as our duty to donate generously to all spiritual institutions and seekers.

There us a lot of inaccurate information being circulated online in the West about the traditional Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga, so we wanted to do a post to provide a traditional Ayurvedic perspective of the practice of the healing practice.

About Abhyanga
​Pronounced somewhat like abh-yanga; not abi-yan-ga as it commonly mispronounced in the West. "A" is pronounced like "u" in the word cup. The word has three syllables and rhymes with the Sanskrit word ashtanga. Abhyanga is the name for oil massage in Ayurveda. It is recommended as a part of a person's daily self-care regimen along with bathing, brushing the teeth, exercise, and meditation. It can be practiced at home or by an Ayurvedic doctor as a part of other Ayurvedic treatments. As a part of Ayurvedic treatments, a much greater quantity of oil is used. 

What Oils to Use
Oils recommended by Ayurveda are dosha specific base oils or specially prepared Ayurvedic herbal oils called tailams. The most commonly recommended base oils for the three doshas are sesame oil for vata, coconut oil for pitta, and mustard oil for kapha. A person's doshic balance may be discerned through pulse diagnosis by a qualified Ayurvedic doctor (online dosha tests are quite unreliable). Ayurvedic herbal oils are prepared by well-trained pharmacists, who in India receive over 1000 hours of formal training in the subject of Ayurvedic pharmacology. Base oils (usually sesame oil) are cooked for days along with specially prepared decoctions, herbal juices, herbal pastes and other ingredients according to complex recipes recorded in the Ayurvedic scriptures and often contain greater than 50 ingredients. These oils are somewhat similar to Western herbal infused oils, but they incorporate a much greater quantity of herbs and are hundreds of times more potent. Ayurveda does not tend to recommend essential oils for general use as they are irritating to the skin and agitating to the mind and have a tendency to aggravate both vata and pitta dosha, irrespective of the qualities of the herbs used to distill the oils, because essential oils isolate only the most fragrant and volatile portion of an herb. Many Western companies marketing "Ayurvedic" products have begun to add essential oils to formulas to meet Western expectations, but this is not in line with the traditional recommendations of Ayurveda. ​

The Procedure 
For at home abhyanga, the recommended amount of oil would be about 1/4th cup to 1/2 cup according to dosha. The most oil is required for vata and the least for kapha. Potent Ayurvedic herbal oils are most often mixed into base oils at a suggested ratio of around 1 part herbal oil to about 5 parts base oil. Specific herbal oils may be used undiluted for the treatment of certain conditions. For daily use for healthy people, it is generally recommended that herbal oils be diluted in a base oil. Before application, the oils should be heated either over a flame or by placing oils in a container in hot water. The temperature of the oil should be different for the three doshas. Oil should be hottest for kapha, very warm for vata, and slightly warmer than body temperature for pitta. Heating the oil helps to ensure that it can be absorbed through the skin to nourish the muscles, tissues, organs and bones. Then the oils is applied all over the head, face and body and rubbed into the skin with rhythmic motions. Pressure should be greater and movements quicker for kapha, with moderate pressure and speed for pitta, and gentle pressure and slow speed for vata. Movements should incorporate long straight strokes along the limbs and back, with circular motions around the joints and belly. Clockwise motions will have a nourishing effect, whereas counter clockwise motions will have a cleansing effect. Motions from the feet upward will have an invigorating effect, whereas motions from the head downward will be grounding. Movements from the extremities toward the heart will be strengthening to the muscles and tissues, whereas motions from the heart toward the extremities will be purifying. The area around the heart is generally bypassed during abhyanga as oil is said to hurt the heart. Special attention is given to the feet which is called padabhyanga and the face and head which is called shiro abhyanga. Rubbing oil into the soles of the feet and the crown of the head is said to have a very calming and grounding effect and to ease stress and promote sound sleep. The process of applying oil should take somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes.

​After Abhyanga
After abhyanga, it is important to take a warm shower to rinse away excess oil and to promote sweating. Sweating helps to release toxins in the skin and blood which otherwise would be trapped in by the oil. Traditionally soap is not used to rinse away excess oil, but herbal dusting powders. These powders often contain grain flours along with herbal powders which have a tendency to clog Western plumbing. In the West, it may be advisable to use soap instead to remove excess oil. It is recommended by Ayurveda to leave a fair amount of oil on the body which protects from wind, sun and extremes of temperature. This does shorten the life of clothing and linens but promotes longevity.

