About the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a tool for personal and collective transformation. It is a scientifically-validated system that delivers profoundly accurate insights and results for anyone committed to self growth, leadership development and living a more conscious, purposeful life.
In my experience, the Enneagram is the most powerful, multi-dimensional system available that helps you to become your best self, no matter where you are at.
Because being human is complex.
We have many facets – physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. Some parts of us are deeply private that we prefer to keep to ourselves, while some parts we show to our family and friends and others we reveal at work or to the world at large. There’s aspects of our personality that we’ve worked on and other aspects that just frustrate us and our partners or colleagues no-end! And other aspects and potential that we’re completely blind to.
The Enneagram describes the way people think, feel and act based on different inner, core motivations that can be applied to:
- clearly understand yourself and what drives your personality;
- overcome unhelpful patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving;
- relate to others with wisdom and compassion; and
- experience greater inner freedom and the true Self.
The purpose of the Enneagram is to provide a reliable pathway for self realisation.
It can take us from feeling stuck, disconnected or disempowered, to a clear understanding of who we are and integrating all facets of ourselves, in an ever-deepening process of discovery. It shifts us out of being constantly in our head, to living more from the heart.
The Enneagram’s Nine types
Ennea–gram means ‘nine sided’ in Greek – symbolised as the geometric shape pictured above.
The Enneagram divides human character into nine related yet distinct types (and further into 27 sub-types). Collectively, these archetypes form a comprehensive depiction of human virtue and potential.
Each ‘type’ has its distinct egoic motivations, fears, strengths and patterns. And therefore it’s own way of showing up and of interpreting and experiencing the world.
You have one dominant ‘type’ that underpins your character, plus a specific pathway forward that optimises your growth. Knowing your type includes; your natural strengths and gifts; your habits of thinking, feeling and behaving; how to overcome your challenges and blind-spots as well as your pathway towards self-realisation.
To reach our full potential in life – when we look back and have no regrets, knowing that we did our best and feel happy with our greater contribution – starts with having good self-awareness and then being able to grow beyond what we know as our ego-personality to a deeper sense of who we are and embracing our very purpose for existence.
It is thought to have originated with the Sufis in Central Asia and the Desert Elder theologians of ancient Greece, later being incorporated into teachings by the Russian mystical teacher Gurdjieff. As a tool for pycho-spiritual growth it was redeveloped by Chilean Psychologist Oscar Ichazo in the early 1970s. Since then it has been used extensively in psychology, organisational development and spirituality mainly in the US and Europe, and to a lesser extent in Australia.
Whilst the Enneagram profiles personality into nine basic types, the bigger purpose of the Enneagram allows for individuals to ‘wake-up’ to their egoic type identity, to see the falsity of the personality structure and to grow beyond it to experience a more natural way of being and a state of greater inner freedom, known as essence or real Self.
“The Enneagram is fundamental to how we are structured and function as human beings. I feel strongly that the Enneagram and its capacity to be taught and shared provides a profoundly powerful path of hope for the future, for all of us, for world peace even.” – Dr David Daniels, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford Medical School, Author and leading Enneagram Teacher
The Enneagram is an essential tool for anyone interested in being the best person they can be. It can be successfully applied to individuals, within relationships, families, teams and at the workplace. It is a valuable tool for self-inquiry that complements any yoga or meditation practice.
Click here if you’d like to know more and discover your Enneagram Type.
