Join us as we meet Alex Senegal, an Enneagram Nine who shares how the Enneagram supported his journey from survival to transformation—and how he now uses it to guide and uplift others.

Alex Senegal is a program manager at the Destiny Reentry Center in San Jose, California, and a dedicated leader in reentry, recovery, and personal transformation. After spending 26 years in and out of the California correctional system, he encountered the Enneagram in 2014—an experience he describes as “introducing Alex to Alex.” Today, he is an ordained minister, a certified drug and alcohol counselor, a court liaison, a mental health specialist, and an Ambassador and Board Member for the Enneagram Prison Project. A father and grandfather, Alex is committed to advocating for those on the margins and to fostering understanding, healing, and a more just and equitable world. Alex is interviewed by PMI team member Nomali Perera, MA, PCC, who has been in the field of leadership development coaching, facilitation, and teaching since 2007. Nomali is a trained facilitator of the Immunity to Change™ process, a Master Coach at Life XT, and a certified Integral Master Coach through Integral Coaching Canada. Nomali has also been a professional consultant in people development and training in Brazil and Mexico.

Episode Highlights:

35 Years of Prison Dharma – Gary Allen shares his decades-long experience bringing Buddhist teachings to incarcerated individuals.

•Correspondence-Based Dharma – The power of personal letters and structured courses in reaching prisoners.

•Anger & Patience – Why teachings from Shantideva on patience and anger are essential in prison.

•Challenges of Prison Work – From administrative hurdles to the evolving perception of Buddhism behind bars.

•Long-Term Impact – How Dharma transforms lives in prison, creating lasting change even beyond release.

Gary Allen shares his decades-long experience bringing Buddhist teachings to incarcerated around the United States, Canada, and South Korea. He is the Co-Executive Director of the Mindfulness Peace Project, which provides programming for prison inmates and veterans. He’s authored secular mindfulness books for inmates (Discovering Sanity) and for veterans (Warrior’s Heart). He has two degrees in Writing and Poetics from Naropa University and has published five books of poetry, most recently Transmigration Suite from Antarabhava Press. He’s been working for the past 20 years on a four-volume book on Indian tantric master Tilopa and the origination and practice of Vajrayana.

In this episode, Susan Shannon, a seasoned Buddhist practitioner, and chaplain, shares her journey of transformative prison ministry, including her work as a Buddhist chaplain on death row at San Quentin. She discusses her adaptable teaching approach, focusing on universal Buddhist principles like the Four Noble Truths and dependent arising, which foster deep transformation among incarcerated individuals. Susan highlights the importance of inner work, understanding prison culture, and practicing humility as a facilitator. She advises aspiring volunteers, encouraging self-reflection, restorative justice work, and exploring alternative ways to serve.