“Something new arises here.“ -Russ Hudson

Reflections from the IEA Global Conference

At the end of July, we joined hundreds of Enneagram practitioners from around the world at the International Enneagram Association Global Conference in Minneapolis. It was our first time attending in person, and the experience left us full of insight, gratitude, and a renewed sense of why this work matters.

Here are our reflections — two perspectives from a week that continues to ripple in our hearts and lives.

From Jill;

I was considered an IEA first-time attendee and felt welcomed and deeply warmed. In all honesty, the best and most beautiful parts of the IEA conference were the people – hands down. I could name at least ten who moved the needle of wisdom in my life significantly either through sharing space together or a generous reflection of their own wisdom. The honesty and authenticity were refreshing, and for a heart that needed it, balm.

Three quotes stand out to me that mirror my journey there…

“The best things come from the biggest mistakes.” — Suzanne Stabile

My life now seems peppered with mistakes, real or imagined, and I am fighting so hard to ‘correct’ them. As a person deeply committed to responsibility, this idea gives me great pause — to stop ‘correcting’ them seems somehow not quite right in my mind. As a S06, this is exactly the place I should not be doing primary battle with that defence system.

The IEA Global emphasis on ‘experiencing’ the Enneagram allowed me space to step outside my dominant centre and enter into deeper body wisdom. I found truer ways of seeing the same story set before me. I needed a new pathway to my heart — and through my ‘mistakes’ — and hope definitely expanded.

“This is not who you are (Enneagram number) – rather this is what you need to pay attention to. Who you ARE will take care of the rest.” — Russ Hudson

There is a good story unfolding exactly as it should. I get to show up and know wisdom will be there regardless of which spaces I find myself in. I have everything I need for the journey — may I choose stillness and remembrance in equal measure. Less about what I need to learn, and more about what I already have in abundance.

“I am my ancestors’ wildest dream.” — Milton Stewart

This one hit me in ‘the place before tears.’ To feel the joy of belonging to something greater than now, and the hope that something has gone very right — was the most beautiful gift of imagination. This is hard work, but we do it not only for our now but for those who came before us and those who will carry on after us. Let’s goooooo!

Nutshell for Jill: Stay in the spaces you are given and with the story that has been faithfully unfolding. Nothing will go to waste. Continue to look for the truer story of you. Wait, wonder, and wrestle your way to this ‘third’ way. It is a very good story.

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From Tamara;

Something New Arises Here.

I attended my first International Enneagram Association Global Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the end of July, and I’m still integrating everything it stirred in me.

The highlight? Being in the same room as “friends on the path” — people I’ve known and learned from for years, but only through screens — now shoulder to shoulder in real life. As Russ Hudson reminded us, “Why are we here? We can’t find that out outside of community.”

Throughout the week, I was deeply moved by teachers who live what they teach. Russ offered the three lines of the work:

·      Work on the self

·      Meet each other in the suffering

·      Influence from finer consciousness

Each session sparked new insight. A few that stood out:

·      Vertical development stages with Claire Williams and Nikki Schultz — shaping how I see the Enneagram’s role in leadership depth and maturity.

·      Virtue and instinct integration with Ginger Lapid-Bogda — a powerful approach to inner work.

·      Power and authority with Chloe Keric-Eli — how we give it away, and how to reclaim it.

As Russ said on Day 1: “Something new arises here.” I can feel it. Awareness, acceptance, and expansion — this is the Enneagram. This is why we’re here.

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From both of us;

Attending the IEA Global Conference reminded us of the power of gathering in community — to learn, to be challenged, to feel seen, and to remember why this work matters. We came home with fresh insights, full hearts, and renewed commitment to the journey. Something new truly has arisen here, and we’re excited to see where it leads.

— Jill & Tamara