June 5 2023
What does the Enneagram and Yoga have in common?
Both are resources for self-study, ‘Svadhyaya’.
The Enneagram is a psycho – spiritual tool or map to help us primarily to identify particular personality patterns which motivate or drive us through life, but more so how to move out of unhelpful patterns of behaviours, feelings or thought.
Similarly, the inward practice of yoga helps us to observe ourselves; where our thoughts are, how we are feeling physically and emotionally at any given time. With consistency and practice, we learn how to regulate our nervous system and energy either to energise or calm….to move out of unhelpful patterns.
The Enneagram symbol here shows nine numbers, ‘enea’ types or personality structures and 3 centres…head, heart, gut.
Ennea – nine, gram – written or drawn. Each point or ‘type’ refers to a personality structure we develop early in life. Although we all have characteristics of each point within us, one of these points will be our core type.
The Enneagram can be further divided into three sections (centres) Gut (8,9,1), Heart (2,3,4) and Head (5,6,7) which relate to how we perceive, process, and respond to our environment.
Gut (Body) types can be more intuitive, often acting instinctually.
Heart (Feeling) types are more emotionally connected to their world and those in it.
Head (Thinking) types process their world through thoughts and mental constructs.
In our yoga practice, noticing how we naturally breathe and move, can help us to identify which Enneagram centre we are operating from – head, heart or gut.
Although our days and experiences minute to minute can influence how we show up to our practice, we initially operate from one of these three centres.
Think about when you first walk into a yoga space or onto your mat. Is it connecting with the energy and space around you, physically landing in the space…. or perhaps an emotional heartfelt connection to the people, aesthetics or intention of the practice….or maybe it takes you time to move from thinking about what’s expected of you or where to place your mat; a more thought orientated approach.
Just bringing awareness to our state of being in this moment, can help us to become more introspective and curious about ourselves, and so we become the inner observer, practicing Svadhyaha….and so like yoga the Enneagram,offers us a window to the self…..to our essence.
The next Enneagram workshop I am running is on July 1st 2023 on the Sunshine Coast and is suitable for beginners and those already familiar with The Enneagram.
Click here or go to upcoming events page for more details.
