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

First we practiced some centering breathing using the “Breathing Square Technique.”  First sit comfortably.  Close your eyes: It’s not essential, but closing your eyes can help you focus on yourself.

Count to four while doing each of the following: 

• Inhale for four seconds while imagining drawing the top of the box. Breathe in deeply, feeling your lungs fill up, counting to four slowly. Imagine you're drawing energy into your body.

• Hold that energy in your breath for four seconds as you image drawing the one side of the box downward.

• Exhale slowly for four seconds imagining drawing the bottom of the box. Imagine all your stresses and worries leaving your body as you exhale.

• Breathe in deeply again and hold without stress. Hold your breath again for four seconds while imagining drawing the final side to complete the box.

• Imagine all your stresses and worries leaving your body as you breathe.

We discussed the coming of Spring and how some things need to stay dead, to be left behind in winter and some things come to life again. 

As we began to walk, I encouraged everyone to look for what is dead and for the new life and to consider what in our lives needs to be left down and what needs to be brought to life again within us.

After our walk, we reflected on death and new life and found that the two were often combined as with the new vine growing on a dead branch or shoots of new tree growing out of a stump. We admired the beauty of both life and death, and took that appreciation forward with us to the rest of the day.