This month we are doing a deep dive into the world of self-care. This week, we look at how self-care is connected to the Enneagram—how knowing your type can catalyze your self-care regimen for greater effectiveness and integration. Self-care is all about creating balance where there is an imbalance, and the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram really knows this.

So, there’s the coolest dynamic within the Enneagram that actually mirrors what I believe to be true self-care. It’s the breakdown of the nine types into three triads that correlate with our three intelligence centers: mind-body-heart. Types 8,9,1 are housed in the body, or instinctual center, types 2,3,4 are housed in the heart, or feelings center, and types 5,6,7 are housed in the head, or thinking center.

This means that each type experiences the world in a specific way connected to their triad, or intelligence center. For example, as a dominant type 4, I experience the world most readily through the lens of my emotions. I’m a feeler and have no trouble identifying emotions as well as connecting with the world and others through them. This is good in many ways, but in some, it creates imbalance as I tend to under-do my other two intelligence capacities--the thinking center of intelligence which allows for analytical/planning skills as well as the body center of intelligence that allows me to be in the present moment, breath deeply into my belly, and feel grounded in the world as body types do.

Why does this matter to us as we explore self-care? It matters because to create more balance and wholeness, we must integrate all three centers in order to live fully alive. It’s really the first step in doing the work of the Enneagram as it pertains to self-care. To use myself as an example again, my constant assignment if I accept it consciously, is to connect to my body through mindful movement, breathwork, and meditation as well as connect to my mind through journaling about thoughts and circumstances as well as harness analytical and fact-checking skills that will balance out my over-worked emotional life.

If this all sounds confusing, simply remember this: you are complex and three-brained. Modern science has proven we have neural cells in the lining of our stomachs, our hearts, and our brains. Depending on your Enneagram type, you rely more heavily on one. So, our work is to become conscious of where there is an imbalance—and practice balancing our relationship to all three.

In my monthly subscription, I’ve built out meditations and practices specifically for your type and triad. If you are looking for a way to experience life more fully, join me as we go deeper with the Enneagram and Self-Care. I’ve taken out all the guesswork. You simply show up.

Join today and experience the roadmap for self-care that the Enneagram provides.