To all the mothers--whether your children are human or not!--Happy Mother's Day! ❤️

— While cleaning out my files, I ran across an introductory article I wrote long, long ago for a yoga journal on the teachings of Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, and human rights activist Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced “tick knot hawn”), affectionately called “Thay." I thought you might enjoy knowing a little more about one of Drew’s teachers. There’s a gentle wisdom to Thich Nhat Hanh— a man who didn’t just talk about peace, but lived it in the way he walked, breathed, and even ate his meals. A Zen master, teacher, and poet, he had a way of taking the biggest ideas about health and spirit and making them feel simple… doable… human. Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings center on mindfulness, compassion, and living peacefully in the present moment. Key tenets include conscious breathing, embracing the "here and now," cultivating compassion for oneself and others, and understanding that nothing exists alone. “Time has much more value than money. Time is life. Money is nothing compared with life. In two hours of drinking tea together, we don’t get money, but we do get life.” His understanding that nothing exists alone is embodied in the term “Inter-being”— the insight that all things are mutually dependent, and cannot exist independently. This means every object or person is made of non-self elements, such as sunlight, clouds, and trees, and thrives only through connections, eliminating the concept of a separate, permanent "self”. "Nothing exists by itself alone. We all belong to each other, we cannot cut reality into pieces. My happiness is your happiness, my suffering is your suffering. We heal and transform together.” Thay taught what are often called the “Ten Exercises,” though they’re less about physical exertion, and more about mindful breathing and awareness. They pair beautifully with what and how Drew instructs. His 10 core teachings include: 1. Mindfulness is the Way:  Living deeply in each moment. 2. The Present Moment is the Only Moment: The past is gone, and the future is not yet here; life can only be found in the present. 3. Conscious Breathing: Acts as an anchor to bring the body and mind together, calming the mind. 4. Interconnectedness:  From the environment to other people, nothing exists by itself; everything "inter-is" with everything else. 5. Compassion and Understanding: Compassion arises from understanding our own suffering and the suffering of others, which leads to love. 6. Deep Listening and Loving Speech: Listening with compassion, and speaking kindly fosters connection. 7. "Letting Go" to Live Fully: Suffering is often caused by attachment, and fear of the unknown. 8. No Self, No Judgement: Embrace yourself and others. Accept flaws as part of the human experience. 9. Walking Meditation: Walking with mindfulness brings awareness to every step and move. 10. "I am a Continuation": Recognize that ancestors, parents, and loved ones are present in every cell of our body, and we carry them into the future

The first of May 2026’s two full moons rises on Friday, May 1—known as the Flower Moon, a name that speaks to the great unfurling of spring. It has also been called the Budding Moon, Leaf Budding Moon, Planting Moon, Egg Laying Moon, and even the Frog Moon—each name echoing life stirring, blooming, and returning in its own time. This Full Flower Moon carries a potent, almost mystical charge. With the Moon in Scorpio, it invites us inward—toward deep feeling, honest reflection, and quiet transformation. Full moons are nature’s way of illuminating what’s ready to be released. They ask us to let go of what has grown heavy or outworn, and to reclaim our energy with intention and grace. Step outside and gather what the season offers. Pick a few flowers, plant something new, or simply walk and notice how alive the world feels. Create a small altar—nothing elaborate—just a few blooms, a candle, and objects that hold meaning for you. Let it be a place where gratitude lives. Charge crystals in full moonlight. Write down the habits, fears, or emotions you’re ready to shed and release, and safely burn them, allowing that energy to shift and transform. Soak in a warm cleansing bath with salts, herbs, or oils for a quiet ritual of release— watch the water carry away what you no longer need. Lose yourself in music and movement—all are small, sacred acts of renewal. The full moon is a mirror. It reflects what is true. Take a moment to sit with yourself— journal, breathe, or simply be still. Imagine the moon’s light wrapping gently around you, restoring and recharging. Move your body if it calls— dance, stretch, and flow and move through a few moon salutations. Let the energy move through you and out. And this is only the beginning. The next full moon arrives on May 31—a rare Blue Moon, the second full moon within a single calendar month—offering one more luminous chance to reflect, release, and begin again.

Long before weather apps and planting calendars, people looked up. Each full moon carried a name and a hint— a quiet nudge about what the season might bring, what to gather, what to prepare, what to release. The language changed from place to place, but the intention was the same: stay in rhythm with life. Now, every once in a while, the sky slips us a little bonus— a Blue Moon. Not blue in color, but rare in timing… the second full moon in a single month, showing up roughly every couple of years like an unexpected guest who somehow arrives exactly when needed. I like to think of it as the universe saying, “Here—one more chance.” May 2026 will have two full moons. The first will is the Full Flower Moon on May 1st. The second will be on overnight May 30-31 and it’s a Blue Moon. The Moon itself has always been tied to intuition, the inner tides, and the sacred feminine— the quiet wisdom that doesn’t shout, but knows. In some traditions, the Blue Moon leans into the later chapters of life— the “Grandmother” energy, where experience ripens into insight and nothing needs to prove itself anymore. There’s a steadiness here. A clarity that only time can teach. Others see the Blue Moon as a moment when the veil thins just a bit— when insight comes quicker, prayers travel farther, and our connection to something greater feels easier, more direct. Whether you call that the Divine, your Higher Self, or simply your better instincts… it’s a lovely time to listen. Practically speaking? Think of it as a lunar bonus round. Full moons already mark completion, release, and illumination— so, a second one and the same month invites a deeper sweep. What did you miss the first time around? What are you ready— really ready— to let go of now? And just as important… what quiet intention is ready to take root in its place? No rules here, no pressure. You don’t need robes, rituals, or perfect timing. Just a moment of honesty, maybe a walk under the night sky, and a willingness to reset your compass.

On May 1st each year, we celebrate May Day—an ancient European festival welcoming the return of warmth, beauty, and life. Long before calendars became crowded and clocks ruled the day, people marked this turning of the season with joy. It was a time of fertility, renewal, and hope. Villages danced around the Maypole, crowned a May Queen and Green Man, gathered wildflowers, and left baskets filled with fruit, herbs, cookies, and small blessings at doorsteps. Bonfires glowed, songs rose into the evening air, and hearts remembered that winter does not last forever. One of the loveliest customs was the gathering of May morning dew. In old Celtic lands, especially around Beltane, people rose at dawn to wash their faces in the dew, believing it carried beauty, youthfulness, vitality, and luck for the year ahead. Dew was seen as nature’s holy water—softly blessed by earth and sky. In Scotland, some climbed hills such as Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh to greet the sunrise and receive this sacred moisture. Others, feeling especially enthusiastic, rolled naked in the wet grass with great confidence in nature’s magic. Throughout the day, dancers wove ribbons around a flower-decked pole. The Maypole has long symbolized life-force and creative energy, while the ribbons and circular dance represent harmony, union, and the weaving together of heaven and earth. It is movement as prayer, joy made visible, and a reminder that life is always trying to bloom again. Many Americans let May Day pass quietly now— unless they are gardeners, romantics, or lovers of old customs. Yet in other lands, the spirit remains lively. In Finland, Walpurgis Night and May Day are among the year’s grandest celebrations, with laughter in the streets, music, sparkling drinks, and carnival spirit. In Belgium, people gift sprigs of Lily of the Valley to wish loved ones luck and happiness for the coming year. If you’re not planning to roll naked in the dew at sunrise— and, no judgment either way— here are a few soulful ways to honor May 1st: