Mercury retrograde may have thrown delays, mishaps, and communication snags, yet we're finally back with another episode!

In this episode, we continue our conversation from the previous episode to dive into our personal deconditioning stories. We explore the subtle yet powerful ways the mind pulls us off track—whether through distraction in view, transference in motivation, or the conditioned patterns stored in open centers.

Teresa shares how her Desire motivation and Personal view can focus her like a “heat-seeking missile” when aligned, but lead to apathy or political overdrive when in distraction. James unpacks how his Guilt motivation and Survival view serve him when correct, but can also keep him stuck in “shoulds,” overgiving, or false hope.

We also dig into the lived experience of our open centers—Teresa’s completely open Ego and Head, James’s undefined Spleen and Root—and how these areas have shaped self-worth, information processing, sense of safety, and relationship patterns. Our stories illuminate how deconditioning is not about erasing these patterns, but revisiting them with greater awareness each time they resurface.

The next cohort of Analyst Training begins September 29, 2025.

We will begin with Semester 1: Building the Story of the Conditioned Self, where students will learn how to excavate conditioning patterns with objectivity and compassion—preparing to spot them in themselves and others.

To check out the full syllabus, click here.

Follow us on Instagram:

The New School of Human Design on IG // ⁠⁠@newschoolofhumandesign⁠⁠

James Alexander on IG // ⁠⁠@james_alexander_coaching⁠⁠

Teresa Brenneman on IG // ⁠⁠@teresaabrenneman⁠⁠

In this episode of Nine Centered, Teresa and James explore the deeply personal terrain of deconditioning through the lens of Primary Health System (PHS), Cognition, and Embodiment in Human Design.

Drawing from their own lived experiences, they unpack how these elements have shaped their growth, health, and relationships, offering real-life examples and gentle guidance for those navigating their deconditioning process.

What We Cover:

PHS as a Portal to Somatic Healing

• Nervous Touch (Teresa): How her need for stimulation shows up in meals, relationships, and learning—and how background café sounds became a surprising support for digestion and well-being.

• Low Sound (James): His journey from misidentifying his determination to understanding the relief of quieter environments and warm, full-bodied sounds.

• PHS & Trauma: Why PHS work often brings up childhood conditioning and how to meet it with patience and compassion.

• Observing Children: James reflects on how children naturally honor their determination when allowed the space to do so.

Cognition as a Subtle Inner Guide

• Feeling Cognition (Teresa): Becoming more attuned to emotional undercurrents and how it supports intuitive perception.

• Touch Cognition (James): Exploring the layers of connection—from food to energetic boundaries—and the pain of disconnection.

• The Solar Plexus Connection: Both hosts tie their cognitions to the evolving role of the Solar Plexus in relationship, emotional awareness, and nervous system attunement.

Embodiment & the Feminine Principle in Deconditioning

• Why Embodiment Matters: Moving beyond mental understanding to felt experience: why deconditioning requires slowness, softness, and body awareness.

• Transference & Compassion: Naming the pull toward conditioned behaviors and how to discern between a mental loop and an embodied truth.

• The Feminine Lens: Surrender, flow, and receptivity as essential ingredients in this work, especially in a culture conditioned toward force and control.

This episode brings awareness to the questions...Are you listening to your body—or trying to control the process?
Can you trust your system to show you the way—without force?

Analyst Training begins August 2025! ⁠Click here⁠ to find out more information and access the course syllabus

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Follow us on Instagram:

The New School of Human Design on IG // ⁠⁠@newschoolofhumandesign⁠⁠

James Alexander on IG // ⁠⁠@james_alexander_coaching⁠⁠

Teresa Brenneman on IG // ⁠⁠@teresaabrenneman⁠⁠

In this episode, Teresa and James dive deep into the world of the 5th line. As a 5/1 with eight 5th line activations, James shares his personal experience of living in the projection field, while Teresa offers reflections from her perspective as someone close to that frequency.

Together, they unpack the psychology, challenges, and potential of this powerful and often misunderstood archetype.

What's discussed in this episode:

• The Nature of the Projection Field: 5th lines carry a natural aura of expectation. Teresa and James explore how this projection distorts identity, creates inner tension, and often leads to feelings of misunderstanding and loneliness.
• The Heretic and the Savior Complex: Why the 5th line is called “The Heretic,” and how projections can lead to disconnection, ego entanglement, and even public shaming when expectations aren’t met.
• 2nd Line vs. 5th Line Projections: Teresa compares her 2nd line experience to James’s 5th line reality, revealing how both lines face different kinds of interference — especially in childhood — and how it impacts their sense of self and purpose.
• Living with the 5th line: James shares how being perceived as someone who “has it all together” makes it hard to receive support. He opens up about over-communication, reputational pressure, and what it means to manage expectations with strategy and authority.
• Work, Dating, and Autonomy: Why 5th lines thrive in roles that offer space and sovereignty — and why contracting or consulting may be ideal. In relationships, James reflects on how slow, intentional connections help cut through the fog of projection.
• Finding the 5th Line Family: What it's like to find "5th line family" in people who you build trust with and get close to
  

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  *Analyst Training begins August 18, 2025! Click here to find out more information and access the course syllabus

  
  

  *Follow us on Instagram:

  The New School of Human Design on IG // ⁠@newschoolofhumandesign⁠

  James Alexander on IG // ⁠@james_alexander_coaching⁠

  Teresa Brenneman on IG // ⁠@teresaabrenneman⁠