Movement Therapy & Somatic Interventions per Enneagram Triad

Now, let’s look at movement-based interventions for each Enneagram triad, addressing autonomic regulation, body armoring, and emotional processing.

1. Gut Triad (Types 8, 9, 1) → Instinctual Energy Regulation

💡 Goal: Restore fluidity in fight-flight-freeze dynamics to balance between over-control (Type 8, 1) and under-activation (Type 9).

Type	Stuck Pattern	Autonomic Regulation Focus	Movement Therapy
Type 8 ("Boss")	High sympathetic, rigid control	Increase interoception & emotional access	Slow, weighted isometric holds → Tai Chi flow → Partnered breath synchronization
Type 9 ("Nobody")	Dorsal vagal shutdown, collapse	Rebuild fight energy & body presence	Dynamic weight shifts → Stomping drills → Voice activation ("HA!" breathwork)
Type 1 ("Judger")	Over-controlled, suppressed energy	Unlock diaphragm & reduce rigidity	Spinal waves → Pelvic rocking → Breath-led shaking

✅ Example Sequence for Gut Types (8, 9, 1):

1. Grounding Activation → Barefoot weight shifting, full-body shaking (activating leg strength).
2. Core Release → Spinal undulations, pelvic tilts, breathwork to reduce control patterns.
3. Fight/Assertive Activation → Pushing against a wall (Type 9), Controlled striking into a pad (Type 8), Releasing perfectionistic tension (Type 1).
4. Integration → Slow body scan, noticing postural shifts.

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2. Heart Triad (Types 2, 3, 4) → Emotional Energy & Self-Worth Regulation

💡 Goal: Move from external validation-seeking to embodied self-worth, balancing chest, throat, and diaphragm tensions.

Type	Stuck Pattern	Autonomic Regulation Focus	Movement Therapy
Type 2 ("Possessive")	Oral longing, overreaching	Build internal containment	Weighted compression holds → Midline activation → Self-hugging breathwork
Type 3 ("Social Climber")	Rigid image control	Soften armored chest & allow fluid movement	Chest opening → Freeform movement → Mirror gazing without posing
Type 4 ("Self-Torturer")	Schizoid collapse + self-pity loops	Expand energy flow between core & periphery	Diagonal body stretches → Vocalization drills → Weighted walks

✅ Example Sequence for Heart Types (2, 3, 4):

1. Containment Activation → Weighted compression, diaphragmatic breathwork (for Type 2).
2. Chest & Voice Release → Humming, toning, soft chest rolling (for Type 3).
3. Expanding Presence → Full-body stretching, sound-based release (for Type 4).
4. Integration → Mirror work without adjusting posture, observing internal sensations.

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3. Head Triad (Types 5, 6, 7) → Cognitive-Somatic Integration

💡 Goal: Shift from mental overactivity & anxiety into grounded embodiment, breaking freeze-avoidance loops.

Type	Stuck Pattern	Autonomic Regulation Focus	Movement Therapy
Type 5 ("Misanthrope")	Schizoid detachment, hyper-intellectual	Increase body presence & warmth	Cold-to-warm contrast therapy → Skin brushing → Dynamic grounding drills
Type 6 ("Paranoid")	Masochistic-Oral anxiety, tension	Reduce hyper-vigilance, increase trust in movement	Weighted carries → Proprioceptive drills → Partnered rhythmic movement
Type 7 ("Addict")	Sympathetic overdrive, avoidance	Slow dopamine seeking & rewire pleasure in stillness	Long-held isometric positions → Controlled breath-holds → Fluid micro-movements

✅ Example Sequence for Head Types (5, 6, 7):

1. Tactile Stimulation → Skin brushing, hot-cold contrast therapy (Type 5).
2. Grounding Activation → Weighted walking, slow proprioceptive shifts (Type 6).
3. Slowing Excitation → Long-held poses, deep exhalation drills (Type 7).
4. Integration → Closing breath sequence, noticing mental quiet vs. body awareness.

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Summary: Movement Therapy by Enneagram Triad

Triad	Goal	Key Movements
Gut (8,9,1)	Instinct Regulation	Stomping, weighted resistance, core release
Heart (2,3,4)	Emotional-Somatic Balance	Chest opening, vocalization, containment holds
Head (5,6,7)	Cognitive-Somatic Integration	Skin brushing, proprioceptive drills, breath-based slowing