{Photo above is the visual depiction of my human design}
Have you ever wondered how the day and time of your birth, coupled with the precise location in which you were born could help you enhance your own resilience? If you’re like me, that thought may have never crossed your mind. And until very recently, I had never heard of “this thing” called Human Design, a visual representation of how individuals function that names our feelings and provides insights into how we work as human beings.
I was in Walla Walla, WA attending a conference focused on the ACEs science and how the community is using this science to change the way it provides every kind of service imaginable, involving businesses, public and higher education, law enforcement, and many other sectors throughout the community. I was also there to do some work on behalf of ACEs Connection Network, and had done some previous work with Ty Warren, helping develop the Walla Walla Valley ACEs Connection group. I didn’t know much about him, but I did know that Ty was working as an intern for Children’s Resilience Initiative and had a background in non-traditional healing. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but I assumed it meant something along the lines of acupuncture, tarot reading, or bodywork, or even a combination of many things. When Ty and I met for the first time, I asked him to tell me more about his work to help me understand what a typical session looked like with someone. “I think the best way for you to understand it is to experience it for yourself,” he said. That sounded a bit like a challenge, and I love challenges, so I was all in!
We met the next day at his home office. He had requested some info in advance of our session, including my date and time of birth, the city and state where I was born, and a brief bio about myself, including any major life events that may have shaped who I am and how I respond in life. I can’t say for sure if he asked for my ACE score, but knowing he understood the importance of ACEs and was involved in the work, I felt compelled to share this information with him. I shared some of the most difficult experiences I endured as a child, not really knowing why I was sharing my secrets with a guy I barely knew. His presence seemed to pull it out of me and I felt a deep trust for both him and the process.
My ACE score is 5. Like most of us, I have some challenges as a result. I’ve often thought, “I’m too sensitive”, or “I wish I could speak my mind and not care what anyone else thinks.” But truth be told, I am sensitive and I do stress over how to say certain things and not offend anyone. Maybe it’s because my brain has developed differently as a result of the chronic stress I was under as a young child. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because IT’S WHO I AM. Interesting thought, this one. Maybe I’m the right amount of sensitive and maybe thinking long and hard about how to speak my opinion is not such a bad thing. After all, expressing compassion and empathy unto others are not such horrible traits to possess.
In any case, having my Human Design chart read is not something I would have considered doing to enhance my inter-personal resilience or help me continue on my healing journey. But that’s exactly what happened. Using the information I provided to him, Ty was able to generate a map of sorts of who I am. What makes me tick. Quite literally, what is my design as a human?
The first thing he said was, “You’re an emotional powerhouse. You could run the world on your emotions, if you can learn to not let it get in your way.” Some days, I am convinced I do, I think to myself. Did he really just say “emotional powerhouse,” I wonder? Ty also said I am not designed to sit still. My design prefers to have many things going on at once, and to be in many places, which makes sense given my love for travel, being on the road, and being a very active person who doesn’t feel right when sitting around not involved in something.
Understanding these things about myself, have, at times, made me feel as though something was “wrong” with me, or I was somehow a burden to those around me for being too sensitive and emotional. Or maybe this is the impact of ACEs at work, leading me to believe I am not enough or perfect as I am. I learned that Human Design is the art of differentiation and that we are all perfect just as we are. Unfortunately we are continuously told we need to change to fit into the rules and norms of society. Ty helped me understand my unique gifts and differences that fit perfectly in society when they are understood.
I was not expecting someone I barely know to validate my very being simply by helping me understand that I am just as I should be, but that’s exactly what happened. I am emotional and sensitive and considerate of others because I AM AN EMOTIONAL POWERHOUSE!
There were many other realizations that came out of that first session; things/people that I need to let go of, and fears I have been holding on to as a result of my experiences in life, including my ACEs. I also did an ionic cleanse as part of the session, with my feet immersed in clean water and an ion charger literally pulling metals and toxins from my body. That was intense! And it worked – I felt lighter, happier and cleaner, and the dark brown water told me all I needed to know. I had been holding on to a lot of unwanted toxins in my body.
The first thing I did when I got home from Washington was write “powerhouse” in bright red lipstick on my bathroom mirror. So I see it every day, many times a day, reminding me to own that part of me, because it is who I am. I changed my Twitter handle to @powerhoss (a bit of word play using my own last name) to emulate my new ownership of the best part about me – my emotional side. And I shared these thoughts with my therapist who wondered, with delight, where my newfound insights had come from.
While this is nowhere near the end of my healing journey, it has provided me with some validation of who I am. I am this way because I’m designed this way. I’m not designed to be a passive or fragile being. I am designed to be a powerhouse, using my emotions and sensitivity to ensure justice and equality, to be the voice for those who don’t have a voice, and to speak up and stand up for the inner child in me who has been lead to believe she is not enough, when in actuality, I am perfect, just as I am.
If you want to upgrade your well-being or any area of your life, I highly recommend a text or phone call to see what Ty can do, especially if you’ve tried everything else and nothing has worked. He can be reached at (509) 593.9635 or tazilltine@gmail.com.
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