​Benefits
The benefits of abhyanga performed in this way are to increase strength and immunity; soften the skin and to help remove wrinkles and blemishes, ease stress, decrease the effects of aging, promote sound sleep, nourish the organs and tissues, facilitate proper elimination of waste and toxins, improve vision, stimulate circulation, ease pain in the body, and ease mental tension.

​Contraindications 
Ahyanga is contraindicated if a person has a cold or fever or is is acutely ill, over growths or rashes or cuts (without advise of an Ayurvedic doctor), when there is indigestion or ama (toxic accumulation), during menstruation or pregnancy, and during certain lunar phases. The subject is vast and it is difficult to cover its many intricacies in a brief writing. We have taught workshops on performing at home abhyanga for health in the past. 

Modern Market Apples and Patents

There are a few genetically modified and patented apples that have recently come onto the market. They are known as "Arctic" apples, and in addition to "Arctic Golden," "Arctic Granny", and "Arctic Fuji" which are now available for sale, other varieties are planned to be sold in the near future. Despite approval by the USDA which states these apples are safe to consume, we do not know the long term health effects or dangers of these or other GMO fruits and vegetables. These GMO's along with the conventionally hybridized but patented "Opal apple" are valued by marketers for their resistance to bruising and browning. Resistance to browning gives sellers more time to be able to profit from the fruits. These and many other popular supermarket varieties of apple have not been grown for their health benefits, nor for their good taste, but for qualities that improve marketability. The apples we see today are not the most flavorful, but have been selected instead for qualities like storing and traveling well, long shelf life, large well-formed, blemish-free fruits, quick growth, resistance to specific pests, and abundant harvests. Here is a link for an article providing more info about these modern varieties which are taking the market by storm.

Only a small handful of the many thousands of varieties of apples in existence are widely available today on the US market, and the heirloom varieties are quickly disappearing. The value of biodiversity is being underestimated in favor of profit yields by the big producers. This creates a great potential for disease to destroy food crops. These patented varieties pose an even bigger threat because they cannot be grafted and grown at home by the public, but only by specific farms that who hold the patent or pay the patent holder for growing rights. This discourages growing at homes and small farms and it discourages the allowance of natural genetic variations which have led in the past to many valuable and disease-resistant varieties. Today, though there are many Opal apples sold in markets throughout the US, there is only one 6,000 acre farm in America that holds the legal right to grow these apples. It is extremely important now that we work to save the heirloom varieties before they are lost forever.

Historic Apple Varieties 

​The historic apple varieties are not always the prettiest. They are often small, oddly-shaped, with blemishes, and russeting. But they have a wide range of flavors and uses which are lacking in the modern apple varieties. Many heirloom apples were prized in earlier times for specific uses; some for eating fresh, others for making pies and desserts, others for apple sauce, some for apple butter, and many for producing apple cider or cider vinegar. Some apples produced fruit very early in the season and others produced fruit late which could be stored throughout the winter to extend the harvest. They came in an array of colors ranging from almost white to nearly black; yellow, brown, red, orange, pink, and green. Their flavor ranged from cloyingly sweet to very tart, to bitter, astringent, spicy, fragrant, and pungent. A great example of a uniquely valuable apple would be the small unnamed variety we have been working to save from a friend's farmhouse in Bath County for the past few years. This apple has been prized for generations by the locals in the town of Hot Springs for its superlative qualities for making apple butter. The old tree is likely a chance seedling, and may be the only specimen in existence. The old tree is nearing the end of its life cycle and so we have been working to graft it to save its unique genetics for future generations. 
We encourage others to help save the old, rare apple varieties by growing their own fruit at home like previous generations. Many varieties are much more flavorful than modern supermarket apples, but they are virtually unknown today. The depth of flavor is unfathomable to those who have only tasted modern varieties. Many varieties taste more like apple candy than they do a "red delicious." Several important historic varieties in Virginia that are packed with flavor are "Winesap," "Esopus Spitzenburg," "Ashmede's Kernel," and "Gold Rush" (the parent of Golden Delicious). One flavorful apple stands out in central Virginia for its historic popularity. The "Newton Pippin," from New York grew and sold so well here, it is known in Virginia as the "Albemarle Pippin" for the county where it was grown.  

