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Empower Your Self

Connecting You with Your Self offers opportunities for self-discovery.

Join Us

(303) 525-7091

Empower Your Self

Connecting You with Your Self offers opportunities for self-discovery.

Join Us

(303) 525-7091

Welcome! Take your time and ExpLore all that is shared...

An Online community for YOU!

The most important relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself, at CYWY you will find supportive tools and practices that build awareness and awakeness.

"When we have a solid relationship with ourselves, we can confidently go after the life we desire. The opinions, and judgments of other people become irrelevant. Life opens up in ways we haven't even imagined possible. New people and opportunities present themselves. Magic unfolds."

CYWY events are free and accessible via Zoom. Opportunities include yoga, Intentional Living Circles, Empowered Living Chats, a book club, a Relationship Support Group, and a Grief Support Group.

Read about all the offerings by clicking on the What we offer tab.

CYWY has many recorded events that you can view on Connecting You with Your Self - YouTube

We have a Meetup site you can join for all events except yoga.

CYWY has two FaceBook groups https://www.facebook.com/groups/connectingyouwithyourself

https://www.facebook.com/groups/EnneagramType2/

"The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. All other relationships will be reflected by it. You can't have a healthy relationship with anyone else until you have a successful relationship with yourself."

See you on Zoom!

Meet the Facilitators and Hosts

Nancy Markow - Founder of CYWY

Nancy founded Connecting You with Your Self (CYWY), in 2006. She now guides the Yoga classes and facilitates the Empowered Living Chats, Enneagram from its roots to its wings. Occasionally, Nancy guides an Oracle experience as part of the Intentional Living Circles that her and Sophia facilitate.

Her intentionally diverse 30 years of studies and practices demonstrate her passion for the importance of a loving relationship with one’s Self.

Nancy is a member of the Theosophical Society (TS) and a professional member of the International Enneagram Association Global (IEA). She has been a significant volunteer with the Colorado Affiliate of IEA, serving in many roles including membership and events for more than ten years.

Sophia Carmien - Intentional Living Circle host and presenter

Sophia, a long-time member of the CYWY community has stepped up to both host and present topics for the Intentional Living Circles.

Sophia shares....more to come

Jillian Anderson - Host of the CYWY Book Club

Jillian joined the CYWY community in 2024 and quickly stepped forward to share a Book Club with our community.

Jillian shared that she is a world-traveling mother and professional speaker. She is the founder of Prime Abundance Services, the premier resource for leaders shifting their 3D reality, compressing time, and opening to the magic of their dreams. 1-303-489-5439

www.primeabundanceservices.com

Kelly Beninga - Host of the Relationship Group

Kelly joined the CYWY in 2023 and has been active as a participant and a presenter. Kelly stepped up to guide the ongoing Relationship Support group within CYWY.

Kelly is a psychotherapist in private practice and is the founder of The

Relationship Works, The Relationship Works | Couples Counseling | Denver/Lakewood/Littleton.

Kelly provides individual and couples counseling. He specializes in

helping couples and individuals navigate the complexities of relationships.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. He is a graduate of the Hakomi Institute for mindful, somatic psychotherapy and is a Certified Hakomi Therapist. He has extensive training and experience in the Enneagram archetypal framework for individuals and couples. He is PACT Certified (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy), integrating attachment theory into his work.

Melody West - Host of the "Good Grief" Group

Melody joined the CYWY community in 2022. She has stepped up to lead a Grief Group for our community.

Melody is passionate about learning, creativity, connection, and fun! Her personal experience in dealing with many big transitions and the resilience that comes from picking yourself up, again and again, has naturally led her to grief coaching.

Melody hosts grief support groups, provides individual coaching, and facilitates workshops on various aspects of resilience. Learn more about her at https://www.melodywestconsulting.com/ab.out.

Click here - share a question

The Story of Connecting You with Your Self...

As the founder of CYWY, I share a bit about its journey...

I have always been a curious person. As a young adult, I was intrigued with psychology, sociology, and all things metaphysical and spiritual. I have always been driven to connect with others, learn from others, and share support with others.

I took many classes with a variety of schools of thought, including Religious Science, and Builders of the Adytum (tarot). I completed intensive courses based on the teachings of the Berkeley Psychic Institute, and more.

I first came to learn about the Enneagram as I was seeking a parental tool when my now grown daughters were pre- and teen ages. A friend, Maureen Murphy (Mo) who was trained with the Narrative Tradition generously exchanged meals and connections for Enneagram wisdom.

I attend seminars offered by the Diamond Approach and became interested in the teachings of Sandra Maitri. I also found classes at People House, in Denver, and learned from Dee Marcotte and Lori Ohlson. I took classes with Narrative Teachers, Terry Saracino and Renee Rosario.

Using the Enneagram to support me with parenting was like getting an advanced degree. It exposed how we all have unique needs and perspectives. It gave us, as a family, a new, more successful approach to interactions. The Enneagram helped me see my own fear patterns and find confidence and direction. It also was instrumental in supporting an amicable divorce when it was time to end our marriage a few years later. And then years later, supported me to marry again.

I joined the International Enneagram Association (IEA) and later volunteered as a Colorado affiliate Board member. I served as the events and membership chair in my first involvement and many other positions since. Involvement with IEA gave me access to more teachers and more perspectives. I attended IEA-Global conferences, online Enneagram Summits, and any training I could find locally. I read lots of Enneagram books and connected with many of the Enneagram schools, online events and events in other cities when I could.

In 2005, I began assembling and sharing what I learned with others – this was the precursor for what would become the Connecting You with Yourself community and the sharing of ideas and opportunities.

I shared basic Enneagram with large groups as a faculty member of the Aspen Program and as a guest speaker in various churches, businesses, and other organizations by invitation. In doing so, my journey deepened. Teaching required deeper personal practices with the Enneagram wisdom.

