What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram describes nine patterns of human motivation and core beliefs (Ennea is the Greek word for nine). We have access to all nine, but we tend to have a central pattern which we return to again and again.

Understanding others' patterns can give us compassion and skills for relating to them. Working with the lines on the diagram can help us to access gifts from other type patterns that we can draw on to help us respond to life more flexibly than if we stick only with those that our automatic type pattern comes up with.

Understanding ourselves more deeply

Our personality is unique to each of us, but we all recognise the same type structure. Below the waterline of our conscious behaviour are the beliefs we have about ourselves and how we need to show up in the world in order to survive.

The more we come to understand our idealised view of ourselves and the defensive patterns that hold it in place, the more we can

be gentle with ourselves rather than believing we have to "pull ourselves together" or strive to be a better person when we are challenged or triggered by life.

We come to understand how our type structure protects us but keeps us small. We start to get glimpses of what we might be, beyond our type pattern.

Stepping beyond our protective Type structure

The Enneagram is a framework for profound inner personal growth, and above all it is a tool of compassion, for ourselves and for others.

Our type pattern is like a baby bird that can only see one way of looking at the world, and the inner journey is to appreciate all our type pattern has done for us, not to try to get rid of it.

As we bring our core beliefs into conscious awareness, as we work with the layers of our defence system, using all three centres of intelligence (head, heart and gut), our compulsion to use only our automatic type pattern can start to relax.

As we get to know the baby bird of our type, it can feel supported so that it doesn't have to keep itself in a cage of automatic response any longer. We and it can step out into the mystery and wonder of who we can truly be in our essential self.

Experience the Enneagram

I'm a founder and Director of Enneagram Training UK and Ireland - the only International Enneagram Association accredited school based in the UK. We offer a variety of introductory Enneagram events around the UK and Ireland, and also online. Find out about upcoming events here: https://www.enneagramtraining.co.uk/events

Enneagram Alive is a UK hub for all things Enneagram.

Find out what they offer here https://www.enneagramalive.com/

Enneagram Training Foundation Programme

Enneagram Training's Foundation programme offers a powerful introduction to personal and relational transformation. You’ll explore your own Enneagram type patterns while learning to witness and support others in theirs, deepen your understanding of the 3 core instincts and how they show up as subtypes, and gain practical experience of inner development work.

Find out more here https://www.enneagramtraining.co.uk/programmes/foundation

Enneagram Training Professional Programme

Enneagram Training's Professional Programme is for those who want to bring the Enneagram into their work with others — as coaches, therapists, educators, facilitators, or leaders.