Loosening the Grip of Personality: Working with the Imbalance of Your Enneagram Center
One of the most profound gifts of the Enneagram is its teaching on the three centers of intelligence - Body (Instinct), Heart (Feeling), and Head (Thinking). Each of us has a dominant center that shapes our personality, but true transformation comes from recognizing the imbalance this dominance creates and learning to bring the other centers online. This is the path to living from our essence, rather than from the automatic patterns of our type.
Understanding the Imbalance
Russ Hudson describes how our personality forms around a survival-based imbalance of the centers. We tend to overuse one center, recruiting the others to serve its agenda, rather than allowing each to function in its natural, balanced way. For example, as a Type Five, Russ notes that his thinking center dominates, and his heart center is used primarily to make his thoughts more vivid, rather than for genuine emotional connection. The result is that the true gifts of the heart—empathy, warmth, and presence—are unavailable when they are pressed into the service of the head.
Source: My notes from a training with Russ Hudson
The Cost of Imbalance
When our dominant center co-opts the others, we lose access to the full range of human intelligence:
Body/Instinct: Meant for grounded presence and right action, but can become impulsive or inert when misused.
Heart/Feeling: Designed for authentic connection and emotional depth, but can become manipulative or hypersensitive when out of balance.
Head/Thinking: Provides clarity and analysis, but can spiral into anxiety and paralysis if overused.
The Patterns at Play
Each Enneagram type’s personality is shaped by a unique imbalance: the dominant center co-opts the other two, distorting their natural gifts. Growth involves recognizing this pattern and intentionally bringing the neglected centers back online, allowing for a more integrated and present way of being.
INSTINCTIVE CENTER (Body/Gut): Types 8, 9, 1
Core Issue: Anger/Rage
Imbalance: Over-reliance on instinctual energy, with the Heart and Head centers serving the needs of the Body.
FEELING CENTER (Heart): Types 2, 3, 4
Core Issue: Shame
Imbalance: Over-reliance on emotional intelligence, with the Body and Head centers serving the needs of the Hear
THINKING CENTER (Head): Types 5, 6, 7
Core Issue: Fear
Imbalance: Over-reliance on mental processes, with the Body and Heart centers serving the needs of the Head.
Key Principle from Russ Hudson:
“When we’re locked in our pattern, our backup center isn’t really available for what it’s for because it’s supporting what’s going on in our dominant center. The third center just drops out of significance.”
The Practice: Noticing and Loosening the Pattern
The first step is awareness. As Russ Hudson teaches, the Enneagram is about catching ourselves in the act—recognizing the automatic habits of our type as they arise. This isn’t about judging ourselves, but about bringing compassionate attention to our patterns. When we notice, “Oh, I’m in my head again,” or “I’m reacting from my gut,” we create a moment of choice.
“When we’re aware of our conditioning, it gives us choice… It’s the practice of being present with them that is the core, I think, of real Enneagram work.” — Russ Hudson
Bringing the Other Centers Online
Transformation happens as we intentionally engage the underused centers:
If you’re a Body type, practice naming your feelings and questioning your assumptions.
If you’re a Heart type, ground yourself in your physical sensations and slow down your thinking.
If you’re a Head type, drop into your body with movement or breath, and allow yourself to feel without analysis.
Russ Hudson emphasizes that activating the underdeveloped centers opens new possibilities for inner transformation. The goal is not to suppress your dominant center, but to allow all three to function in harmony, each in its rightful place.
Living from Essence
As we loosen the grip of personality, we begin to experience moments of presence—times when we’re not run by old patterns, but are alive to the fullness of our being. The Enneagram, in this light, is not a box but a dynamic map that leads us back to our true nature.
Practices to Try:
Centering Meditation: Spend a few minutes each day focusing on each center. Notice what’s easy, what’s hard, and where you feel most at home.
Journaling: After a challenging interaction, reflect: Which center was running the show? What would it have been like to bring in the others?
Body Scan or Movement: Especially for Heart and Head types, regular movement or somatic practices can help awaken the Body center.
The journey is ongoing. As Russ Hudson says, our patterns may never disappear completely, but each time we notice and choose presence, we reclaim a bit more of our essence.
