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Joy

People often ask, if the four feeling groups are glad, mad, sad and afraid, and the last three emotions are each associated with one of the Enneagram Centers of Intelligence – mad with the Body Center types 8, 9 and 1, sad with the Heart Center types 2, 3 and 4, and fear or afraid with the Head Center types 5, 6 and 7 – where is glad or joy? One of my clients gave a wonderful answer: When each enneagram type does the deeper inner work that goes with their own type’s emotional patterns and particularly those related to their specific Center of Intelligence, pure joy emerges. Here are some simple hints how to do this:

Enneagram Ones | Body Center | anger suppressed

Hint: Instead of not fully acknowledging your anger by naming it in milder forms such as irritation, resentment or frustration, first fully acknowledge that you do feel angry quite regularly, then go on your journey toward self-acceptance without criticism.

Enneagram Twos | Heart Center | sadness repressed

Hint: Instead of not fully acknowledging your sadness by repressing it so you only feel it marginally, breathe into your heart, feel your sadness, explore its root causes, then identify your related needs, which may include voicing your feelings.

Enneagram Threes | Heart Center | sadness avoided

Hint: Instead of not acknowledging your sadness by pushing it aside and focusing on work, activities and how to fix things (including yourself), take time daily, even if for only a few minutes, to be still, breathe and then ask yourself what you are feeling and what you really want.

Enneagram Fours | Heart Center | sadness over-expressed

Hint: Instead of over-acknowledging and over-expressing your sadness, explore the feelings that lie below your sadness, such as anxiety and anger.

 Enneagram Fives | Head Center | fear of depletion

Hint: Instead of withdrawing from fear of energetic depletion and loss of privacy, honor your need for alone time and also gradually allow more resources from your exterior environment to replenish you, such as time with loving friends, intriguing people, and more.

Enneagram Sixes | Head Center | fear of uncertainty

Hint: Instead of using your mind to prevent uncertainty by imagining what could be potential problems or obstacles, use your body to relax yourself in ways that you enjoy – for example, walks, enjoying the scenery, yoga.

Enneagram Sevens | Head Center | fear of pain and limitation

Hint: Instead of using your mind to create positive ideations and pleasurable experiences, use your heart to discover what true joy can actually feel like; it is vaster and more subtle than you can ever imagine – for example, sing into your heart, allow breath to gently flow into this space.

Enneagram Eights | Body Center | anger over-expressed

Hint: Instead of powering up somatically, and particularly when you are feeling angry, choose to not power up and, instead, to hold still and gently ask yourself what else you are feeling that lies beneath your anger, then explore these feelings and even discuss them with someone you trust.

Enneagram Nines | Body Center | anger avoided

Hint: Instead of avoiding your anger, allow yourself to breathe into and inhabit your full body to the extent you are capable of doing so. Just experience your whole and complete self and remember that anger is simply energy, and it also allows you the ability to set better boundaries between you and others.

Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, the author of seven Enneagram-business books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs and training tools for business professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications, and is past-president of the International Enneagram Association. Visit: TheEnneagramInBusiness.com | ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com

 

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