Lisa notes

How do you best connect with your world? The Harmony Triads of the Enneagram show three primary styles: relational, ideally, and practical, according to your Enneagram number.

Discover your unique prayer practice to match your connection style. 

Observe Then Connect

The Enneagram shows we observe the world through three modes (Intelligence Centers)—gut (body), heart, or head.

But how do we connect with what we observe? The Harmony Triads give us these three styles:

• Idealism (Types 1, 4, 7)
• Relational (Types 2, 5, 8)
• Pragmatism (Practicality) (Types 3, 6, 9)

The origin of the Harmony Triads is credited to Dr. David Daniels, a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavior sciences at Stanford Medical School. The information that follows is the interpretation of the Harmony Triads by Christopher Heuertz in The Sacred Enneagram.

The 3 Harmony Triads

The Harmony Triads divide the Enneagram into a set of 3 equilateral triangles.

Idealists (Types 1, 4, 7)

This group relates through its dreams for a better world. It envisions the world thriving in the best possible way.

• 1s—Want a perfect world as things ought to be
• 4s—Want an ideal world in which nothing important is missing
• 7s—Want a positive world free of suffering 

Relationists (Types 2, 5, 8)

This group relates to the world through connections. It encompasses the flow of three basic moves in all relationships.

• 2s—Move toward others to take care of them
• 5s—Move away from others for perspective
• 8s—Declarative with others to speak out 

Pragmatists (Types 3, 6, 9)

This group relates to the world through what works. It seeks the following practical considerations:

• 3s—Seek a practical role in the world
• 6s—Seek a safe existence in the world
• 9s—Seek a comfortable position in the world

Goal? Transformation

As with everything in the Enneagram, we all do all of these.

But we don’t all do them equally. We have predominant patterns.

The more we understand our patterns of relating to God and each other, the more we can use them to grow. We desire wholeness and complete connectivity—both through our own patterns that come naturally as well as from the best from other patterns.

Learning about ourselves isn’t the end goal; it’s only the means to a goal.

As A.J. Sherrill says in Enneagram & the Way of Jesus,

“Information is good, and application is better, but transformation is best.”

Spiritual Practice #12—Pray Intentionally

To put this into practice, overlay your Intelligence Center prayer posture (solitude, silence, or stillness) with your Harmony Triad prayer intention (rest, consent, or engagement). 

From Series #17, the prayer postures for the Intelligence Centers are:

• Heart types—use solitude
• Head types—use silence
• Gut (Body) types—use stillness

Now add on a prayer intention per your Harmony Triad. These three intentions help us connect more fully with God. Excerpted from Christopher Heuertz’s The Sacred Enneagram:

• Idealists—1, 4, 7

REST

Rest in God’s love. Receive it as the ultimate source of goodness. Take a break from the frustration of living up to the impossible standards of excellence, originality, or flexibility. Know it is okay to relax.

• Relationists—2, 5, 8

CONSENT

Consent to God’s love. Actively agree to stop trying to earn it, figure it out, or resist it. Say yes to being present to God. Choose to trust he will be there and will be enough. 

• Pragmatists—3, 6, 9

ENGAGE

Engage God’s love. Loosen your grasp on trying to maintain admiration, confidence, and harmony. Engage the love God already has for you. Let him silence your fears and bring an inner, grounding peace to break any desires to run away.

9 Unique Prayer Practices

Combining solitude, silence, and stillness with rest, consent, and engagement, gives each number on the Enneagram a specific spiritual practice unique to their number. Again, read more about each in The Sacred Enneagram.

1—Perfectionist
Rest in stillness

2—Helper
Consent to solitude

3—Performer
Engage solitude

4—Individualist
Rest in solitude

5—Investigator
Consent to silence

6—Loyalist
Engage silence

7—Enthusiast
Rest in silence

8—Challenger
Consent to stillness

9—Peacemaker
Engage stillness

---

Are you more idealistic, practical, or relational? Please share in the comments.

• Start here to begin learning your Enneagram number. 
• See the series index here.

Subscribe to the blog here

Previous: Are You a Thinker, Feeler, or Doer? Enneagram Triads & 3 Practices {Series #17}

Next: Is Your Social Style Annoying? 9 Ways We Manipulate Each Other {Series #19} 

How do you navigate through life? Are you more of a thinker, feeler, or doer?

Granted, we all do all three: thinking, feeling, and doing. But we typically use one mode more than the others, a second one less frequently, and the third one least of all.

See which grouping (Enneagram triad) you fall under, according to your Enneagram number. Is it accurate for you?

The 3 Intelligence Centers

“Listening to thoughts (head), feelings (heart), or instincts (gut) based on your dominant Intelligence Center is the beginning of learning to hear how God has always been speaking to you.”
– Christopher Heuertz

The nine numbers on the Enneagram are grouped into many sets of threes: the Intelligence Centers, the Harmony Triads, the social styles, the conflict avoidance styles, etc.

“God is the original harmony of three in one.”
Calhoun and Loughrige, Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram

One of the most important groups of threes to understand on the Enneagram (and my favorite) is the Intelligence Centers. These are how we observe and make sense of the circumstances and relationships in our lives.

