The Hidden Gifts of the Enneagram: Reconnecting with Your Essential Quality

Enneagram -

The Hidden Gifts of the Enneagram: Reconnecting with Your Essential Quality

The dance between passion, fixation, and essential quality

 

The Concept of Essential Qualities in the Enneagram

A few months ago, I started reading into Russ Hudson’s theory on essential qualities. His audiobook, The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence, is an incredibly rich resource!

The gist of it is, each Enneagram number possesses an “essential quality” or “gift” that other numbers cannot access as easily. It is something that you’re inherently connected to, but begin to lose touch with as you develop your own ego/personality in childhood. Once we feel the missingness of that quality, we work to find our way back to it in any way possible. This usually results in us unconsciously manufacturing a fake version of our original essential quality or gift; keeping us even more stuck in the long run.

 

Rediscovering Your Essential Quality Through Presence

The true way to get back in touch with our essential quality is to focus on being present and in the moment. The wonderful thing is, our essential quality is never actually out of our reach, it’s only hiding underneath our ego patterns. Being present is a skill that can be cultivated, allowing us to become aware of and step outside of our personality patterns.

 

The Ego’s Role in Keeping Us Stuck

When we aren’t fully present in the moment, the ego patterns that we have developed have all the say. Instead of embodying our Essential Quality, we reactively turn our attention to the passion (The emotional addiction) and the fixation (The mental addiction) of our Enneagram number. And, when those patterns are running the show, we actually get further and further away from our essential quality.

 

The Essential Quality of Your Enneagram Number

Enneagram 1: Alignment
Ability to make sense out of the big picture and find dignity in both the “good” and the “bad.”

Enneagram 2: Tenderness
Loving connection with themselves and others. An innate ability to help when someone is suffering.

Enneagram 3: Meaning
Ability to access their inherent worth and bring meaning to the things they do.

Enneagram 4: Depth/Mystery
Intimate connection to the deep and mysterious parts of themselves and life.

Enneagram 5: Knowing/Clarity
Full body, heart, and mind realization of what is true.

Enneagram 6: Guidance/Readiness
Inner guidance and readiness to move forward and face what life brings.

Enneagram 7: Openness/Freedom
Willingness to take part in whatever comes their way. A feeling that life is always presenting new possibilities.

Enneagram 8: Aliveness/Empowerment
Feeling of powerfulness in the present moment, tuned into everything around them.

Enneagram 9: Groundedness/Presence
A sense of connectedness to themselves and their place in the world, just as they are.

 

Ready to Reconnect with Your Essential Quality?

Understanding and embodying your essential quality can transform your life. If you’re feeling stuck in ego patterns and want to explore how to reclaim your true essence, I’m here to help. Let’s work together to cultivate presence and break free from the limiting patterns of your Enneagram type.

The best way I’ve learned to connect with my own essential quality AND access the essential qualities of other Enneagram numbers, is through meditation. Being present and focusing your heart, mind, and body on reclaiming that essential quality is more powerful than you might think.

If you’re interested in learning more, I have a course called The Embodied Enneagram: A Guided Meditation Series, that walks you through teachings and meditations to help you get in touch with the essential quality of each Enneagram number.

If you ever have questions about the Enneagram, mental health, therapy, etc., please email me at hello@michaelshahan.com or DM on Instagram @michaelshahan_therapy. You can also book a therapy appointment or an Enneagram coaching session on my website.

 

Reflecting on Your Enneagram Type’s Essential Quality:
What do you think about your number’s essential quality? Does it resonate with you?

Disclaimer: Some of this language is from Russ Hudson, the rest is my own interpretation of his commentary on this topic.


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