Caryn Berley, Life Coach & Enneagram Professional

For anyone interested in a free drop-in discussion on inner work, relationships, or any topics you bring through the lens of the Enneagram, I'll be co-hosting an Almost Ennea-Thing tomorrow. Feel free to share with friends.

Almost Ennea-Thing: A Drop-In Virtual Enneagram Discussion Join us for Almost Ennea-Thing: A laid-back online Enneagram discussion where all who are curious are welcome!

Great article on what to do with our gut impulses, even when they’re “not objective”.

There was a New York Times article a while back that basically said most of our impulses are not trustworthy and cautioned readers about the pitfalls of felt sense impulses. But they were assuming gut feelings should be able to answer specific questions related to decision-making with accuracy. I’m paraphrasing from memory, but I believe they looked at studies where participants relied on their intuition in a situation where there was a right and wrong answer. The conclusion was like, well, this type of knowing clearly can’t be trusted.

The article made me angry. The gut shouldn’t be condemned for not acting like the head. It’s got a different role to play in our ability to know things. I think it’s a mistake to dismiss it in these grounds.

The article I’m posting here offers, in my opinion, a much better argument: that our impulses help us know ourselves better and are absolutely worth listening to.

This is the work I do. Holding space for people to deeply listen to themselves, noticing how they have learned to interpret what they find, and inviting them to slow down the process so they are acting in alignment with their multiple ways of knowing.

“But when my ‘gut feelings’ are thrown off balance — listening to them isn’t helpful, surely?” A little bit or well into our growth journey (that is, life), some people realise that their gut feelings aren’t always that well informed — that previous experiences have warped their instinctual sense of what’s a threat and what isn’t. Of what’s an actual need and what’s a off-balance ...

What a wonderful conversation between two of my dear colleagues, teachers, and friends, Kate Sanderson Holly and Andrew Lang! You are both brilliant and I’m grateful to know and get to work with you! 🥹

Introspection As Community Care with Andrew Lang Listen to this episode from The Space Beyond Scarce on Spotify. Kate interviews educator and author Andrew Lang. They talk about: ✨ Scarcity mindset as a disconnection from our own inherent dignity. ✨ Practices for cultivating a rich inner life. ✨ The importance of depth and introspection to s...

Today is technically the first day of the global conference and it’s already been such a rich experience, starting in the airport when I almost didn’t realize I was sitting next to !

Already through the welcome events, I’ve introduced myself to teachers I’ve learned from from afar and gotten hugs from people I’ve connected with intimately but only ever seen in tiny Zoom boxes.

I reconnected with a handful of the Somatic Enneagram crew I went deep with last year and .gilbert.3348 facilitated a beautiful morning of movement and music.

I even bumped into a couple of people who were there at my first intensives in person in 2020! (not pictured)

Taking in everyone’s height and 3D bodies has filled me with so much joy. And we’re just getting started!

On Sunday I’ll be co-hosting a free event with where we’ll dive into some foundations of the nervous system, somatic experiencing, and how we can integrate the Enneagram in this deeply impactful work.

We’ve both experienced the profound healing that comes from making space for the body’s natural intelligence to shine through, both personally and through guiding our clients. We’re looking forward to sharing some of the key components along with live demonstrations for you to see it in action and plenty of space for Q & A.

I hope you see you there!

Times for Almost Ennea-Thing have shifted! We’re now meeting 1st and 3rd Thursdays @ 11am and 2nd and 4th Mondays @ 5pm (pacific).

I created Almost Ennea-Thing as an informal discussion space to invite folks into conversation about the Enneagram, inner work, interpersonal dynamics, and whatever else is alive in real time.

We start by going over a few guiding principles and centering. Then folks bring conversation topics forward and we address however many we have time for.

We are all students and all teachers.

This is a pay-what-you-want offer and no one is turned away.

I’ve been blown away by the richness of some of these conversations and deeply grateful to connect with others who are looking inward in this way.

This has been a beautiful experiment and I’m committed to hosting through May. I’m not sure whether or how it may continue after that, so if you’re curious about it, I highly recommend you block off some time on your calendar and stop by. I’d love to have you!