In addition to our work to save several old apple varieties, we have been growing and promoting the heirloom varieties. We planted around 54 distinct historic varieties in the orchard at our last farm and we have brought many smaller saplings with us to the new farm. We have helped others to establish small home orchards of heirloom fruit trees. We are excited to have found at the new farm two older non-producing apple trees. With a little love, we should be able to get them producing next year. We are excited to see what rare gems we may have growing here. For the health of the people and the environment, we should promote the older, more natural varieties of food which were grown for their taste and health benefits rather than for their profitability. Preserving biodiversity helps nature to thrive. We should support local growers whenever possible. Small, ethical, local farmers have difficulty to compete with the factory operations using migrant labor and destroying the environment. Many small farms are disappearing today, because they simply cannot compete. When the longtime owner of a major local farm in Hanover County died recently, his children decided it was too little profit and too much work to maintain the farm and they sold the land.  It is not always cheaper to seek out locally grown foods sources, but in the long run it does save us money. It is much cheaper than the medical bills incurred from eating unhealthy foods and it saves us the devastating expenses of natural disasters caused by the unsound and unethical practices of factory farming.  

We plan to compile a list of growers selling historic apples in the future, but for now more information about historic varieties and saplings for sale can be found at these two sources we know and trust:
Century Farm Orchard
Vintage Virginia Apples

The by-product of black walnut harvesting is a lot of green hulls which quickly turn brown and then black as they sit.  Walnut hulls have been used since ancient times to dye yarn, fabric, clothing, textiles, oriental rugs and many other things.  Walnut husks were used in colonial times to create a variety of brown and black shade dyes. Using various mordants (like alum or cream of tartar) can help to deepen the color and vary the hue.  We had a couple of pieces of old clothing which were stained or otherwise undesirable, which we have given new life by dyeing with the hulls from the walnuts we are processing.  Work here restoring the buildings is hard and dirty and so clothes are quickly stained or worn out.  Dyeing cloths is a good way to revive an old shirt, skirt or pair of pants.  No need to throw away those old t-shirts or donate to the thrift store, and no need to buy something new. People are very wasteful today, but in older times people took advantage of the plants growing all around to reinvent old outfits and create a new look.  We have used walnut for coloring Ayurvedic herbal oils also and believe it is a very useful substance.   We are describing the process for those who are interested in natural dyeing and the use of native plants.  

Step One
Black walnuts should be collected in the autumn as they fall from the trees.  Quickly collecting the nuts is important to ensure that the nut meat will be fresh and the green hull free from worms and bugs.  First the hulls must be removed from the walnuts.  This can be done by hitting the nut with a hammer or a stone.  Protective gloves should be worn and old clothing which you do not care about.  All surfaces and materials used may get permanently stained.  The black stain on the hands if glove are not worn may last for several weeks.  The nuts in their shells are then rinsed of residual hull and dried for cracking or storing.  Stored walnuts should be protected from squirrels who love walnuts and are often seen with black snouts in the autumn around here from their walnut foraging.   For making dye, the hulls of about 12 to 16 black walnuts is needed.       

Step Two
Next, the hulls must be crushed or torn into small pieces, ideally the size of peas. These are then placed in a non-reactive pot (like stainless steel or enamel).  To this a gallon of water is added and the hulls are boiled for an hour or two.  If you do not want to use your walnut hulls immediately, the pieces may be dried and powdered for storing for later use.  Remember the importance of wearing gloves or washing the hands frequently during all stages of this process.  

Step Three
Then the hulls are strained from the dark liquid and discarded.  The liquid is returned to the pan for dyeing. 

