king9play Good energy only: How Human Design transformed Bianca Brandner’s approach to life
Bianca Brandner is not into astrology. At least, not in the traditional sense.
“I don’t know what my moon rising is. I don’t really know what rising signs are,” she admits with a laugh. But when it comes to Human Design, a system that blends ancient wisdom with modern science to reveal your energetic blueprint, Brandner is all in.
Human Design is the kind of thing that makes you say, “That’s so true!” It’s a framework that offers insights into how individuals can operate at their best, tapping into their innate potential. For Brandner, discovering Human Design was like coming home to herself.
Bianca Brandner covers the October 2024 issue of PREEN wearing YOYA.
“To make it really simple, Human Design is a science of differentiation… It weaves together very ancient wisdoms, like the energy chakra systems, astrology, Chinese teachings, the Kabbalah Tree of Life—wisdoms that are from 1,000 years ago. And then it weaves together modern science and schools of thought, like quantum physics, biochemistry, epigenetics.”
Following a mystical encounter in Ibiza, Human Design was developed by Ra Uru Hu (born Robert Allan Krakower) in 1987. It distinguishes four types: Manifestors, the initiators who spark new ideas; Manifesting Generators, those with many passions and the energy to match them; Generators, those with sustainable energy who keep the world running; Projectors, the guides who perceive the dynamics in others and their surroundings; and Reflectors, adaptable beings open to the energy fields around them.
The concepts go deeper, with bodygraphs that illustrate nine energy centers that reflect a person’s energy flow, similar to chakras. Within the bodygraph, there are 64 gates and 36 channels that define an individual’s traits and interaction styles. There are also profiles with number combinations that show a person’s life paths.
With these ancient systems melded together, Human Design is meant to give and guide an individual with an in-depth energetic blueprint, showing how one can best operate and step into their full potential.
And while the Human Design system can be quite complex, practitioner and life coach Brandner serves as a guide, showing how individuals can use the system to grow into their best selves—through trusting the process, flowing with their energies, and honoring one’s rest.
Bianca Brandner’s beginnings in self-discovery
When Brandner walks through a room with her consistent calm smile, it’s as if butterflies are following her. As a former MYX VJ, Brandner has come a long way, establishing herself as a life coach with a diverse background in personal development, having explored various healing modalities. She’s a certified Theta Healer, meditation teacher, and holds a life coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation. Brandner also completed a 10-month course in Colorado and has since accomplished 400 coaching hours. However, it was Human Design that truly resonated with her. “It sounds like such a cliche,” she says, “but it really felt like a calling.”
YOYA Tanner top and Broadwell pants in Buttercream
Brandner’s journey to Human Design began long before she encountered the system. As a young girl, while her peers were engrossed in the latest Sophie Kinsella novels or the “Bergdorf Blondes” books, Brandner found herself drawn to self-help books. “My friends would look at my bookshelf, and be like, ‘Is there something wrong with you?’” she recalls with a laugh. “But really, there’s not. I’ve just always been into that.”
This early fascination with personal development laid the groundwork for her future career as a life coach. But it wasn’t until she discovered Human Design that everything clicked into place.
“When I first discovered my design, what I felt more than anything, was relief,” Brandner shares. “Because I felt all my life, I’ve spent so much of my time trying to be everything I’m not.”
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Her Manifester energy flow
As a Manifestor, one of the five energy types in Human Design, Brandner learned that her energy operates in bursts rather than at a steady pace. This revelation was transformative for her work as a coach. “My [Human Design] energy is my strategy is to initiate, right? So usually I’m just at 20 percent and then once in a while, I have a creative burst. Then I can finish what people would take, let’s say three months to accomplish, in one week.”
“It’s about trusting that urge when it’s there—that I’ll have the same force that invited you to be there, and that it will be the same energy that will cradle and support you through the whole experience. It’s a lot of trust, and a lot of faith,” says Brandner
This understanding of her energy flow allowed Brandner to lean into her natural rhythms. While she takes rest when needed, in one burst of energy last March she held her first-ever series of three back-to-back workshops in a single week, with about 150 people in total. “It’s about trusting that urge when it’s there—that I’ll have the same force that invited you to be there, and that it will be the same energy that will cradle and support you through the whole experience. It’s a lot of trust, and a lot of faith,” she says.
A gentle perspective on parenting
Perhaps the most profound impact of Human Design on Brandner has been her approach to motherhood. As a mom of three, including her eldest, an 11-year-old daughter who is a Projector in Human Design, she has found a new way to understand and support her kids.
“My daughter has been the most patient,” the life coach says with a tone of both gratitude and awe. “Up till now, I would tell her, thank you so much for being so patient with mom, because everything I did with her, and I guess everything that I’m going to do with her, will always be my first time.”
YOYA Dawson jacket in Buttercream
Understanding her eldest daughter’s design as a Projector has transformed their relationship. Where once there was friction over activities and schedules, now there’s a newfound respect for her daughter’s need for rest and selective engagement. She recalls a major family reunion shortly after her daughter came from an active several-day girl scout camp. Her daughter seemed tired, and Brandner as a mom, despite the obligations, let her rest.
“Now she knows. Because for me, I pushed myself past the exhaustion, and it never did anything. It kept me burning out. So now I love that my daughter is really gauging how far she can go, and when to rest.”
Coaching clients with Human Design
Paying it forward, Brandner’s experience with Human Design has gone beyond transforming her personal life to become part of her coaching practice. The vast information in Human Design can be overwhelming, so Brandner makes sure to introduce concepts gradually, tying them to practical questions or issues her clients are facing.
“Most of the time, I would also ask clients to bring in a question or something that they want clarity on. And then we tie it up to their design. That way it’s more practical… At the end of the day, it’s meant to empower you. It’s not meant to limit you in any way,” she emphasizes. “Because none of it needs to be the truth, right? If it feels useful, pick it up, add it to your set of tools. But if it’s not useful, you’re free to go on your way.”
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In a society that expects conformity, a rat race where we’re always supposed to be on-the-go, Human Design refreshes with an approach that celebrates individual differences, needs, and paces.
For Brandner, Human Design has been a process of coming home to herself in a system of self-discovery, and through her work and motherhood, she’s helping others do the same.
Photography by Paolo Pineda
Creative direction by Ria Prieto
Makeup by Angela Manhilot
Hair styling by Mary Jane Nuñez
Production assistance by Angela Chen
Shot on location at Artinformal Gallery Karrivin Plaza.
Special thanks to Tina Fernandez and Julia Roy.
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