Waking Up With Ryan

Underneath every fear — money, relationships, health, purpose — is one root fear: the fear of death, born from believing you are your body. Ryan unpacks the idea that you're the energy driving the vehicle, not the vehicle itself, and shares the teaching "die before you die" — letting the belief in a separate, limited self fall away now, rather than waiting for your final moment. Closes with a practice built around the mantra "I am loving awareness." Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every part of your life — your work, your relationships, your body, even your pain — is an invitation to wake up. In this episode, we explore why awakening isn't about finding a "better" version of yourself, but about peeling back the layers of identity, ego, and fear that cover who you've always been. Includes a short guided practice to help you drop back into presence and remember who you truly are. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feeling stuck waiting on something you can't control? On this Ask Ryan episode, we hear from a listener who’s struggling to find patience with things outside their control. In this episode, Ryan unpacks what impatience is really covering up — fear, loneliness, disappointment — and offers a powerful metaphor for why you have to contract before you can expand again. Plus: how to become the person who can hold what you're asking the universe for. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever rush to cheer someone up just to make your own discomfort go away? In this episode, Ryan unpacks the difference between real support and codependency — showing why trying to "fix" someone else's pain often has more to do with our own inability to sit with discomfort. Through a story about a father and daughter, Ryan reveals what people actually need when they're struggling: a safe space and validation, not advice. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ryan explores the difference between truly experiencing life and getting lost in our mental interpretation of it. Inspired by Ellen DeGeneres' bit about the friend in the movie theater who won't stop asking "what's happening," he unpacks how our minds constantly predict, judge, and narrate rather than simply witnessing what's in front of us. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan reframes the search for purpose as a prayer rather than a plan. Drawing on A Course in Miracles and his own journey from dance and music into coaching, he shares why chasing a "purpose" often backfires—and offers a simple practice instead: notice what you love, ask to be used, and trust the process. The episode closes with a guided meditation to help you connect with what's already an answer to prayer in your life. Whether you're feeling stuck in your career or just craving more clarity, this episode offers a gentle, faith-rooted way to reconnect with what truly moves you. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the High Holidays approach, Ryan reflects on why the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can feel unexpectedly heavy — and reframes that discomfort as an invitation. This episode explores the healing potential of the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, what it means to "bring your broken pieces to the altar," and includes a guided meditation to help you sit with what you're ready to release and transform. Whether or not you observe the holidays, this episode offers a grounded practice for honest reflection, forgiveness, and renewal as you step into the new year. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Ask Ryan episode, Ryan responds to a listener who feels stuck, exhausted, and disconnected — waiting for a break that never comes. Ryan reframes this painful "in-between" chapter through the metaphor of a caterpillar dissolving into imaginal soup before becoming a butterfly, showing how embracing uncertainty (rather than fighting it) aligns you with the universe's timing. The episode closes with a guided practice to release resistance and invite the universe's guidance into your day. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if everything you're searching for — peace, clarity, purpose — is already here, and the mind is just the thing standing in the way of seeing it? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore why the relentless drive to "better yourself" can quietly become the ego's cleverest trick for keeping you from the truth of who you already are. Through a simple story about a father searching frantically for the glasses perched on his own forehead, we unpack how seeking can blind us to what's already present. Then, settle into a short guided breathing practice designed to draw your attention out of the noise of the mind and back into stillness — where the peace and joy you've been chasing have been waiting all along. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if everything you thought about the "honeymoon phase" is backwards? In this episode, Ryan unpacks a conversation with a friend that reframed his entire understanding of early relationships — arguing that real intimacy isn't found in the giddy first weeks of attraction, but on the other side of conflict, trust, and repair. Ryan breaks down the difference between attraction and attachment, why actions (not words) reveal who someone really is, and how staying in the room during hard moments is what actually builds lasting connection. The episode closes with a short guided practice to help you turn conflict into connection in your own relationships. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being human means living with fear — but a miracle isn't a distant, biblical event. It's a shift in your thinking, a move from fear to love, and it's available to you right now. In this episode of Waking Up With Ryan, we explore what it really means to invite a miracle into your life, then move into a guided meditation to help you release what feels too heavy to carry alone and open yourself to receiving help from something bigger than you. