Articles

Inner Observer Practice

excerpted from “Consciousness Ascending”

by Deborah Ooten, Ron Esposito, and Beth O’Hara

If we want to stop doing the things that keep us limited and suffering, we have to develop practices that support us in conscious shifting of our lives.  Our practices not only support our own evolution but evolution overall.  The more we loosen our individual constrictions, the more we are able to support and uplift everyone we come into contact with.  Practice is a positive feedback loop.

Releasing the Old, Welcoming the New: Tonglen for the New Year

By Beth O'Hara - January, 2012

January often feels like a relief after the frenzy and expectations that accompany the holidays. November and December are a time when stress runs high for many, reactivity can be easily triggered, and feelings quickly hurt. It can be heavy seeing the suffering of the world in those we know and love, in ourselves, and even in strangers.

Balance for Busy Times

By Kathleen Hartman Blackburn - December, 2011

Now that the Thanksgiving holidays have retreated into the past, we may find ourselves caught up in the heightened energy and momentum of the year’s end and more holiday times to come. Although life can seem perennially busy to many of us, this time can be especially hectic, with added social obligations, gatherings of family and friends, children’s school performances, religious services, volunteer opportunities, end of semester exams, job performance reviews, or end of year tax planning, to name a few. For some, there are the financial challenges that are ever present, due to unemployment or underemployment, but are felt more acutely at a time when our culture emphasizes buying and spending. And while some of our added responsibilities may include enjoyable activities, before long, we may find ourselves feeling exhausted, irritable, stressed or sick. What we especially need to navigate this time is BALANCE.

The Illusion of Separateness

By Dorothy Hatic - November, 2011

Dr. Deborah Ooten presented a workshop for intermediate to advanced participants interested in psycho-spiritual growth. I had the great pleasure and extraordinary experience of attending this workshop. It was a very profound and moving presentation highlighted by four video excerpts she used to illustrate what separates us from unity consciousness. 

The Soul Opener List

By Ron Esposito - October, 2011

In 1972 when I was living in Boston I started on the path of self-knowledge leading to becoming a mystic.  I was working as the assistant manager of The Jazz Workshop, the premiere jazz club in New England, and was living “the life.”

Happy, Healthy and Whole

By Deborah Ooten - September, 2011

In these changing times it is important to develop strategies for staying positive. Because we tend to want things in life to be certain, change can bring stress and unhappiness. If we keep our attention focused on the present moment we will be in the flow. Creating flow experiences in our life allows for a more present moment awareness that creates space and harmony for life to unfold without resistance.

Balancing Work, Play and Self-Care

By Deborah Ooten - August, 2011

At times, our lives take on a momentum of their very own and we live life at top speed. It is vital that we begin to slow down, take stock of how we spend our time and energy and look at what life has to offer us. Three areas of life: work, play and self-care, must remain in balance for us to be in optimal health.

Mystical Light

By Ron Esposito - June, 2011

I’ve been paging through “Sacred Mirrors” and “Transfigurations” two books of paintings by Alex Grey.  After viewing these works it is hard not to be convinced that we are the crown of creation like Jefferson Airplane intoned forty years ago.

Richard Rohr at the IEA Conference in Chicago

By Deborah Ooten
 
In preparation for the IEA 2006 Conference in Chicago I asked Richard
Rohr if he would be open to being interviewed for 9 Points. In my
Enneagram journey I had never met Richard and had only heard him on
audio tape.

Living Mindfully

By Deborah Ooten- April, 2011

 The Buddha spoke of “Four Noble Truths”
•    First Noble Truth: suffering exists
•    Second Noble Truth: suffering has causes
•    Third Noble Truth: happiness is possible
•    Fourth Noble Truth: there is a path that leads to happiness

For Khira, an Incredible Being and Teacher

By Beth O'Hara- March, 2011

I write this after we put my dog, Khira, to sleep today. In her canine life, Khira taught me that there is no death that is an ending. And in her new forms, she is teaching me that there is only Life. They say there really is no difference between God and Dog and Khira made me realize what that meant. This is a story of our life together that still goes on.

Opening To Music

By Ron Esposito- February, 2011

As a kid growing up in Youngstown, Ohio during the 1950’s and 60’s I was exposed to the glory of rock n’ roll and soul music heard on AM radio.  James Brown, the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Del Shannon, the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Motown, the Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield and the Ronettes were part of the soundtrack of my emotions.

Life As It Is

By Kathleen Hartman Blackburn - January, 2011

I remember well the first time I read the opening sentence in M. Scott Peck’s classic The Road Less Traveled:  “Life is difficult.” I was in my late twenties and had just received a cancer diagnosis in the same week that I had confirmation of a pregnancy.  I was experiencing shock, fear and dismay, wondering how this could be happening and why it was happening to me.

Remembering Ourselves: The Annual CLC Retreat

By Beth O'Hara - December, 2010

When 17 people live together to consciously observe and work on themselves, interesting results are guaranteed to occur. The fourth annual Conscious Living Center consciousness retreat taught by Deborah Ooten was held November 11-15 in the Smokies in an incredible cabin.  While we always have a fun time on this retreat, something much deeper always happens as well, though.

