Community Retreat Day
In-Person, Open to All Familiar with The Enneagram
Saturday October 4th 2025 9:30a-5:30p
Southeast Portland
Southeast Portland
How The Enneagram Can Help through Our Lifespan Ages and Stages
Regardless of our age, every one of us is aging forward and always transitioning through different stages during life.
- How do you experience yourself now as opposed to when you were younger? How would you describe the issues important to you at this stage of life?
- How has your experience of your instinctual preferences changed? Is anything stronger, is anything diminished, anything missing/discovered? How has your experience of your type changed? Is anything stronger, is anything diminished, anything missing/discovered?
- How do your current life stage transitions have ease because of your natural style? How have your instinctual preferences and type helped or hindered your changing and aging processes over time? Is there more you are being asked to develop beyond what comes to you naturally?
- How might a community of others expand your awareness and skillset for the years ahead? What wisdom amongst us all can be communicated to those younger than us, to caregivers, family, partners and friends?
This community is open to join at anytime. It meets at the Oregon Coast in Spring and in Portland in Fall. All levels are welcome but this retreat day assumes a general familiarity with the system of instincts and types. Note: there is no food or coffee allowed in the retreat space. Lunch is 12:30-2:30 on your own (or with other participants!) at the plentiful food options nearby. An optional no-host fun social dinner follows immediately nearby.
"When I was younger and before I learned about the Enneagram, I barely acknowledged to myself- and certainly not to others- how much fear and anxiety I experienced. I became pretty good at hiding it! When I began to recognize and understand what I was experiencing, I began to learn how to better manage it and redirect my attention. This has been hugely liberating! I spend less energy on worrying about things that probably will never happen, and more time in the actual present." - Deb Lyman, Type 6 SP
“Maybe the Enneagram is pointing us to the full territory of life content rather than just what we call our own instincts and types in the system. While we Four Romantics are described as grappling with comparison and envy - and I've had a lifetime of it to be sure - I am amazed at how my own approach to age 60 has forced me to admit how much anxiety I have, which has been mostly masked by other functions I'm more comfortable with, like anger, identity formation and even hanging out a lot with 6s! I intellectually teach about what the Thinking Types 5s6s7s are assigned (anxiety), but at this stage of life I am forced to see often how much I distance from my own experiences of anxiety and powerlessness. I can teach the idea that the 8s9s1s are bodies in motion, but now I also see that I have to keep my own body heathy and moving too; thank you yoga and exercise routines for us all. As for the Instincts, while I have prioritized being One-to-One naturally, giving even more attention to my own Self-Preservation is definitely more on my radar as I get older, not to mention finding the benefits of membership in Social systems and groups.” - Dale Rhodes Type 4, SX
The day is open to participants of all ages and stages- the focus is on how our reliance on preferred instincts and type may change throughout the lifespan. Expect self-reflections with questions such as described above, and dyads/triads/small groups and panels of shared instinct & type participants exploring their own worldviews for everyone's experience and benefit.
"When I was younger and before I learned about the Enneagram, I barely acknowledged to myself- and certainly not to others- how much fear and anxiety I experienced. I became pretty good at hiding it! When I began to recognize and understand what I was experiencing, I began to learn how to better manage it and redirect my attention. This has been hugely liberating! I spend less energy on worrying about things that probably will never happen, and more time in the actual present." - Deb Lyman, Type 6 SP
“Maybe the Enneagram is pointing us to the full territory of life content rather than just what we call our own instincts and types in the system. While we Four Romantics are described as grappling with comparison and envy - and I've had a lifetime of it to be sure - I am amazed at how my own approach to age 60 has forced me to admit how much anxiety I have, which has been mostly masked by other functions I'm more comfortable with, like anger, identity formation and even hanging out a lot with 6s! I intellectually teach about what the Thinking Types 5s6s7s are assigned (anxiety), but at this stage of life I am forced to see often how much I distance from my own experiences of anxiety and powerlessness. I can teach the idea that the 8s9s1s are bodies in motion, but now I also see that I have to keep my own body heathy and moving too; thank you yoga and exercise routines for us all. As for the Instincts, while I have prioritized being One-to-One naturally, giving even more attention to my own Self-Preservation is definitely more on my radar as I get older, not to mention finding the benefits of membership in Social systems and groups.” - Dale Rhodes Type 4, SX
The day is open to participants of all ages and stages- the focus is on how our reliance on preferred instincts and type may change throughout the lifespan. Expect self-reflections with questions such as described above, and dyads/triads/small groups and panels of shared instinct & type participants exploring their own worldviews for everyone's experience and benefit.
Friends whether in Portland, Newport, or a contemplatives study group in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, facilitators Deb Lyman, LCSW (6) & Dale Rhodes, M.S., M.A. (4) are certified trainers of The Enneagram who lightly call themselves "Loyal & Royal" or on less-optimal days, "The Viper & The Griper".
If you talk type, you should be with us!
A first-timer, I have nothing to compare this retreat to and I thought it was wonderful!! I really thought you would be up front sharing a lot of information with us and that it might be a lot to take in. Yet instead you invited all of us in and facilitated so naturally and so effectively it felt like we were all in it together … all learning. No differentiation between ‘leaders’ and ’participants’, but that again I believe was due to your easy, natural yet very effective way of presenting what you most wanted to present to us, and assisting in the process of getting us in groups and encouraging us in all the ways you did-- which in my mind looking back, just seemed to flow into everything. Thank you both so much. Diana M
Hello Deb and Dale, Saturday’s retreat was a 5 star event. The energy in the room sizzled. I so enjoyed how you two handled and directed our group. Because of your “lesson plan,” we as a group of 20 or so felt safe to share our truth. That sharing was incredibly powerful and allowed all of us to make paradigm shifts. I would love another program offered by the two of you. Thank you again, Sandy R
