Bow and take three steps back.
In this Imagine Self blogpost, I share how these two actions taken inwardly bring freedom and love into the most difficult situations.
What is the problem? Your child’s behavior? Your partner? Your weight? Being stuck in traffic? Your lack of success? The state of the world?
Bow and take three steps back!
When I bow, I stop my obsessive thinking about how to solve the problem. When I take three steps back I can rest and observe and stop trying to avoid the pain or run from reality.
Today is Michaelmas, the feast day of the Archangel Michael. Michael is the Dragon-slayer who meets evil with unflinching courage. But Michael is also the Builder of Beautiful Forms and the Bringer of Illuminating Light. The spiritual image of Michael is practical and of unquestionable value in our everyday difficulties.
To bow in reverence and then to take three steps back are Michaelic deeds. I share my thoughts on these two deeds in my post. Read on to discover how to apply these deeds to your difficulties, conflicts and challenges.
Bow and take three steps back.
Brilliant! Meaningful! Do it!
But first, declare the problem and/or the problematic relationship with a problematic individual. What or who is making your soul tight, angry, obsessive, confused, ambivalent or stuck? Write down and write about the what and/or the who. Tell your story. Who or what is the dragon that needs to be slain, or the new gesture that needs to be understood, chosen and built or the dark mystery that needs to be illuminated?
Now bow and take three steps back in your soul.
The Bow
This bow indicates reverence. Revere the difficulty. Bow from the humble and noble core of your being. The bow reminds you that life is about love and freedom, compassion and equanimity and so many lessons. This bow is not about powerlessness. It is the deed of serene power.
When you bow you indicate you are ready to unfold (one of life’s wonderful paradoxes…you must fold to unfold). Difficulties tend to tie us up into knots. Your bow is the miracle of untying all your addictive attachments.
When you rise up from a bow you stand taller. And you breathe more deeply. You have grounded your consciousness. You are no longer being shaped by the difficulty.
Please write down how you experience the reverent bow. Spend some time contemplating and reflecting on your willingness to bow to the trouble, the problem, the difficulty.
Three steps back.
Create space and possibility.
Why three? Think about it. Less than three doesn’t do it…you are still too close to the problem. More than three and you are too far away. Three is the just-right distance. You don’t want to turn and run and miss the clear, open consciousness of being present but not attached.
Three steps are always doable. These are not leaps or bolts, they are steps, strong, grounding, balanced.
Three steps give you a new perspective, focus and infinitely more breathing space. You can wonder at the problem from three steps back. You are safe.
Take three steps back from your judgments, demands, expectations, fears and doubts. Remember to bow first.
Three steps back create a generous mood in your soul. This is a subtle and silent generosity, very Michaelic. (Michael ( and the other archangels )is always subtle and silent and serene no matter what he faces or intends.
The space that you create from taking three steps back invites inspiration, wisdom, spiritual guidance. If it is a dragon you need to slay, you have created the space to draw your Michaelic sword. If it is a new gesture that is needed you now have the space to build it. And if the need is for illuminating light, you have gotten out of the way…let it shine.
Write a page of your thoughts on taking three steps back. What does each step provide for you in your challenge?
Please share your Michaelic inspirations and your Michaelic doubts in the comments.
My Need to Bow and Take Three Steps Back
On Michaelmas, I will be working with several clients. Bowing and taking three steps back is my gesture toward my clients. Being present to my clients is a Michaelic joy.
My difficulty, my BIG difficulty, is a demon, an opportunity to build and a darkness seeking light. I have gathered 12 years of the Inner Christmas messages into three volumes, Inner Christmas Every Day. I just received the formatted files that I will use to create the print books and the e-books. I must bow and take three steps back from my doubts, my overwhelm, and my excitement regarding the challenging work of marketing: Building pages on Facebook and Amazon for starters. It will require Michaelic courage, stamina and focus for me to succeed. I will need to bow and take three steps back over and over again.
Please send me encouragement.
I send you heaps of encouragement and love on Michaelmas.
Dear Lynn
I have been following your newsletters and blog for quite some years now. And always loved every word , every teaching and mostly the warmth ,the loving energy and the soul nurturing emanating from you through them.
Do not be afraid or overwhelmed. Your books will bring Light in the world. They will open eyes and hearts.
Think of your creations as healing preparations just like we treat the gardens in the biodynamic world.
Looking forward to see them on Amazon.
In Light and Love
Cristina
Thanks so much, Cristina. Your words of appreciation and encouragement mean a lot to me.
I agree with Cristina, Lynn. Be free of worry or doubt. You are on the right track. Your words and insight are your sword to slay not only your own dragons but those of others. Carry on brave soul.
Jean, Thanks for your words to slay the worry and doubt dragons.
Dear Lynn,
As always, your wise words are potent and timely. From all of my being, thank you for consistently dropping drops of wisdom (lol or a tidal wave of support) that spreads far and wide in this virtual medium. We are so blessed to receive your contributions.
With much love,
Kristin
Hi Kristin,
I wish you and everyone else who has left a comment could feel the gurgling warmth floods my heart when I read your words. The warmth enlivens my will as I continue to find new words and deep meaning in all that we meet as we seek to know ourselves. Love to you.
