Transcending Type with Enneagram 8, Sandra Smith
In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Sandra Smith, longtime Enneagram teacher and author of The Enneagram Map to Your Deeper Self: Living Beyond Your Type. Sandra shares her personal journey of discovering her leading type as Eight, the transformative role the Enneagram has played in her personal growth, and how she now teaches the system as a map toward presence and inner freedom rather than just a typing tool. They explore how they work with clients and teams, how to utilize other points on the map, and how embodied presence can open the door to deeper truth. Sandra also offers type-specific practices from her book to help listeners move beyond their ego habits.
With over 24 years of teaching experience, author, consultant, and teacher Sandra Smith weaves her background in business and non-profits with her theological education to offer a practical and compassionate exploration of the Enneagram’s nine types. An accredited International Enneagram Association Professional (IEA) and certified in the Narrative Enneagram Tradition, Sandra began teaching the Enneagram in 2001, inviting curiosity and compassion to guide the inward turn in exploring the foundational question, “Who Am I?” Her understanding of the nine types has evolved over the years through her work in corporations, non profits, faith communities, as well as with individuals.
Sandra co-created and co-hosts the podcast, Heart of the Enneagram, that explores dimensions of the nine unique Enneagram perspectives through interviewing guests of all nine types and co-authored its companion book, Heart of the Enneagram: A Companion for Deepening Personal and Spiritual Growth. Her book, "The Enneagram Map to Your Deeper Self: Living Beyond your Type" is now available by Hampton Roads Publishing as of September 3, 2024.
Learn more about her work by visiting her website AlchemyWorksEvents.com.
🔗 Connect with Sandra Smith!
📷 Sandra’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrasmithalchemyworks/
💻 Sandra’s Website: https://alchemyworksevents.com/
🔗 Connect with Stephanie!
💻 Stephanie’s Website: https://ninetypes.co/
📷 Stephanie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninetypesco
🎥 Stephanie’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephbarronhall
Here are the key takeaways:
Sandra shares her journey of encountering the Enneagram and finding her core type
The Enneagram is a map, not a box—your type is just the beginning of your journey
Stephanie and Sandra talk about working with organizations
Sandra talks about utilizing the arrows and the wings
Presence arises when we’re grounded in the body and emotionally open
Type patterns begin early and form limiting habits, but can be softened through awareness
Moments of awe reveal our essence
Sandra offers practical, embodied advice tailored to each type to help interrupt habitual defenses
We are more than our type—transcending our personality opens us to compassion and freedom
Spiritual wholeness comes through embodied presence, not self-fixing
How to connect with Sandra
A Practice for Each Enneagram Type
Sandra breaks down one practice that each type can do to help move beyond the limitations of the type.
Type 1 – Practice Sabbath. Take time weekly to follow your heart’s desire instead of your inner critic’s shoulds.
Type 2 – Ask someone for something small each day. Build the courage to name your own needs.
Type 3 – Take short moments of stillness daily to check in with your emotions. Let breath and presence interrupt your productivity drive.
Type 4 – Focus on facts over feelings. When emotions arise, ask: What are the real facts, not just the story?
Type 5 – Say thank you three times a day to notice generosity and connection in your life.
Type 6 – Keep a success journal. Write down good decisions and accomplishments daily to build trust in yourself.
Type 7 – Follow someone else’s lead without changing the plan. Let go of needing to reinvent or control.
Type 8 – Use the word “later” to practice waiting and softening your instinct to act quickly or forcefully.
Type 9 – Ask: Who would you be if harmony were a given? Explore ways you hide behind comfort and merge with others.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Work from Sandra Maitri
Work from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Heart of the Enneagram podcast (co-hosted by Sandra Smith)
Poetry by Hafiz, Mary Oliver, Rumi, David Whyte, John O’Donohue, Denise Levertov
This Week’s Guest Pick:
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Enneagram Resources for you!
Want to keep learning about the Enneagram? Grab Steph’s new book, Enneagram in Real Life! Find the book, ebook, or audiobook wherever books are sold.
Want to keep the conversation going? Join me on Instagram @ninetypesco to keep learning and chatting about how our types show up in REAL LIFE! Connect with me here: https://www.instagram.com/ninetypesco/?hl=en
Learn more about subtypes! Download my free subtypes guide here.
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