One of my many favourite things about Human Design is that is shows the mechanics and pathways of how our energies want to be expressed and move. The mechanics of the 9 centers is basically that. Every center, channel and gate has a theme and connects to each other. Each center is responsible for receiving, transforming and circulating energy.

How we experience those energies are dependant on what centers we have defined and/or undefined. Add to the equation the rest of your design elements such as type, definition, profile, cross angle, channels etc it becomes a whole other combo.

And even if you have a very similar ‘combo’ than someone else, the way you perceive and express those energies will be completely different due to conditioning. So how you experience your design is entirely unique to you!

There are 9 centers in our bodygraph and they all have a purpose. Here’s a quick overview of what the mechanics are:

• Pressure Centers: Crown and Root
• Awareness Centers: Mind, Emotional Solar Plexus and Spleen
• Expression Centers: Throat and Ego Heart
• Motor Centers: Heart, Emotional SP, Sacral and Root
• Direction Centers: Crown, G Identity and Heart

Pressure Centers

The Crown and Root Center are pressure centers. The mechanic of these energies are to apply literal pressure to the centers they connect to.

The Crown center experiences the pressure to think, to inquire to bring consciousness into form.

• This energy applies literal pressure to the Mind Center to think, ponder, make sense of confusion, doubt etc. A easy way to differentiate these energies is seeing the Crown as the energy to ask questions while the Mind processes said questions and tries to answer them.

While the Root center experiences the pressure of the form to live grow, evolve and do. The Root energy applies pressure to the Spleen, Sacral and Emotional Solar Plexus center:

• Root applies pressure to Sacral Center to respond through focus/stillness, to experience beginnings/endings, to distill etc
• Root applies pressure to Spleen Center to stay healthy, to be ambitious, to correct and find purpose
• Root applies pressure to Emotional SP to make sense of emotions, to provoke. to need, to yearn through emotional experiences etc

The gates of the Crown and Root also serve as fuel for the Awareness Streams—I know we haven’t gotten into Streams yet since it’s a bit more advanced information. Essentially, Streams are the path of how specific energies function, flow and gets transformed. Each stream of energy is broken down into Fuel, Potential, Possibility and Expression.

Awareness Center

There are 3 awareness centers in our graph. They are the Mind, Spleen and Emotional Solar Plexus. These awareness Centers hold the potential and possibilities of each stream. Each awareness center also has fears associated to each gate (More details in each center’s post)

• The Mind/Ajna Center represents Mental Awareness: Processing. From ideas to concepts, details, getting answers. Connects to throat.
• The Spleen Center represents Physical Awareness: Instinct, intuition, fear, immune system, the now. Connects Root, Sacral, Identity G Center to Heart and Throat
• The Emotional Solar Plexus Center represents Emotional Awareness: Emotions, feelings, sensitivity. Connects to Sacral, Root to Heart and Throat

Expression Centers

Expression centers, also known as manifestation centers are where our energies are flowing to be ultimately expressed. Energy is here to be moved after all!

• The Throat Center is where the majority of the energy in our bodygraph flow to. The energy of expression (emotional, desire, self, intuition, life force), it’s also about communication & action.
• The Heart Center as an expression center is about bringing resources to the material plane for the survival of self and community

Motor Centers

The Motors are the energy needed to manifest, to bring forth and express. Each motor has an energetic theme and purpose. If you don’t have a motor defined it simply means you experience these energies inconsistently (doesn’t mean you don’t have access to them!)

There are four motors in our chart. The Sacral, Heart, Root and Emotional Solar Plexus:

• Lifeforce Energy Center: Sacral Center is the energy for vital life force, reproduction, sustainability, sexuality
• Will Motor Center: The Heart Center as a motor is here to bring the energy needed to bring forth material resources
• Stress Motor Center: The Root Center has two roles. Aside from being a pressure center it is also a motor that provides the energy of stress as life fuel, momentum and adrenaline
• Emotional Motor Center: The Solar Plexus Center has two roles as well. As a motor is the energy to go through emotional experiences, to process, to feel and is also an awareness center.

Direction Centers

According to Richard Rudd from ‘Living your Design’ The Head Center, Identity G Center and Heart Centers are also known as direction centers.

• Consciousness Direction: Crown Center, direction for individual and collective consciousness
• Purpose, Love Direction: The Identity G Center is the center for direction, purpose and love
• Material Direction: The Heart Center as direction is here to provide form for the material

Some things to ponder on

• What are the defined centers in your chart? How many are motors, direction, awareness, expression or pressure center?
• How does your undefined pressure centers affect your strategy?
• How does your undefined/open awareness center influence your defined centers?
• What does it mean to experience inconsistent energy in the motor centers?
• How do you express yourself if you don’t have the heart or throat center consistently defined? (Remember, having undefined/open centers does not mean you’re ‘lacking’ in any way. Simply means your energy moves through other ways)

Would love to hear how this is resonating with you. Share your insights below!