This is the most useful book I’ve seen for using the enneagram as a tool for spiritual growth.
Following is an outline of key terms and an example of how each chapter is laid out:
Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram: A Handbook for Harmony and Transformation
by Adele and Doug Calhoun & Clare and Scott Loughrige, 2019
Key terms
Harmony Triad: reimagining of traditional enneagram lines so each number has a home in each of the three triads: the head (IQ or head intelligence), heart (EQ or emotional/heart intelligence), and gut (GQ or body/gut intelligence). The triads are 1-4-7, 2-5-8, and 3-6-9.
Each Enneagram type therefore can be named by their integration of the three centers of intelligence (see chart below):
Gut triad (GQ):
8 Strength is contemplative love (8-5-2)
9 Peace effects team (9-3-6)
1 Goodness creates joy (1-4-7)
Heart triad (EQ):
2 Love contemplates, then decides (2-5-8)
3 Effective loyalty harmonizes (3-6-9)
4 Creativity joyfully renews (4-7-1)
Head triad (IQ):
5 Wisdom lovingly directs (5-2-8)
6 Faithfulness produces peace (6-3-9)
7 Joy is deeply stable (7-4-1)
Incorporated into each chapter, ideas of True Self, False Self, Consolations, Desolations, motions of the soul, discernment, presence (concepts from Merton/Jung/Rohr and Ignatius), and the dismissed childlike self (concept from John Bradshaw and others)
Two important acronyms:
FLOW: inner rapport and practices that weave head (IQ), heart (EQ) and gut (GQ) intelligences together with love of God and neighbor. When you are in FLOW, you are …
Free and able to let go of false self reactions
Loving
Open to your head, heart and gut/body
With God and reality as it is
STOP: Become aware of default/automatic/unconsidered reactions so you can return to presence with God and others, and have freedom in the moment to make a different choice. When you STOP, you …
See more than what your number automatically sees and hears, so you can notice without judgment just what the …
Trigger was. What just happened to you?
Open: Open your head, heart and gut. Breathe into your harmony. Loosen constriction around your false self.
Presence: Intentionally return to being present to God, yourself, and others
* * *
The chapter on each enneagram number includes the following sections (using first chapter on Eights) as example):
- Who I am and who I am not
Beloved Eights Descriptive Words: “I Am …” and “I Am Not …” and questions
Getting to know Eights (personal story and questions)
- True self and false self: The Powerful Person
True Self Eights: Sacred Strength
Breath Prayer for Eights
False Self Eights
True or False Self questions
Bible reading, “Gut reactions to gain control”
- Harmony (ways to integrate IQ, EQ and GQ into default patterns of interaction. For the Eight, that means “strength is contemplative love” (8-5-2).
More than a type (personal story and questions)
Bible reading, “Reactions to wrongdoing”
GQ, EQ, IQ (a personal story of integration and questions)
- Healing childhood hurts: Opening to Innocence
Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola
Receiving the dismissed childlike self (personal story and questions)
Journaling your dismissed childlike self (suggestions and questions)
- Discernment: Desolations and Consolations
Present to what’s happening inside
Healing prayer for Eights (“imagine Jesus and yourself back in a memory …”
Prayer practice for Eights (for waiting)
Desolations and denial
Consolations and innocence
- Spiritual rhythms for Eights
Practicing presence for Eights
Pray into your harmony (strength is contemplative love)
FLOW practice for Eights
Practice confession
Practice the presence of people
Practice trusting
Practice empathy and understanding
Practice detachment
Breath prayers
Blessing for the beloved Eight
- Empathy for Eights
This is for the other numbers wanting to understand and empathize with Eights.
Understanding the defense mechanism of denial
Relating to an Eight (with questions )
Each of the nine Enneagram number chapters is organized in the same format as the chapter on Eights.
In Part IV, a sort of Appendix, the book includes 12 Soul Resources, which are very helpful!
- STOP for harmony. Each number has its own section on See, Triggers, Open, and Presence.
- Solitude and silence: nurturing the IQ, EQ, and GQ of the True Self.
- Returning prayer for harmony. This is a description of centering/contemplative prayer.
- Mindful body harmony. Breathing, body scan, heart connection.
- Examen and harmony. Definition of examen, examples, sacred reading.
- Welcoming prayer: a path to harmony. Connects the four “letting go’s” of security, approval, control and change with body, heart and head responses.
- Imaginative prayer to nurture head intelligence (IQ): finding yourself in God’s story. A list of biblical stories. Complete imaginative prayer practice example using Luke’s story of Gabriel appearing to Mary.
- Practicing the presence of God. Edginess of each number, practicing with spiritual director, suggestions for gut center, heart center and head center.
- Work styles and harmony. Several pages of information for gut triad, heart triad and head triad, bringing harmony to work relationships and goals, organizational issue practice exercise, prayer for leaders.
- Harmony Triads: A Quick Guide for helping professionals and clients. Only three pages, but very well laid out, lots of detail about each number.
- Discovering your enneagram type. Way to use the book’s nine introductory pages for each number as a self-assessment, and instructions if you prefer an online assessment.
- Small group discussion guide on empathy. Covers each number and relating to them.