Step Four
Then clothing, yarn or fabric is added to the pot with the liquid and simmered until the desired shade is attained.  This may take one or two hours or more depending on the color desired and the fabric.  Some fabrics will not readily absorb the dye.  We will address this in a future post. Stir the fabrics occasionally as they simmer to help be sure that they stay submerged and that all parts are colored evenly.  Simmer until the desired color is attained. It is necessary to color fabrics a little darker than you want the finished color to appear, since some color will be lost in the rinsing stage.    

Step Five
Remove the clothes from the dye liquid and rinse thoroughly in the sink, wringing out all excess liquid until the water runs clear. Then the fabric is hung to dry completely. If rinsing is not thorough enough, the clothes may stain the skin when worn or bleed and stain other clothes when washed.    

Step Six
Once dry, these clothes should be washed by themselves for the first time.  After that, they can be washed with similar colored clothes as one normally does their wash.

We are sad to say that we have been a little too late separating our roosters from the chickens. Lack of funds has forced us to begin making the separate enclosure for the roosters later than planned. We have started to get eggs and because the roosters are with the chickens, there is a fair chance that many of them could be fertilized.  

We considered the possibility of incubating the eggs and raising our chicken's babies, but because the eggs may remain fertile for many weeks and the great difficulty of raising chicks in the winter, we realized it is not possible.  Our 13 chickens could literally make a hundred babies within a few weeks, so this is simply not an option.  With limited time, space and money, it is unfortunately beyond the scope of our current ability to care for so many chickens.  The egg industry generally kills most of the roosters to control population.  With no other options we could figure, we have begun performing funerals for the eggs.

Following the Vedic tradition of burying still born children, we are burying the eggs after prayers to Lord Yama to help the souls of the chickens to ascend to the spiritual realm. We are offering prayers to ease pain and for speedy and prosperous reincarnation. Swamiji has offered many prayers to help the souls of aborted children to pass from the physical realm, so it is only natural to offer similar prayers for the unborn chicks. We are sad that it has come to this, but there has been no other option but to allow our baby's babies to perish and to pray for their poor souls.  The good news is we have the rooster coop and run almost ready and should have our boys separated within a few days. We plan to continue regular funerals for several weeks until the chance of fertile eggs has past.  

Then, we are back to the question of what to do with the unfertilized eggs.  We do not want to eat the eggs, because they are from flesh which is tamasic (dulling to the mind).  We find our meditations are deeper when we abstain from such foods.  We also do not want to sell the eggs, because we do not want to make money off our chickens but to set the example of caring for these gentle birds rather than using them for our personal gains.  Yet, we must dispose of the eggs somehow and do not want to waste them.  We can bury some in the garden to fertilize plants and we could feed some to our puppy.  We are still exploring other potential uses for the many eggs we will be getting.  We welcome thoughts of uses for eggs, if people have them.  

So we are on our third lawen mower since we moved. We performed vahana puja which purifies and blesses new vehicles and protects from accidents etc. Perhaps third time is a charm?

Volunteers performing a small Homam in the garden. Homam purifies the atmosphere and helps to pacify negative energies. It aids peace and harmony between people, and increases happiness and prosperity for humanity. It helps to avert wars, famines, disease, and natural disasters. The high number of pests eating our vegetable garden shows us that homam is needed to purify the garden.  Rudra Homam, Pancha Shiva Homam and Shakambhari Gayatri Homam was performed in the garden.

Business carried us to the West End yesterday, where we took a break to visit the Tuckahoe plantation. The grounds are open to visitors for a nominal cost.  The old house and many historic out buildings are well maintained. The grounds include many formal and informal gardens landscaped with plants that would have been grown in the 18th century. Our efforts to restore our old colonial house keep leading us to beautiful and interesting places. It is always insightful and inspiring for us in our work now to visit historic sites like this.

As we have set out to restore the historic buildings on the new property, many questions have arisen about the older building techniques used in the past. Historical buildings present many unique construction challenges and special building materials and techniques are required to repair damage to historic buildings. Whenever design or building questions have arisen, we have visited Williamsburg and asked questions to the historic interpreters there. For answers about building materials and techniques, and for inspiration for finishing touches, decorating, and landscaping, they have provided a wealth of knowledge. Many thanks to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and their efforts to spread information about historic living. Without their efforts, our work here would not have been possible. Here are some photos taken during our most recent trip to study historic trim and moldings.