In 2006, I offered the first Intentional Living Circle, then called Intenders Circle. This was the next step in the creation of the Connecting You with Your Self free community – its first event. I opened my home and created presentations and people came to connect, share, and learn. Over time I began to invite all kinds of guest speakers. I added a monthly Enneagram Discussion group to just focus on Enneagram and a Psychic Circle to just focus on building intuition. Years later hikes were added to discuss ideas while moving the body.

In 2007, I wrote the first copy of the Empowered Living Workbook, Enneagram from its roots to its wings. I developed what I call the "Choices Map," which simplifies the 9 levels of development into a tool where you ask yourself, "Am I contracted or receptive?" The workbook has become a living document with many editions. You can ask for the current one if you are interested.

In 2008, I officially founded Connecting You with Your Self, as an umbrella for all the opportunities offered to do inner explorations. We explored many valuable teachings in addition to the Enneagram like Byron Katie's "The Work," Louise Hay's "Mirror Work," Don Miguel Ruiz's "4-Agreements” and so many more. I shared wisdom from my studies with Religious Science, B.O.T.A (Tarot), the Berkley Psychic Institute, and more. CYWY offered a monthly Oracle experience that was very popular.

At the end of 2000, I completed yoga teacher training and started teaching in local yoga studios and gyms. I quickly connected the core teachings of both the Enneagram and Yoga and shared that in the classes I guided. I offered a free yoga experience under the CYWY umbrella once a week.

Around that time, I learned of the Enneagram Prison Project and was excited to be a founding member of an affiliate in Colorado. I participated in their pilot training of the online offerings of 9 Prisons 1-key and Path to Freedom. Sadly this affiliate did not continue.

COVID motivated me to move all the CYWY events online. The Enneagram Discussions which had supported many community members with becoming certified teachers, when live, changed to online Enneagram Chats. Yoga was added five days a week . People from around the globe could participate in events. The changes were really expansive for CYWY.

As a Board member of the IEA-Colorado affiliate, it made sense to collaborate with them when the Intentional Living Circles focused on the Enneagram. This collaboration was very good for IEA-Colorado, helping to build membership. This collaboration ended in 2024, due to concerns of conflict expressed by a few.

From 2020-2024 CYWY hosted expert Enneagram guest speakers like Ginger Lapid-Bogda, Renee Rosario, Mario Sikora, Tom Condon, Ron Esposito, Jennifer Joss, Drew Moser, Michael Goldberg, John Luckovich, Michael Naylor, Ben Campbell, Libby Cole, Stephanie Spencer, Peter O’Hanrahan, Andrea Isaac, Hilary Langford, Sammatha Taroni, Lynn Roulo, Robert Driver-Bishop, Frederik Coene, Frank DeLuca, Jenifer Novak, Camilla Fields, Michelle Wangler-Joy, Emile Haddad, Jan Shegda, Christopher Heuertz, Lori Ohlson, Rosemary Hurwitz, Calley Wellborn, Dayo Ajanaku, Vannessa Fernandez, Lori Ohlson, Rev. Clare Loughrige and more.

After the disconnection with IEA-CO, the Circle had space for a new focus; to truly blossom to a bigger vision. It became clear it was time to expand into a truly community-supported platform. I began to dream what that would include and invited community members to share their dreams too.

Several people, Jillian, Kelly, and Melody stepped up to join Sophia and I to host events. Many new events and groups were created and are available for you.

What you see today on this site is the sharing of talents, ideas, knowledge, and more from a place of true altruism. Isn’t it amazing?

CYWY is a community and we love to hear from you. What do you want, what can you offer?

Thanks for reading. If you have questions reach out.

Nancy

What Does the Media Share about the Enneagrm?

Business Week "You've never heard of the Enneagram? This system of personality analysis, once faddish pop psychology, is becoming a personnel tool for corporate America."
Esquire "What sets the Enneagram apart is that it contains such detailed, useful information about what drives us to behave as we do. It's valuable not just for those seeking to understand themselves but also as a source of insights into one's friends, colleagues, and even enemies."

Newsweek "Now after lurking on the fringes of mysticism and pop psychology for more than 20 years, the Enneagram is turning mainstream and respectable. Last year the Stanford University School of Business course called "Personality, Self-Awareness, and Leadership" focused on the Enneagram for the first time; the class proved so popular that it will be expanded from 40 to 50 students next winter. The CIA now uses the Enneagram to help agents understand the behavior of individual world leaders. The U.S. Postal Service recently turned to the Enneagram to help employees resolve conflicts. Clergy from the Vatican signed up for an Enneagram seminar last year. And the First international Enneagram Conference, with 1,400 participants who came to Palo Alto, Calif., from as far away as Japan, was cosponsored by Stanford Medical School's department of psychiatry."

Working Woman "A hot new management idea has just arrived on the scene, Introduced to the West around 1940 by Russian mystic G.I Gurdjieff, the Enneagram is a personality typing system that groups people into 9 categories. Executives from companies such as Motorola and Marriot have attended workshops devoted to the Enneagram system, and it’s part of the continuing education program at Silicon Graphics. The CIA has even held Enneagram briefings on the behavior of world leaders."

Yoga Journal "The apparent universality of the Enneagram is a big part of its attraction. People use it to improve themselves and their relationships. Many psychologists and marriage counselors swear by it. Members of the clergy and business managers use it to understand their congregations and subordinates. It is even accepted by academics." - Contra Costa Times "As a guide to human character, behavior, and motivation, it has no equal. More practical than typologies derived from conventional psychology, the Enneagram provides a clear and easily recognizable map of nine distinct personality patterns. For most people, it simply rings true."