The Holy Ideas: Being and Everythingness

By Ron Esposito - November, 2010

The Holy Ideas of the Enneagram are in service to the alleviation of suffering and the recovery of our true nature through remembering our Essence qualities. The Holy Ideas remind us of who we truly are beyond our attachments and identification with the construct of the egoic mind. As we observe our attachments and defense of the ego we become aware of the ways that we suffer.

Presence

By Deborah Ooten - September, 2010

There are four states of presence, according to G.I. Gurdjieff, and each state is classified by an individual’s relative degree of consciousness. The first state of presence (or no presence) is SLEEP…it is a passive state in which we do nothing except regenerate energy. We spend our time in a “dream/imaginary” state, passively engaging in life…we are not the master of our journey, we are only reacting to what comes our way.

Levels of Consciousness and the Enneagram

By Deborah Ooten and Beth O'Hara - August, 2010

First published in The Enneagram Journal, Vol. 2, 2010, a peer-reviewed publication of the International Enneagram Association.

Our experience has shown that if the Enneagram is used as an isolated personality system, people can become more identified with their type rather than evolving. In Integral Psychology, Ken Wilber (2000) states that typology systems such as Meyers-Briggs, the Enneagram, and Jungian types are horizontal systems. While useful for self awareness, these systems do not describe the whole picture of human development. However, pairing a horizontal system like the Enneagram with a
vertical system of the stages and waves of the unfolding of human consciousness like Spiral Dynamics®, “you can start to see what a truly multidimensional psychology might look like” (Wilber, p. 54).

The Mind - Are you walking it or is it walking you?

By Beth O'Hara - July, 2010

Does it ever seem like there is such a clatter inside your mind that you can't focus at all? Or you just can't seem to get the latest Lady Gaga lyrics out of your head? Most of us have an incessant flow of thoughts that distract us from whatever we are doing, whether it is focusing on work, deeply listening to another, or simply being present to the blessings and beauty all around us.

Standing on the Edge

A Sixes Reflection on Fear and Courage

By Deanna Martin, MA, LPC - May, 2010

So you know that feeling you get when you stand on the edge of a cliff?  Well it is probably different for all the Enneagram types, but for me as a six on the Enneagram, the center of the fear triad, there is a tingling in my stomach, sweaty palms, frightful imaginations, and, yet at the same time there is a deep attraction to the edge.

Self-Observation: The Thinker Behind the Thought

By Ron Esposito - March 2010

In my experience, one of the keys to personal development and ultimately self-understanding is observing how your mind works, what your heart feels and what your body experiences. This self-observing faculty is essential for managing personality and our personal reactivity.

Welcoming Prosperity and Growth

By Beth O'Hara - February 2010

The transition from winter to spring is a time for creating new beginnings and fresh practices.  It is a time for incorporating different routines, changing habits, and hatching new ideas. 

Core Emotion of the Heart Types

By Deborah Ooten and Beth O'Hara - December, 2009

Bea Chestnut asked 2 insightful questions:  Why are there so many theories about the core emotion of the heart types, when there seems to be a consensus on the core emotions of the other two triads?  Which of the varied theories is correct or most helpful approach to understanding the underlying experience of the heart types?

As we started exploring these questions, we only came up with more questions.  The largest question is:  Is the Enneagram of Personality limited in its scope and has it gone off course?

Holiday Giving and Receiving

By Deborah Ooten - December, 2009

In Seven Laws of Spiritual Success, Deepak Chopra says “The universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe (God) circulating in our lives.”

Holiday Relationships Made Easier

By Deborah Ooten - November, 2009

As we go into the holiday season, the most difficult thing to manage can often be our relationships with one another, whether we are relating to our spouse, primary partner, children, parents or friends. Some basic rules of engagement are important to keep in mind as we eat, drink and make merry over the next couple of months.

School of Life

By Deborah Ooten - August, 2009

As we prepare to send our children back to school we might want to visit our own arena for learning, LIFE. As adults we are faced each and every day with opportunities for growing and learning about ourselves. The challenges that come to us are often in the form of attachments to thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The ways in which we relate to ourselves, others and to God often give us a great deal of feedback regarding issues, beliefs, and concerns that we need to shift or change.

Aspects of the Self

By Beth O'Hara - July, 2009

Ego, Mind, Heart, Gut, Body, Essence…We know we have all of these aspects in ourselves, but what do they mean?

Conscious Health and Healing

By Deborah Ooten - June, 2009

As I age, my attention goes more frequently to health and wholeness. Many of my friends, colleagues, and family members have begun to deal with illness—specifically, cancer. I am struck with the many different types of cancer and will focus on two to increase our awareness of these two types. I also want to encourage “conscious health and healing” and learning to respect the “inner physician” that resides in each and every one of us.

Unconditional Love

By Beth O'Hara - May, 2009

Unconditional love is something we all desire and aspire to, and yet many of us have rarely or never experience it. Have you ever felt completely loved for who you are without requirements of you to change?