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judgment against yourself isn't truth — it's an old wound asking for love. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore how the ego's earliest beliefs about our worth get replayed as self-criticism, and why compassion — not correction — is the way through. Learn to meet your inner judgments the way you'd comfort a hurting child: with presence, love, and total acceptance. Join Ryan LIVE on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dolly Parton passed away this week at 80 years old, and this episode is a tribute to the magnificent, purposeful life she lived. We dive into the story behind her song "Coat of Many Colors" — the childhood memory of a rag coat sewn with love — and the powerful lesson it holds: real worth doesn't come from what the world can see, it comes from love. Join Ryan for a reflection on Dolly's life and a guided meditation to help you infuse today with that same love, on purpose. Join Ryan LIVE on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the life you're forcing to happen is smaller than the one trying to unfold through you? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore the shift from asking "What do I want?" to asking "What wants to happen through me?" — moving from the small, fearful mind to the vast truth of who you really are. We close with a guided meditation to help you surrender your agenda and open to life's greater will. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just because something is "normal" doesn't make it healthy. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore the difference between what's normal — stress, rushing, reactivity — and what's actually optimal: presence, slowness, honesty, and self-care. Ryan walks through why choosing your own path can feel lonely, how to pause instead of reacting from old patterns, and closes with a guided breathing meditation to help you reconnect with who you really are. If you've ever felt out of step with the world around you, this episode is your reminder: you're not broken, you're just awake. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your mind is constantly vacillating — between past and future, good and bad, success and failure — and most of us are addicted to following it wherever it goes. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore the difference between the mind that never stops moving and the awareness underneath it that never moves at all. Drawing on a line from A Course in Miracles, Ryan guides you through a simple but powerful shift: resting back into the presence that's always here, beneath every thought. Includes a guided meditation to help you practice coming home to yourself. Perfect for your morning routine — a few minutes to wake up, breathe, and remember who you really are. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Healing isn't something you force — it's something you allow. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore why the mind's constant analyzing, replaying, and strategizing can actually get in the way of the emotional healing your body already knows how to do. Just like a physical wound heals on its own if you stop picking at it, your emotional pain has its own natural intelligence — if you let it be. Ryan guides you through a short practice to quiet the mind, turn toward what you're feeling, and give yourself permission to heal. Good morning, love — let's begin. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan sits down with actress and advocate Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos, Entourage) for an unfiltered conversation about awakening through adversity. Jamie opens up about living with multiple sclerosis for 25 years, the belief that she was "a problem" that shaped her early life, and how vulnerability finally set her free. They explore codependency and letting parents own their own healing, the terrifying near-death experience of her son Beau and what he brought back from it, and the on-set moments with James Gandolfini and Aida Turturro that pushed her toward authenticity. This episode begins with a short guided morning meditation before diving into a conversation about self-advocacy, generational trauma, and learning to ask for help. Follow Jamie-Lynn Sigler (@JamieLynnSigler) Jamie-Lynn's memoir, And So It Is... https://www.book-ends.org/product/jamie-lynn-sigler-signed-copy-of-and-so-it-is-/DPKMOZRHFMBHNS3DAEAUFFFB   Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if every thought you have right now is just an old memory painting itself onto the present moment? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore how the mind's library of past experiences quietly shapes — and often distorts — how we see the world, other people, and ourselves. Drawing on insights from Adyashanti, A Course in Miracles, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke research, and Alan Watts, Ryan unpacks why losing the "concept" of things (like a bird, or a conversation, or a relationship) can actually restore the wonder we felt before language and memory took over. The episode closes with a guided practice for surrendering your thoughts, opinions, and interpretations to the universe — an invitation to meet this moment fresh, without the weight of the past. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if love isn't something you have to learn — but something you just have to stop blocking? