The Somatic Enneagram
It is impossible to think (or study) your way
out of your Type patterns
Discover the missing piece in your Enneagram development journey: connecting with your body’s innate intelligence to heal,
find balance, and connect to higher spiritual states.
The Enneagram field of study often talks about the Higher Mind (The Holy Ideas) and the Higher Heart (the Virtues). But what about a Higher Body? If the aim of our Work is three-centered Presence (body, heart and head), then where are the teachings on the Higher Body?
Our Type (a.k.a. personality) manifests as patterns of tension, contraction, and energy within our muscles, fascia, breathing, and nervous system. The defense mechanisms and survival strategies employed by our Type can be worked with and loosened, not as a conceptual theory, but instead through
direct contact in and through sensations felt in the body, right here and now in the present moment.
I have completed a Somatic Enneagram certification with world-renowned teacher Marion Gilbert, R.P.T., and her method of “Somatic Awareness Processing" changes everything.
This process is unique.
You will be resourced from within yourself and contact pure states of Essence.
How does the Somatic Awareness Process (SAP) work?
Our personality Type developed as a survival strategy, therefore it is hardwired into our nervous system and includes the defenses of fight, flight, and freeze. These defenses kick in when we are approaching a state of “overwhelm,” which means something has rubbed up against the core wound or core fear of our Type. In order to learn to be with our fears and wounds in a safe, regulated way, we must first establish Grounded Presence. As your guide in this process, I will lead you through a meditation that helps you arrive in this place of Grounding. I will also help you connect to your “Inner Observer” to direct your attention onto the felt sense of your body, through noticing sensations.
I will guide you through a gentle process of noticing certain places in your body and teach you safe ways to resource yourself. Through following the movements of your breath and training you where to focus your attention, you will discover deep wells of Inner Resource, delightful surprises, and hear the Wisdom of your body speaking to you. You will learn to include all parts of yourself with radical compassion, and let go of things that used to hold you captive.
Outcomes of Doing a Somatic Awareness Process (SAP) with a Trained Facilitator
Release of old patterns and places of stuckness and stress
Contact with your Essence / essential states, a.k.a. having a “spiritual experience”
Deepen your capacity to feel grounding, love, serenity, joy, freedom, courage, etc.
Discover the important messages and wisdom that your difficult emotions have to share with you
Gain freedom from Type patterns in a lasting way
Develop greater trust in yourself, your body, and the Universe/God/Spirit/Source
Skills you will gain from working with a Trained SAP Facilitator
Methods of establishing Grounded Presence (Resourcing yourself through your breath and body, which calms the nervous system and alleviates stress)
Developing your Inner Observer - learning to notice the nuance of what is going on in your interior landscape, and how to differentiate between your ego states and Essence
The Art of Placement of Attention- our personality Type co-opts our attention and directs it in habitual and harmful directions. SAP will help train you to direct your attention onto more life-giving aspects of yourself and your world, as well as learn to notice what is repressed, denied, and pushed into the “shadow”
What to expect in a Somatic Enneagram Session
SAP sessions last one hour.
We will start the session by doing a guided grounding meditation.
After the meditation, I will have you share about the issue you’d like to work with. Don’t get lost in the details of the story. Just share a short summary, and get straight to the point. You should prepare ahead of time and bring an issue you would like to work with.
Some questions you can ask yourself to prepare:
“What action, feeling, or memory am I avoiding?”
“Where do I get stuck, shut down, frustrated, afraid or ashamed?”
“Is there anything that has felt triggering for me lately?”
You will leave the session in a regulated state. I will make sure you are resourced enough to return to the tasks of your day.
If you have time to schedule 30 minutes of personal integration time after the session, this can be helpful, but is not necessary.
Pricing
1 hour session: $125.
I take payments through Venmo or check.
FAQs
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Yes! Anyone can do this process, with the guidance of a trained facilitator. I will help you gain the skills and stay focused on the process.
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This process is very powerful, but also gentle, and it is designed to keep you regulated. You will never be guided to stay with something that is going to overwhelm you. You will never be forced to do anything you don’t want to do. You are the one calling the shots and simply following your body’s messages, with help from my prompts and suggestions.
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SAP can be done over Zoom or in person. Either one works great! However, if you do live close enough to meet with me in person in Minneapolis, please do that, since there are other elements that can be added in person.
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Yes, this method is unique. It is different from other somatic therapies and exercises because it is designed to help you work directly with your fears, wounds, rage, shame etc without becoming overwhelmed. You will be resourced from within yourself and contact pure states of Essence.
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As the facilitator, I will be tracking your Type's defense mechanisms, avoidances, core fears, and survival strategies. I will help guide you out of habitual Type patterns and into Essential states that are free from the stress and tension of your Type structure.
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Once you share what you’d like to work with, I will guide you to direct your attention inward. The majority of our time will be me asking you to name out loud what you are noticing, followed by gentle prompts from me on where to shift your attention and where to direct your breath.
After the Somatic Awareness Process wraps up, we will briefly discuss it, share what was most powerful, and I’ll offer insights about how your Type was showing up and how you can work with this going forward.
