Enneagram Type 5 and Spiritual Practices In the nature of type five, let’s get right to the point. Fives are good with routine, and getting things done in their own time, and their own space. They appreciate directness and don’t like getting bogged down with feelings. Let’s talk about enneagram type 5 and spiritual practices that will allow them to grow more than they ever thought possible. Predictability is something type fives love. They like knowing what to expect and having a plan for their day. How does this work into spiritual practices? Having the strengths of planning, researching, and being prepared makes type five more likely to plan and stick to a spiritual practice. I wanted to make a note of this, because this is a huge positive that sometimes gets over looked. However, we are not going to stay in the type five’s comfort zone. Growth doesn’t live their. We want to seek out growth whenever we have the strength to. enneagram type 5 and spiritual practices Yoga I know we just talked about yoga on the bonus post last week (you can read it here:) 5 spiritual practices everyone should try However… it is worth revisiting, especially for type fives. The two things that type 5 needs most from spiritual practice is: getting in touch with feelings getting in touch with their body Yoga combines these two things beautifully. Specific words are spoken to evoke certain emotions, combined with movement that allows you to connect with your body at the same time. Type five tends to stay in their head. They enjoy researching, analyzing, and logical thinking patterns. The biggest move for fives is from head to body. It feels uncomfortable and foreign at first for a five to really feel connected and IN their body. Yoga can assist this situation and make it feel more natural. The words give those head heavy fives something to think about and focus on. They can grasp onto yoga intellectually to begin. This is really a doorway to transformation. The second biggest move for fives is from head to heart. Information is again, the way to their feelings. Viewing feelings as simply “more information,” can certainly help type five understand and get in touch with feelings. During a yoga practice, many feelings will come up. Welcome them. Get curious. Why am I feeling this way? What is this feeling about, or what is it leading me toward? Breathe. Yoga practice incorporates powerful breath that will help fives get in touch with their bodies. What is deep breathing and how is it helpful? Many of us forget to breathe deeply. You might catch yourself breathing shallow throughout your day, or even holding your breath by accident. Stress and anxiety cause us to breathe in these patterns that actually increase our stress and anxiety! Taking just a few deep, full belly breaths can lower blood pressure, and tell the brain to stop releasing those toxic chemicals into our bodies that make us feel stress! Deep Breathing Deep breathing involves active, conscious, deep belly breaths that activate the diaphragm and allow for maximum air flow for each breathing cycle. It is also slower, and longer than unconscious breathing, and can be held between intake of breath and the release of the breath. Breathing also encompasses a vital source- energy. Practicing deep breathing brings more oxygen to your body’s cells, in turn, creating more energy. Benefits There are many benefits to practicing deep breathing. Just to name a few: reduced stress, lower anxiety, a boost in respiratory performance, promotes emotional well-being, and regulates the nervous system. Any one of those benefits from this list are worth taking a few minutes to practice deep breathing. The practice of yoga and deep breathing is the perfect fit for enneagram type 5 (and definitely benefits all of us too)! Start your path to well-being with these practices today! Three to five times a week is a good plan for a yoga practice. I know that those fives out there can do it! get out of your comfort zone and into your body today! Commit to giving this practice a chance! You are worth it! Thanks for reading! Want a getaway that includes daily yoga, meditation, and enneagram training? We want you at the Release & Reset Retreat! Check out the details with the button below: Getaway Special! You might also like: Enneagram Type 5 and Fictional Characters The Enneagram and Spiritual Practices Check out the informative printables in the shop! All things enneagram! Enneagram Printables! Yes, Please!
5 Spiritual Practices Everyone Should Try (Bonus Post) There are so many spiritual practices, it is hard to just choose just a few to focus on. We have been pairing specific practices with specific enneagram types throughout this series, but today, I wanted to give you a bonus post. 5 Spiritual practices that everyone should try to incorporate in their lives. Of course, I could have added a ton to this list, but I wanted to choose just 5 that are deeply meaningful. Anyone can add one or more of these practices to see positive changes in their lives. Forgiveness Music Yoga Art Morning/Evening Questions Forgiveness First, let’s talk about forgiveness. Everyone is familiar with the concept, but few are acting it out in their lives. What does it mean to forgive? And why is it so important that we include this spiritual practice in our daily lives? Forgiveness is about letting go. It’s also about YOU. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, when you say, I don’t want to carry this anymore, I’m putting this heavy thing down. I am free of it. The perspective and ownership of the practice is what makes it work, like many others. You have the power to begin a healing process when you take control of a situation with forgiveness. It’s not about the other person. You will never be able to control them, but you can always control yourself. How you hold on to things, how you perceive things, and also how you put boundaries around things are yours to control. Forgiveness allows you to let go of what is hurting you and holding you back. Boundaries allow you to be loved better, and to love others better. Forgetting is never the point. All experiences move us toward learning the lessons in life we are meant to learn. The sooner we embrace this, the better. 