We learn and engage through our:

• Gut (or Body) (types 8, 9, 1)
• Heart (types 2, 3, 4)
• Head (types 5, 6, 7)

Each number on the Enneagram is categorized into one of these centers. We operate in all three centers and God works in us through all three centers.

But each number on the Enneagram is typically dominant in only one center. We work most naturally with God through our dominant center. It’s our starting point for hearing his voice.

In what order would you rank your use of GQ, EQ, and IQ?

• GQ is what your gut instinct knows (gut intelligence)
• EQ is what your heart feels (emotional intelligence)
• IQ is what your head thinks (head intelligence)

Key Emotion

Each of these three groups also contains an underlying emotion (anger, shame, or fear), which is either externalized, repressed, or internalized. (Read more about it here.)

• Externalize – project the emotion outwardly; experience it outside of themselves
• Repress – strategize to prevent the emotion from existing at all
• Internalize – turn the emotion in on themselves; experience it inwardly

THE GUT (OR BODY), also known as the Instinctive Triad – 8, 9, 1

Key Emotion: Anger

8s, 9s, and 1s don’t want to waste time thinking about what to do. They want to just go do it. They make decisions based on their instincts. They may consider thoughts and emotions, but they are driven by their gut.

They are concerned with controlling their environment instead of being controlled by it. Thus they seek to be independent and create boundaries.

• 8s externalize anger
• 9s repress anger
• 1s internalize anger

THE HEART, also known as the Feeling Triad – 2, 3, 4

Key Emotion: Shame

2s, 3s, and 4s are most comfortable when they follow their feelings. They desire to connect emotionally with others.

They are often concerned with their self-image. As a result, they invest energy trying to validate their worth to others.

• 2s externalize shame
• 3s repress shame
• 4s internalize shame

THE HEAD, also known as the Thinking Triad – 5, 6, 7

Key Emotion: Fear

5s, 6s, and 7s spend a lot of time in their heads. They like to face problems logically and think through issues.

They can feel anxious and are wary that the world is an unsafe place. They seek strategies to prepare for an uncertain future.

• 5s externalize fear
• 6s repress fear
• 7s internalize fear

Each of these centers offers its own unique way of receiving God’s love and giving its gifts to others.

Spiritual Practice #11—Practice Stillness, Solitude, and Silence

“Some aspects of our awakening, growth, and development we just cannot achieve on our own; it is a work of grace, a work only God can do in us.”
– Christopher Heuertz

The Enneagram helps us find our unique path to spiritual growth, according to Christopher Heuertz. He suggests the following three spiritual disciplines for each triad. Each practice can open us up to God’s grace and work in us.

Allow these disciplines to calm your body, still your emotions, and quiet your mind.

THE GUT (OR BODY) – 8, 9, 1

Practice stillness.

“Stillness teaches us restraint, and in restraint we are able to discern what appropriate engagement looks like.”

Occasionally give yourself time to simply stop. Let go of your desire to always be in control. Release your overidentification with having to do and reevaluate your addiction to drive.

THE HEART – 2, 3, 4

Practice solitude.

“Solitude, time by ourselves, teaches us to be present—present to ourselves, present to God, and present with others with no strings attached.”

Schedule time when you can be alone. Release your need of staying connected with others or comparing yourself to others.

THE HEAD – 5, 6, 7

Practice silence.

“In silence, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.”

Give in to periods of silence. Turn down the inner noise to listen closer to the voice of God. Find freedom from an obsession with competence and finding answers, and just be quiet. Be assured that everything will be okay.

---

Do you operate more out of your heart, head, or body? Please share in the comments.

See the whole Enneagram series here

Subscribe to the blog here

Previous: You See Differently {Series #16}

Next: What’s Your Connection Style? Prayer Practices for Each Enneagram Number {Series #18} 

We don’t see the world the same. You see differently than I do. We can’t change that.

But what we can change is what we do with that awareness.

We See Differently

“Most of us have no idea that others don’t see as we see, nor do they process their experiences in the same way we do.

A  person whose go-to stance in life relies on feeling and another whose orientation is toward thinking or acting will respond completely different to everything from a simple request in an email to a life crisis.

Understanding the motivations and dynamics of these different personality types can be the key that unlocks sometimes mystifying behavior in others, and in ourselves.”
– Suzanne Stabile

While we can’t change how we’re wired to see the world, we can become better aware of it. And then understand that others see differently than we do. We all come from a different perspective.

Understanding our differences doesn’t have to alienate us from each other. Rather, awareness of our differences can help us give each other more grace.

God made us each unique. The sooner we accept it as a beautiful thing, not a hindrance, the more love we can show each other.

This quote from Suzanne Stabile is one of my favorites. It’s from her excellent Enneagram book on relationships,  The Path Between Us.

“You can’t change how you see—you can only change what you do with how you see.”

---

Are you partnered in life with someone who has a different Enneagram number than you? What benefits does it provide? Please share in the comments.

See the whole Enneagram series here

Previous: On Your Mind Before Bed and Week in Summary {Series #15}

Next: Are You a Thinker, Feeler, or Doer? Enneagram Triads & 3 Practices {Series #17} 

What do you think about at the end of a day?