Wonderful reading today, Lynne. I can feel it in my soul and in my bones that bowing and taking three steps back is a right thing to do. Yes! I’m so glad you’re putting more of your work into print! You can do it! The terrible threshold will be crossed, and once it is, the process will flow.
It is always so meaningful to “feel it in our bones.” Yes, it is crossing a “terrible threshold.” What a great image for our Michaelic path…crossing terrible, but very worthy and necessary, thresholds.
Thank you for this beautiful post, Lynn. It was exactly what I needed to read at this time. I’m wishing you all the love and courage needed to get you through the next steps of your work. Remember maybe instead of thinking in terms of marketing, what if you think in terms of heralding, like the angels who came to deliver important messages? Much love!
YES! heralding. Love this. Deep gratitude for giving me this new and true name for getting the word out to others.
Dear Lynn, You are ready to shine ! Three steps back can be followed by one giant leap forward.Love and hugs. Ruth
Hugs!
Blessings upon you for holding the bowl of love at this seemingly chaotic time on our planet. Michael is always powerful. Bowing allows us to release ego “rightness” & be the humble servants. The steps back allow space – room to move forward into the light – our true nature. Thank you & know your offering will enlighten the world
Kathleen, Your message made me think of bowing to the blessing. Much gratitude.
Beloved ‘soulologist’ Lynn~from your first missive to our last meeting, I’ve always experienced your gift for harnessing words to access soul. You invite your audience to join you to step away from the shore and become deep-sea divers. The deeper the dive, the greater the reward.
May this new quest reward and return to you a thousandfold what you have so generously shared with others heretofore.
Much, much ongoing love~Lee
Yes, Lee, diving deep is the key.
I also love the word “herald!” “Proclaim” is another good one. Marketing is proclaiming good news! Congratulations, Lynn–this has been a long time coming and you deserve this!
As far as Bowing and taking three steps back, it seems wise to admit ones defeat in certain circumstances. In addiction recovery, for example, admitting ones powerlessness over the addictive substance is the first step to recovery. So showing humility in recognizing that a thorny issue or problem is bigger than oneself seems on point! It’s a kind of surrender.
i like very much the idea of taking three steps back. It gives clarity of mind, cools the emotions, and allows for time to strategize, escape, fight, gather ones courage, call for assistance, scream for help, or whatever else a person needs to do to keep soul and spirit intact.
Proclaim is great, Kelli. And I love all the ways you see to use your three steps back.
Lynn, My life is always enriched with tenderness, grace and wonder when I give myself the gift of reading what you have to offer. Slaying the dragon is an offering I’ve heard before and now this idea of bowing and stepping back seems to create space for something much richer that resonates with my soul. When your printed book is available – I’d like 5 copies please. Thanks for sharing your vulnerability in the process – it increases everyone’s ability to be so brace.
Wow, Gail, thanks for sharing your appreciation. And you will know when the books are available… I will shout it from the rooftop.
Dear Lyn. Once again you bring a new Michaelic approach to our everyday challenges. It helps to form accurately what is truly a courageous, Michaelic deed both consciously and in freedom. I, too, have had the wonderful gift of reading your posts for a number of years now and, as a writer myself, I am in admiration for your succinct style and ability to hit problems on the head and offer ways in which they can be addressed for us to move forward on our journey. Thank you, seems a little inadequate somehow for you have given me, and I know many others, additional pictures to add to those we are already working with. I am filled with gratitude.
Hi Vee, So glad you find value in my thoughts. Bow and take three steps back is a life changer. And thanks for the writer to writer recognition.
LYNN-I AM GRATEFUL FOR THESE THOUGHTS AND ALREADY PRACTICED WITH AN ISSUE.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ON YOUR PATH. FOLLOW THE SHINING LIGHT AND ALL WILL FLOW.
HUGS AND SMILES, BETSY
So happy to hear you are putting it into practice!!! Love to you, Betsy.
Oh Lynn I am so happy to hear about the Inner Christmas volumes you will be offering! Over the years your blogs and festival thoughts/work have been very helpful to me and now the Inner Christmas ones will be all in one place!
And thank you for this Michaelmas message, its wonderful…. it amazes me how you always think up things that are so original and so helpful
thank you!
Hi Amanda, The Inner Christmas Every Day books are so beautiful. Lee Hannam designed the cover and the interior. She is amazing. I am now thinking about gathering my blog posts into topics and putting them into small books.
Dear Lynn,
You have such wisdom and creativity. Thank you for your Michaelmas message! May you continually find more courage, more stamina, more focus when you – again and again – bow and take three steps back to conquer your impressive dragon. (Congratulations!)
When I bow, it reminds me that I don’t need to be all powerful. I stand before God. I don’t need to be God. When I take three steps back, it reminds me of my back space – my wings, my wisdom, and who’s got my back – all the support available on both sides of the threshold.
We’ve got this! Time to move forward,
Margaret
Oh, Margaret, I love the way you describe backspace. Thank you.