5 spiritual practices everyone should try Forgiveness Practice Tip If there is someone in your life who you are having a really hard time forgiving, I have a practice for you to try. First, practice forgiving yourself. How can you forgive others, if you haven’t forgiven yourself? Is there something you are holding on to that you feel shameful about? Where do you need forgiveness for yourself in your life? Is it around your parenting? Your relationships? Your workplace? Whatever it is… let go. Forgive. Be kind to yourself first. Next, forgive someone you deeply love. Forgiving someone you love comes pretty natural. You value this relationship and you want to make amends. Even if it’s something small, practice forgiving them. Don’t hold wrongs against them. Let them know that you are putting down whatever was between you. >>>Ahhhh… <<< sigh, that feels good. That weight is lifted. Relationship mended. Now, move on to forgiving an acquaintance. A co-worker who bad-mouthed you, someone at your gym who didn’t wipe down the machine, these are small instances, but shouldn’t be left to fester. As you practice forgiving even the tiniest things that felt harmful to you, something amazing begins to happen… A “lightness” of spirit, a feeling of goodness washes over you. The more you do this, the easier it gets, and the more likely you will keep doing it. Finally, it’s time to forgive that person who deeply hurt you. This wasn’t just a snub, or a rude comment, this person did something that you had named unforgiveable. Can you do it? Really let go? Your practice will help, and experience tells you that you’ll feel better even though you thought this person didn’t deserve forgiveness. Who does deserve forgiveness? Do you? Does the person you love deserve forgiveness? How about that acquaintance, do they deserve it? Remember, it’s not about them. It’s about YOU. And those gross, grudge feelings are getting heavy. It’s time to put them down. They aren’t serving you. Forgive. And then keep forgiving. Just think, what a beautiful world we could have, if everyone put down their heavy burdens of wrongs done against them? What if we forgave everyone- everything? You DO deserve it. 5 spiritual practices everyone should try Music I want to talk about music as a spiritual practice, because I believe it is one of the few lasting things that touches mind, body, and spirit. Even if you don’t have musical talent, music has the power to reach you on a very deep level. Can you think of a song that made you cry? What about one that made you dance, or turn up the volume with the windows down? Have you ever thought about what is going on here? It’s about connection. The words the artist used, or the way the music sounded, or the specific beat, spoke to you. It made you feel something. You related. As if the artist described something in a way so beautiful and succinct, that it was like they read your mind and soul. I know you’ve experienced this. It can be even more moving, if you can create the music yourself. This isn’t possible for everyone, but if this is you… play every day! The mind, body, spirit connection here is so strong and beautiful. At the very least, make yourself a few playlists. Choose one for each mood, or type of feelings you feel. Find songs that inspire you and put them all together. You could even incorporate this into some of your other practices. Pay attention to what feelings come up for you while listening to certain songs. Let this be a jumping off point for you to get curious about what is going on with you. Music can be a great opener for awareness, and a release of emotions. Sometimes you won’t even know you were feeling something until a certain song comes on. And then, BOOM! it hits you! This is the moment. Ask yourself questions. Why am I feeling this? What is it about this song made me feel this way? Is there something else going on that I need to deal with? Yoga I am in no way a “Yogi.” But I do love yoga. I love that it is a forgiving, contemplative practice. It only requires you to show up, and try. This is great news in a world that seems to ask everything else of us. “Achieve,” “Be Perfect,” “Look Perfect,” “Be the Best,” these messages are not only discouraging, but impossible. Yoga, on the other hand, in it’s very nature is a practice. Furthermore, with continued dedication, the practice becomes part of you. Some days you are more flexible than others. There is time to think, breathe, take in the good you want to keep within you. It can also be a time to let go. The connection in yoga, is also one of mind and body. (This is important for everyone, but especially for enneagram types that are in the withdrawn stance- types 4,5, & 9). This practice will help you feel grounded, centered, and positive. Art Art isn’t just for the artistically gifted. The practice of art can be hugely rewarding for anyone. Paint. Doodle. Arrange flowers. Break some pottery, then create a mosaic. Frost a cake. Sew a pillowcase with lovely fabric. Color. Knit a scarf. Paint your nails. Try paper mache’. It’s about beauty, but mostly it’s the experience of creating that reaches the soul. Pick something, anything that gets you to use your hands and create. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even good. The point is that you reach a particular part of you that needs to express through art. As you know, there are many types of art. Choose the one that speaks to you, or try something you’ve never tried before. This will open you up in ways you maybe haven’t realized before. Connecting with something from the creative side is life changing. This could be something you plan to do once a week, or once a month. Decide to try art as a regular practice however often you can. I enjoy using an art journal that gives me prompts on things to try. There is no wrong way to be an artist. Morning/Evening Questions If you have struggled to start a journaling practice, begin small with the simple idea of morning and evening questions. You could also add these to your already existing journal practice. In the morning, think of two things only. Pain, and desire. What is causing you pain? Is there something heavy in your life? Are you worried about something or someone? Write down your pain. It could be one word, one sentence, or a whole page. The important thing is to get it down. This practice alone, releases some of that stress and worry just by putting it down on paper. Then, focus on your desire. What are you hoping for your day? Is there something you are really looking forward to? Are there things you really want to happen today? How will you follow your joy and your passions today? Write down your desires. If you could choose one thing you want to do, to be, to have, today, what would that be? Make this your goal, and your focus for the day. It could be as simple as a mindset you are striving for. Write it down. This will guide your day, and keep you positive, knowing you have a desire and a hope for your day. Evening When the day is done, its time to let go and be thankful. It’s over. You did the best that you could do. Take some reflective time and think about what you are grateful for. What made you smile today? Did a small act of kindness impact you today? Have you reached a small goal, or let go of something you were holding on to? These are things to be grateful for. Keep it small. We rarely have days when some magnificent, sweeping, dramatic thing happens to us. It’s the little things that add up to a beautiful life. A look of love from across the room, the touch of a hand, the smell of your favorite flowers in bloom, you perfect drink- made just right, a close parking spot, a small accomplishment, a warm embrace, a cool breeze, your favorite song with the windows down… And a hundred more tiny moments in your life that are worth noting, reflecting upon, and taking the time to be grateful for. This practice will help you sleep better, and you’ll find yourself looking for the tiny blessings throughout your day that you will want to write down later. Thank you for reading! I know this was a much longer blog post than I usually do. It is my hope that in giving you these bonus practices they will add meaning to your life no matter your number! I hope you will give some of them a try! Live inspired! You might also like: How Do you Create A Space For Your Spiritual Practice? The Enneagram and Motivations Yes! I want the 9 Types Overview Packet!