See if these thoughts from Enneagramandcoffee on Instagram get you right.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Summary of the Week

Below is a short recap of the Enneagram articles from this week.

If you want to learn more about the Enneagram, see these five articles from week 2 in our series, “The Enneagram for Spiritual Growth: 20 Ways to Practice the Enneagram.”

#10 What Are Enneagram Wings? Your Invitation to Abundance

Spiritual Practice #6—Accept the invitation to be present with God for each type.

Knowing your main Enneagram number is good. But don’t stop there. Learn your Enneagram wing. It explains a lot. See your invitations to abundance.

#11 What Is My Enneagram Wing? Extra Names for Subtypes

Spiritual Practice #7—Develop healthy practices by type.

Identifying your Enneagram wing number is as important as discovering your core number. See subtype names. Practice growth mindsets.

#12 Be a Healthy Number – Lines, Arrows, and Letting Go on the Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #8—Let go of this and affirm that, by type.

Don’t sit idle at your core number on the Enneagram. Move around the circle to become a healthy number, using lines and arrows on the symbol.

#13 Favorite Books on the Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #9—Discern what you read.

Here are six of my favorite books on the Enneagram. Although the Enneagram began as an oral tradition, you can now find lots of written material about it.

#14 Podcasts, Music, and Other Resources on the Enneagram

Spiritual Practice #10—Use one of these six tools for transformation for all types.

If you want to learn more about the Enneagram in places other than books, you have a multitude of resources available to you. Here are my favorite podcasts, Instagrammers, music, etc., about the Enneagram.

---

Have you determined your wing? Do lines and arrows on the symbol help you or confuse you? Please share in the comments.

See the whole Enneagram series here

Subscribe to the blog here

Previous: Podcasts, Music, and Other Resources on the Enneagram {Series #14}

Next: You See Differently {Series #16} 

If you want to learn more about the Enneagram in places other than books, you’re in luck.

You have a multitude of resources available to you, some funny, some serious, some helpful (and some not).

Here are my personal favorite non-book resources. (My favorite 6 books on the Enneagram are here.) Please add your own favorites in the comments.

Podcasts on the Enneagram

There are a LOT of podcasts out there on the Enneagram. These are my two favorites that I listen to on a regular basis.

• Typology Podcast with Ian Morgan Cron (co-author of The Road Back to You and a type 4)
• The Enneagram Journey with Suzanne Stabile (the other co-author of The Road Back to You and a type 2)

The Enneagram on Instagram

Again, there are many, many Instagrammers who focus on the Enneagram. Some overload me so I have to unfollow. These are my two favorites who make me think and sometimes make me laugh.

• Sarajane Case at @enneagramandcoffee
• Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober @enneagramashton

Find more on Instagram at this list compiled by Waters Edge Counselling: The Best New Enneagram Accounts on Instagram.

Enneagram Websites

The internet is very full of Enneagram information, some good and some not so good. Here are two websites that I can recommend.

• The Enneagram Institute – Tons of information about the Enneagram, including a very short daily email catered to your number (sign up here)
• Beth McCord at Your Enneagram Coach – Beth also offers lots of freebies with a Christian perspective if you subscribe to her newsletter

Miscellaneous

• Mary Geisen is currently hosting an Enneagram series, EnneaWhat? on her blog, sharing one post per week by writers of all 9 numbers (I’ll be sharing in March about 5s)
• 9 songs for the 9 Enneagram types by Sleeping At Last

Spiritual Practice #10—Six Tools for Transformation

“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
– Jesus (John 8:32)

To make progress in our spiritual growth, God provides us with a variety of tools to use as we work with his Spirit to become more like Jesus.

Here are six tools for transformation that I’ve revised from The Wisdom of the Enneagram. They are useful for all 9 types. See if there are one or two tools that you can put into practice this week.

1. Seeking Truth
   Be curious about what is going on inside you and around you. We often can’t handle all the truth at once. Ask for God to reveal more truth to you as you are ready.
2. “Not Doing”
   Sometimes letting go is more important than pushing through. Stay aware of your tendency to force things to happen, and allow a spirit of peace to rest on your soul.
3. Willing to Be Open
   “Life is a tremendous gift, but most of us are missing it because we are watching a mental movie of our lives instead.”
4. Getting Proper Support
   Gather a community of support along your journey. Surround yourself with people who are also seeking healthier relationships with Jesus and others.
5. Learning from Everything
   Don’t try to escape the hard stuff. Stay present with God as you deal with the circumstances you are currently in, both good and bad.
6.  Having a Practice
   Develop a spiritual practice that can broaden your awareness of how God is at work in your life. Prayer and meditation are common spiritual disciplines that are helpful. If you’re looking for something different, here is a list of 12 spiritual disciplines that are out of the ordinary.

---

Do you have a favorite podcast or other resource on the Enneagram? Please share in the comments.

See the whole Enneagram series here

Previous: My Favorite 6 Books on the Enneagram {Series #13}

Next: On Your Mind Before Bed and Week in Summary {Enneagram Series #15}