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan explores a life-changing idea from A Course in Miracles: that we don't need to be taught what love is, we simply need to remove the blocks we've built against recognizing it's already here. Ryan unpacks the role of the Holy Spirit (or whatever name resonates with you) as a bridge between our fear-based human thinking and the truth of love, then leads you through a guided practice to identify what's blocking you and invite in the presence, wisdom, and healing that's always available. A gentle, grounding morning session for anyone ready to see the "hands in front of their eyes" and let a little more light in. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the first five minutes of your day determined the entire trajectory of your life? In this episode, Ryan explores what it means to wake up each morning and consciously invite the universe in — rather than defaulting to the small, separate thinking that keeps us stuck. Drawing from A Course in Miracles and years of personal practice, Ryan shares how a simple daily surrender ("I'm willing") opened the door to career breakthroughs, love, family, and even this very podcast. This episode includes a guided morning meditation to help you ask the questions that matter most: Where would you have me go? What would you have me do? What would you have me say, and to whom?Press play, take a deep breath, and let's wake up together. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That knot in your stomach before something new? It's not a sign to stop — it's a sign you're expanding. In this episode, Ryan explores why fear, nervousness, and anxiety are inevitable companions to any meaningful growth, drawing on stories from legendary performers like Liza Minnelli and Meryl Streep who leaned into their nerves rather than away from them. You'll learn how to reframe that anxious feeling as a signal of impending expansion rather than a warning to retreat — and then settle into a guided practice to help you meet the unknown with more presence, courage, and self-trust. If you've been putting off something because it scares you, this episode is your permission slip to take the leap anyway. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Ask Ryan episode, Ryan responds to a listener navigating divorce, narcissistic abuse, and codependency. He unpacks what narcissism really is, why gaslighting erodes your sense of self, and how to start rebuilding trust in yourself after a relationship has chipped away at your foundation. Ryan introduces his "emotional fitness" framework — feel, inquire, tend — as a practical tool for sitting with uncomfortable emotions instead of running from them, then leads a guided practice to help you stop abandoning yourself to keep others comfortable. If you're healing from a hard breakup or learning to put yourself first, this episode offers both compassion and a concrete path forward. Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan) You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the people who hurt you most didn't stumble into your life by accident — but signed up for the role? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan shares a powerful visualization: imagining your soul choosing every relationship before you were born, including the ones that challenge you the most. He explores how the people who push our buttons aren't obstacles to our growth — they're catalysts for it. Through a guided practice of gratitude and release, Ryan invites you to reframe your most difficult relationships as intentional assignments for healing, without excusing harm or inviting anyone back into your life who doesn't belong there. This episode is a gentle but honest look at forgiveness, boundaries, and what it really means to rise above what triggers you. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life doesn't always go according to plan — and that's exactly where the growth happens. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore what it really means when things don't work out the way we hoped, and why those disappointments aren't obstacles to your healing — they're doorways to it. Drawing on the Yoga Sutras and a reminder from Leonard Cohen ("The crack is where the light gets in"), Ryan walks through how our unprocessed emotions get stirred up in moments of disappointment, and offers a guided practice for pausing, noticing what's arising in the body, and letting yourself be more fully seen and healed — instead of getting swept into old stories and reactive patterns. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us were taught that believing in ourselves too much is arrogant — that playing small is humble. But what if that belief has it completely backwards? In this episode, Ryan explores the difference between the ego's grip on your identity and the truth of who you really are. He breaks down why knowing yourself as a light, as an extension of the divine, as something miraculous — is actually the most humble thing you can do. Because you didn't create yourself to be that. You were created as it. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the destination you're chasing doesn't exist? In this episode, Ryan dismantles one of the most common traps on the spiritual path — the belief that awakening is something you arrive at, rather than something you're already living. Drawing on the wisdom of Byron Katie, Gangaji, and the great enlightened masters, Ryan explores why comparing yourself to "awake" teachers keeps you stuck, what it actually means to love what is, and how surrendering to the present moment — messy, imperfect, and human as it is — is exactly how miracles happen. