This was lead by Laura Mayo, the Senior Minister of Covenant Church and is active in Houston interfaith work.

Our new fall season of meditation walks here at The Loraine Cherry Nature Pressure is commencing. The familiar new school year is all around us, whether we go to school any more or not. You might be facing one or more of many other new experiences - first times without a loved one, a job change, a new relationship . . . or so many other things that are truly new to you.

For our guided meditation, let us think about the light within. This is whatever it is for you – your inner strength, wisdom, and compassion - the core of you - picture the essence of goodness and love that is already inside of you.

Get into a comfortable position - connect your feet to the ground and your head to the sky.

Breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, breathe out for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four. Do this several times. If you mind wanders from your breathing, gently bring yourself back.

Now enter a time of meditation on new beginnings.

Place your hand on your heart.

Take your awareness to your heart center and imagine yourself stepping into your light within.

Breathe this beautiful light into your lungs, breathing in deeply and slowly.

Allow your awareness to settle, and as you do, notice yourself becoming the observer within. Allow yourself to watch as you breathe this beautiful light into your lungs, observe your breath as it flows, and, with each breath, sense as you become more and more peaceful within.

With each breath, sense this light filling your body with beautiful healing energy and sense it expanding out to fill your entire body.

You are opening your heart.

In this openness, find gratitude and appreciation for the past. Every situation and relationship from your past has taught you something useful, and has made you who you are today.

In this openness, look for places of resentment - toward another or yourself. Discover these resentments and release them to the light. Imagine them floating out of you and into the sun.

Let all your fears, worries, doubts, disappointments, and anger surface. Imagine them as a stream flowing out of you as you breathe. See yourself releasing old hurts, sadness, imbalance, and injustice in your life from the past and present. Feel them dissolving, pouring out of your body.

Just let them go. Release all the "should haves," "could haves," and "if onlys."

Now see what items, relationships, or situations you have outgrown or that need to shift in some way. Take the time to express gratitude for the lessons learned, and then visualize them gently leaving or changing to bring love, healing, wholeness.

As you let go of what you need to release, welcome the new light-ness entering your mind and body; opening space for compassion, for forgiveness, for love, and for connection.

In this openness, come into the present. Be here now. Acknowledge who you are at this moment: welcome and celebrate who you are.

Now welcome what you need for new beginnings. Breathe in courage. Imagine the courage as beams of light coming in through your breath and moving into and throughout your entire body. Just breathe it in. Breathe in patience, discipline, spontaneity; anything that you feel would assist you in this new beginning. See yourself as strong and positive.

Slowly begin to deepen your breaths. Gently move your fingers and toes. Gently begin to turn your head from side to side. Keeping your eyes closed, take three final deep breaths. When you are ready, you may open your eyes.

Any time you need this calm, this energy, this letting go, this welcoming, touch your hand to your heart and you can return to this.

In your walk, continue this work - the work of letting go and welcoming. Notice how nature is deepening the teaching to us to let go of the old and welcome the new as you walk.