When you sign up at carynberley.com/almost, I’ll send you the Zoom link. Calls are not recorded but folks on the contact list will get any relevant resources based on that week’s conversation so you can continue learning whether you attended or not.

On Saturday, my inner child got very excited about the idea of making blueberry pancakes.

Except it wasn’t breakfast time. I told her we could do it tomorrow. She was a little disappointed.

The next day, we were both excited about blueberry pancakes. I looked up how to see if my baking powder that says it expired in 2021 was still any good, and we ran a mini science experiment. It was still good!!

But my stomach wasn’t interested in pancakes. And I had somewhere to be, so there wasn’t enough time. I felt guilty. She had been so excited. Was I letting her down?

But then I remembered that good parents don’t drop everything to do what their child wants. They honor their feelings and use discernment to make the best decisions they can, knowing what they know. They get busy and forget or mess up and then they acknowledge everyone’s experience and do repair work. They communicate and partner with their child to set up the best possible experience for everyone involved.

So I told her: “I love your idea and your excitement. I’m excited about it, too. It was sad that we didn’t get to do it yesterday. We’re going to make it a priority and when the time is right, we will absolutely make pancakes. I want us to check in with our tummy and our schedule to line things up so we can really enjoy the experience. You can even let me know when you think it might be a good time and we’ll check in about it.”

She felt heard and trusted that I was sincere. She decided she was willing to be patient and, with a better understanding of what met the criteria of being “the right time,” she took it upon herself to be on the lookout for an opening.

She nudged me that afternoon and pointed out that it could be the right time. So together, we made pancakes on Sunday afternoon, around 3pm. They were delicious.

🚀 GIVEAWAY 🚀
One ticket to Friday's inaugural event!

If you've been on the fence, and want to join us, this is the perfect opportunity to join us for FREE!

We have designed this event for business people from all industries to collaborate and connect. The goal is for everyone to walk away feeling empowered, motivated, and inspired to step into your own individual power to elevate yourself in work and in life.
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RULES:
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+ Tag:
Two people who would love this event

+ Share:
For one additional entry
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Winner will be announced THURSDAY morning, February 22

Keep in mind this event is this Friday, February 24 from 9am-5pm in person in Gig Harbor, WA.

GOOD LUCK! 🤞

* Included: coffee & breakfast snacks, lunch and happy hour.

I’m really excited to be facilitating some deep Enneagram-informed processes in real life (aka in-person) at the end of the month! We’re going to spend all day exploring how we can each show up more authentically as OURSELVES in our work lives, relationships, and beyond. Plus great food and wonderful company and a beautiful location!! We’re keeping it small and we only have a few spots left so check out the event page ASAP if the event speaks to you.

(The 🔗 is in my b io along with some other new goodies 👀)

Engaging the Enneagram: Reducing Reactivity & Living from Essence starts tomorrow.

Learn more at carynberley.com/engage

[Subscribers to my newsletter, Mindful Musings, will be getting a free downloadable resource on this topic tomorrow morning!]

I've got space in my calendar today and tomorrow if you've got questions or just want to feel me out. DM me and we'll find a time to chat!

I’m really excited to share my new offering with you. I have been working with this material in myself and with my clients and there’s something special about learning in a group where we can practice together, share, and be witnessed. If you’ve been looking to work with me or become more engaged in your Enneagram work, this is the best place to start!

Engaging the Enneagram is a 5-week live program beginning November 10th that incorporates Enneagram theory with experiential practices. Each week, I’ll teach on a component of the Universal Growth Process, facilitate activities to deepen comprehension, and hold space for sharing and discussion. This process is designed to support you in getting radically honest about how we get caught in old patterns, cultivating compassion for why we do so, and reducing the reactivity that keeps us stuck in cycles of dissatisfaction so we can expand our expression, integrate our insights, and welcome our wholeness. Recordings of the live calls and additional resources will be available to all participants.

You can sign up now! Comment or send any questions you have my way - I’ll be sharing more about this over the next couple of weeks!