Five – Part 1

The primal experience of the FIVE was of the absolute power and genius of God in controlling all the parts in one working universe. The FIVE’s real power is in the now. Once separated from that, they experience a sort of emptiness, which the ego tries to fill with knowledge. Today I’d like you to hear from Russ Hudson, with

Four – Part 1

This week we will continue describing the Enneagram types, focusing on the ways the ego tries to falsely protect what it thinks is itself. As Russ Hudson says, “We all want something real; we’re just going about it in a way that can’t work.” [1] FOURs once lived serenely as an essential part of a united and beautiful world. But

Two – Part 1

TWOs, THREEs, and FOURs make up the heart triad. They are “other-directed” people, whose wellbeing depends on how their environment reacts to them. Their continuous activities secretly have no other goal than to be confirmed from the outside. We all have this same concern to some degree. It grows out of the mirroring we received or didn’t receive as a

One – Part 1

For the rest of this week and the next, we will explore each of the nine individual Enneagram types. We’ll see how all of us begin life in union with God, as our True Self, totally in Love. Each Enneagram type has a uniquely gifted way of being connected with the Real. It reveals our original “soul space.” Our Enneagram passions or sins come

Nine – Part 1

NINEs once knew that reality was all about love, all connected, operative, and effective. They knew a kind of optimism and motivation that all could be worked out and fixed because God is Love. Love changes everything; love resolves everything. Russ Hudson emphasizes that the core of the NINE is about being itself. The primal knowing of the NINE is that “I

Eight – Part 1

With EIGHTs we return to the domain of the gut, which embraces EIGHTs, NINEs, and ONEs. The EIGHT’s primal knowing was that God/Reality was warmth, food, protection, empathy, relationship, and total understanding of how weak, needy, and hungry we all are. Feeling separate from such a nurturing God leaves the EIGHT vulnerable and needy. To seemingly “fix” this dilemma, the

Three Energies

For teaching purposes, the nine Enneagram types are arranged clockwise in a circle. They are clustered in three triads or groups of three: the belly center (sometimes called the gut or instinctual center), the heart center, and the head center. We need all three centers to be awake and integrated in order to do our inner work and to truly

Turning to the Mystics

Turning to the Mystics is a podcast for people searching for something more meaningful, intimate and richly present in the divine gift of their lives. James Finley, clinical psychologist and Living School faculty, offers a modern take on the historical contemplative practices of Christian mystics like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. Leaning into their experiences can become

Meditation & Contemplation

Contemplative Interbeing offers workshops and retreats to fits your group’s specific needs. For those willing to learn the practice of Christian meditation, Centering Prayer, please contact us to schedule a workshop or retreat. At the bottom of this page are four videos to help introduce meditation and contemplation. You can read more about the brains role in meditation and contemplation

Practices

Spiritual practices are not activities to add to your busy schedule or crowded “to do” list. They are not confined to a special place or time. They are what you do every day. They are how you wake up and come alive to the spiritual reality all around you. Practice is the path we travel on our spiritual journey, so

Admitting that you are co-creating the culture

Talking about ‘us’ and ‘them’ like our lives aren’t intertwined is archaic. Thinking your own religion or party or nation has all the right answers is foolhardy and arrogant. Not admitting that you are co-creating the culture you live in is irresponsible. Our problems are rooted in the notion of separateness, while our solutions are suspended in the field of

Wellspring Center

Wellspring Center for Spiritual Wholeness is a small group gathering to support your spiritual growth. …a wellspring inside of you, welling up into limitless life. John 4:14 No matter your religious leanings, there’s something undeniably healing about breaking away from daily routines and listening inward. No doubt we all need a break now and then from the constant barrage of

Perennial Tradition

We find ourselves drawn to the idea of the “perennial tradition” – the constant themes and truths that seem to recur across all the world’s great spiritual and wisdom traditions when they reach their deepest and most mature expression. There is something undeniably powerful about recognizing the core metaphysical principles that these diverse traditions point toward – a divine reality

Inner Life 6

We stand in awe at the profound realization that the sense of right and wrong is woven into the very fabric of our being as human creatures. It is not merely an external set of rules imposed upon us, but an internal compass that guides us through the ethical terrain of life. This moral awareness is our birthright, a gift

Inner Life 5

We are beings who long for affirmation and approval at the deepest levels. From the earliest days of our lives, we instinctively seek the nod of those around us – first our parents and family, then our friends and peers as we grow older. Their approval allows our sense of self to blossom and take shape. We feel we belong,