Wagele says that reading the book and just having an awareness of your child’s makeup can make all the difference in the world in the way you view and approach your relationship.
On an individual basis, the Enneagram can help you on a path to self-discovery by facilitating recognition and elimination of negative patterns and habits that trouble your life and relationships. According to the Enneagram Institute, there are seven steps to the process. The first step is seeking truth and becoming an observer. “It’s habits and patterns that are driving us. If we observe, we can choose if we want to do those behaviors,” Taylor says.
After you’ve observed, practice “not doing” by not acting on impulse—but if you catch yourself carrying out your pattern, don’t be too harsh on yourself. “What we encourage is to observe with non-judgment,” Taylor says. If we can observe it with non-judgment, there’s a chance for compassion to arrive. If I go, ‘Oh jeez, Katy, there you go again,’ it doesn’t allow growth to happen.”
Remember to be open, and to seek out those who will support your efforts, whether it’s a family, a friend, or a teacher. The Enneagram Institute offers workshops and retreats at the Stone Ridge location as well as at other properties nationally and internationally. Throughout the process, acknowledge and learn from everything that arises. Cultivate a sense of love for yourself, and look into starting a practice activity such as yoga, meditation, or prayer to devote time to regularly each day.
“Identifying one’s type correctly is only the starting point of a lifelong journey of self-discovery, and the Enneagram can be a hugely powerful tool for assisting people on that journey—the journey from illusion and sleep to awakening and transformation,” says Riso.
(845) 687-9878 ; www.enneagraminstitute.com.
