Moving Backward

One of my favorite teachings in Zen is the practice known as the backward step. 

Comparable to the painter who puts down her brush and takes a few paces away from her canvas, the backward step is a widening of perspective, and an opening up of awareness. It is the practice of relinquishing your concept of forward, of progress, or betterment in order to observe the larger picture. 

It is easy to become so focused on a goal, objective, or expectation that you lose sight of where you were going or why you started off toward it in the first place. And taking a step or two backward can oftentimes illuminate where and when we might have lost the trail itself. 

By pausing, slowing down, and zooming out, we can let go of how we thought something should go in favor of the possibilities of where it could go. That's why in this practice we avoid predetermined destinations. It's why we return again and again to savasana...

To open up our awareness and let go of wherever we thought we were going.