Letting Go Consciously

By Deborah Ooten - April, 2009

Letting go is difficult. Whether we are talking about a season, an old habit or even a relationship, letting go is hard to do. Yet there comes a time in our lives when we know that something must be released for us to continue on the journey to wholeness.

Recover, Renew and Regenerate

By Deborah Ooten - March, 2009

Spring is the time that we begin to recover from the darkness of winter, renew our commitment to life and regenerate our desires for healthy and soulful living. When we think about 2008 and the difficulty and division that was generated nationally and globally, we can certainly see that recovery, renewal and regeneration are in order for the healing of the individual, community, nation and globe in the year 2009.

The Holy Ideas

By Ron Esposito - March, 2009

The ideas of Holy Perfection, Holy Will, Holy Law, Holy Origin, Holy Omniscience, Holy Faith, Holy Plan, Holy Truth and Holy Love are cornerstones of the mystical tradition that cut across all boundaries and dogma to reveal what is Real.

The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues

Book review by Ron Esposito - February, 2009

Maitri, in addition to being the author’s last name, is a Buddhist term for loving kindness for oneself, the prerequisite of compassion of others.

Response Versus Reaction

By Deborah Ooten - February, 2009

Relationships of any kind often have moments of difficulties. Many of these difficulties arise from a type of reactivity that occurs in each one of us. Reactions arise from body, mind, or heart centers of the individual. The reaction comes from that aspect of ourselves that we call the personality or the ego. The personality or ego is a defensive structure that we develop and put into place by the time we are about seven years old and then we spend the next 45 years or so perfecting the ego. Carl Jung says that after the first 50 years of our lives we attempt to disengage the ego/personality so that we can then interact with each other in a way that is more in line with our God Self or Higher Self.

Reflections and Resolutions

By Deborah Ooten - January, 2009

The New Year is generally a time to reflect back over the previous year, taking stock of what we have accomplished and reflecting on what we will work on to continue our growth. I believe it is best to organize the way we reflect into three categories or centers of being: body, mind and heart (or soul).

Being Present

By Deborah Ooten- December, 2008

Being present to ourselves, others and God is often difficult to do. Being present requires that we meet each and every event, situation, feeling, thought, and behavior in the present moment. It is important to realize that the past and the future really do not exist; all that exists is the present moment. Life exists only in the present moment and if you are not in that moment then life will pass you by.

The Inner Journey

By Deborah Ooten- November, 2008

There is a wisdom that resides inside all of us that is divinely connected to all that exists. This inner wisdom knows our deepest desires and what it will take for us to live a life that is fully expressed. To be fully expressed means that we are living in synch with the purpose for which we were intended. It means that we are living fully, healthfully and happily in all aspects of work, play and self-care. To be fully expressed means that we are not compromising in order to merely exist.

Deepening Consciousness Through the Body

By Beth O’Hara - October, 2008

We have 3 centers of intelligence: the head, the heart, and the instincts, which are all contained within the body. Increasing our consciousness is dependent on observing the habits and deepening our awareness of each center.

Conscious Play

By Deborah Ooten - October, 2008

The fall season is approaching and with it comes the need to reflect on how we play and prepare ourselves for this transitioning time of year. This is a time of winding down just before we begin to build back up for the holiday season. Adult play is sometimes very complicated and hard to achieve in our fast paced, striving centered culture.

Natural Cycles of Life

By Deborah Ooten - September, 2008

Like nature, people cycle through distinct seasons. Autumn is the season of "harvest" - it is a time when we turn our attention inward to reflect on what the year has brought us so far. It is also the time to take stock of what we need to carry us through the winter.

Transformations

By Deborah Ooten- September, 2008

Transformation is about making changes, sometimes dramatic changes. When we are looking at an individual human being, change occurs in only two ways, very slowly or through a traumatic incident .

Building Awareness with the Enneagram

By Ron Esposito - August, 2008

The Enneagram has been my main tool for self-study and spiritual growth over the past few years.  It is a psycho-spiritual personality assessment tool that shows the roadblocks that get in the way of experiencing wholeness with myself, others and God.

Balancing Work, Play and Self-Care

By Deborah Ooten - June, 2008

At times, our lives take on a momentum of their very own and we live life at top speed. It is vital that we begin to slow down, take stock of how we spend our time and energy and look at what life has to offer us. Three areas of life: work, play and self-care, must remain in balance for us to be in optimal health.

Pathways to Serenity

By Ron Esposito - May, 2008

Serenity: A feeling of calm; untroubled without worry, stress or disturbance.

Serenity, like happiness, is a by-product.  We can become more serene by practicing a number of mental and spiritual attitudes.  Like planting a garden, we will reap what we sow in consciousness.  Plant watermelons, get watermelons…  

Love

By Deborah Ooten - February, 2008

The month of February often conjures up the word LOVE. I wonder if we even know what the word means. We sometimes say things like, "I love my beer," or "I love gardening." To me this seems like a watering down of a very deep and meaningful expression of a sometimes rational and sometimes not-so-rational feeling.

John of God

By Deborah Ooten - September, 2007

I usually don’t say “yes” to things that are really outside my comfort zone. But I agreed to visit John of God, in Brazil. Little did I know what would occur, or the healing I would experience.