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan sits down with actress Jennifer Grey about what a good death can look like. They discuss her mother's recent passing and what it meant to be truly present for someone as they leave this world — being hyper-intentional and dignified in those final moments. They explore how facing death instead of turning away from it can actually help us live more beautifully right now: the gift of a terminal diagnosis, the power of forgiveness, saying goodbye on your own terms, and the difference between the body we live in and who we really are underneath it. This is one of the most beautiful conversations Ryan has had about grief, love, and what it means to let someone go with peace. Before diving in, let's take a few minutes together to arrive and breathe. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world flooded with noise and competing agendas, how do you know what's actually true? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore why questioning your own beliefs — not just the world's — is the first step toward clarity. Ryan unpacks why your mind works like a sponge that's absorbed a lifetime of other people's opinions, and why real presence begins with the willingness to be wrong. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You never know whose life you're quietly shaping. In this episode, Ryan shares a powerful moment from a dance class where he learned, years later, just how deeply a single act of kindness had impacted someone's entire life path — a reminder that our presence, energy, and small choices ripple further than we realize. Ryan explores how showing up with love, compassion, and presence can change the trajectory of someone's day — even a stranger's — and guides you through a short meditation to help you carry that intention into your day. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk a lot about boundaries in personal development — but what if you've been thinking about them all wrong? In this episode, Ryan reframes boundaries not as walls meant to keep people out, but as sacred, inclusive spaces you get to fill with what you truly want: love, emotional intelligence, creativity, and honest connection. You'll learn how to communicate your boundaries with clarity and compassion, turn conflict into deeper understanding, and know when it's time to lovingly let someone go. The episode closes with a guided practice to help you open your heart and fill your own boundary with love — so you can carry that energy with you into the rest of your day. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said... but they will never forget how you made them feel." In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore what it really means to make someone feel loved, seen, and safe — and why that starts with how safely and authentically you're able to be with yourself. Ryan unpacks the real root of connection: not achievement, not what you say or do, but the felt sense of permission — permission to be exactly as you are, without judgment or the need to change. When you're deeply rooted in your own self-acceptance, the people around you can finally relax, drop the performance, and feel truly at ease in your presence. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us wait for the big breakthrough — the retreat, the plant medicine ceremony, the peak meditation — to feel spiritual connection. But real spiritual depth isn't found in rare peak moments; it's found in how you meet this moment, right now. In this episode, we explore what happens when we forget the sacredness of the present — even in the middle of the most ordinary tasks — and how a simple shift in attention can reveal the miracle already unfolding around you. Drawing from a moment of unexpected awe in the ocean, we reflect on presence, gratitude, and what it means to live reverently in the small things. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us have been sold the wrong idea of meditation — the image of a serene person sitting in perfect stillness, blissfully at peace. So when we sit down to meditate and instead find noise, restlessness, and discomfort, we assume we're doing it wrong… or that meditation just doesn't work for us. In this episode, Ryan explores a definition of meditation from spiritual teacher Adyashanti that reframes the entire practice: true meditation isn't about achieving peace or stopping your thoughts — it's the practice of letting everything be as it is, without needing to change it. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Horses have been reading human energy for millions of years — long before words existed for emotional awareness. This episode explores what equine therapy reveals about trust, discomfort, and the parts of ourselves that tend to get pushed down and avoided. Horses stop the moment there's a mismatch between what someone feels inside and what they show on the outside — and the same holds true for people in daily life. You can't pull a horse forward when it senses something's off, and in truth, discomfort can't be outrun either. It doesn't disappear; it builds, until it eventually surfaces on its own terms. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the very thing you're chasing — the relationship, the career, the money — is being pushed further away by your need for it to happen? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan explores why grasping for what we want (or forcing ourselves to "let go" of it) misses the real work: building a relationship with your inner world. Drawing from a conversation with an old friend who's spent decades wanting a relationship to "come in," Ryan unpacks the difference between temporary happiness and true inner peace — and why avoiding sadness and loneliness by chasing outside things keeps us stuck. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spend years striving for awakening — more practices, more books, more teachers, more effort — but what if the very act of striving is what keeps it out of reach? In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, we explore why awakening isn't a destination to arrive at, but a truth that's already here, right now, underneath the mind's stories about who you are and where you're headed. