Now I often think of bowing as an elegant traffic signal of the body and mind. It says, "Slow down, yield, meditation zone ahead. Quiet. Stop. Drop your ego." Bowing is a mindfulness practice. When we walk into a meditation center or sacred space, bowing is a way of removing our mental and emotional armor, and any other ego baggage we may be carrying.
— Lama Surya Das, Awakening to the Sacred