The Enneagram Studies Team offered a remarkable workshop, “The Enneagram, Loss and Grief – The Path to Transformation, Freedom, and Living Love” at the end of January, 2009.  It was held at Little House in Menlo Park, and 84 people attended. The workshop featured guest presenter and Conexions Advisory Board Member David Daniels, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medical School.  He was assisted by professional actress Megan Cole.

Megan began the workshop with a compelling presentation of her one-person version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play titles, “WIT” A Journey into the Lightness of Being,” which movingly presented the issues and themes inherent in death and dying.  Conversations in type groups followed, allowing people to share with those of their own type ways that were found to be effective in moving through grief to a place of healing.

After lunch David interviewed three panels for the whole group, one panel from each center, heart, mind, and body.  In working with the panelists, David emphasized the way each type can work with loss and grief to support healing, personal growth and well-being. It was masterfully done.

Each of us will know loss at some time in our lives. It can be the loss of a relationship, a job, our health, the death of a loved one or even our own death. The clear message from the workshop is that the experience of loss and grief, when embraced and moved through fully, can open us to growth and transformation and allow us to experience a full and loving life.

To learn more about the Enneagram system of personality types and find out about Enneagram courses you can take, go to our webpage.
 

By Jane Kroll, Conexions Enneagram Studies Instructor