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They met backstage at an NSYNC concert twenty-five years ago and stayed up until 5am laughing. They’ve been showing up for each other ever since. In this live conversation from the Waking Up with Ryan launch in Venice, actresses Jenna Dewan and Emmanuelle Chriqui get honest about what it actually takes to keep a friendship alive for a quarter century, especially two women in the same industry, often up for the same roles. They talk about the “ugly stuff” nobody admits to: the early envy and competitiveness, and how they learned to turn it into admiration. They talk about protecting their bond when outside forces tried to drive a wedge between them. And they go somewhere deeper, into what it means to show up for someone in real pain: not rushing to fix it, but knowing where the hurt lives in the other person and loving them there. Jenna opens up about the guilt of juggling a career, a partner, and three kids. Emmanuelle shares what it meant to have Jenna show up with real presence through some of the hardest personal and family moments of her life. This one is about friendship. The kind that carries you. New episodes of Waking Up with Ryan every weekday morning, with longer conversations like this one every other week. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the way you live today is preparing you for how you'll face your final moments? In this episode, Ryan shares a deeply moving story from a recent experience — being invited to sit with a dying woman and her family in her last hours, guiding a ceremony of prayer, meditation, and release. What unfolded was one of the most powerful teachings on forgiveness and freedom he's ever witnessed. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being human is inherently strange—we're infinite, boundless awareness crammed into a small body, juggling emails, money, and relationships while forgetting who we really are. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan explores why life feels so hard, drawing on a Talmudic teaching about the soul forgetting itself at birth, and compares our everyday experience to a nightmare that feels completely real until we wake up. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your life is hard. There's stress, pressure, and a constant stream of self-judgment — but what if the answer isn't to fight your ego, but to love it? In this episode, Ryan explores a question: Can you love your ego? He unpacks why resisting your ego only strengthens it, why "spiritual bypassing" can become its own form of toxic positivity, and how true love means making space for every part of your experience, ego included. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever judged someone for having the exact thing you want in your life? In this episode, Ryan unpacks why the people who trigger your jealousy might actually be proof of what's possible for you, not evidence of what you lack. Ryan explores how competition and comparison can quietly kill our manifestation, and why gratitude — real gratitude for what's already here, not some imagined future — is the true open door to abundance. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We move too fast — while life itself moves slowly, patiently. In this episode, Ryan explores why pace matters so much for feeling connected to the universe, using the Jewish tradition of Sabbath and Esther Hicks' image of a car sliding down a hill to show why catching your mind early (before it builds momentum) changes everything. Includes a guided pause practice to help you slow down and simply be. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The more you stare at a problem, the harder it becomes to see the solution. In this episode of Waking Up with Ryan, Ryan explores a radical shift in perspective: what if the solution to your problem already exists the moment the problem appears — and it's only the illusion of time (and fear) that keeps you from seeing it? You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too often, we forget to ask for help until we're completely overwhelmed — but you were never meant to do this life alone. In this episode, Ryan shares a deeply personal story about a journey to meet his surrogate-born daughter, and the incredible string of "angels" — strangers, flight attendants, nurses — who showed up exactly when needed. It's a powerful reminder that support surrounds us; we just have to ask for it. Ryan guides you through a beautiful meditation to invite the angels and energy around you into your awakening. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get out of your head — your body's been talking to you all morning. In this episode of Waking Up With Ryan, we slow down to truly listen to what's happening beneath the surface: the physical sensations and emotions we so often override with thought. Ryan explores why we learned early in life to dissociate from uncomfortable emotions in order to feel safe and loved, and how that avoidance quietly builds pressure until it erupts. You'll learn why feeling only the "comfortable half" of your emotional range limits your capacity to be fully yourself, and why difficult emotions deserve to be welcomed, not shunned. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wake up already anxious, mind racing before your feet even hit the floor? In this episode, Ryan sits with you through those mornings — the low energy, the restless thoughts, the unease that can color your entire day if left unaddressed. Instead of rushing into your to-do list, take a few minutes to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself before the world pulls you in a hundred directions. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this deeply personal conversation, recorded at the launch of Waking Up with Ryan at The Lighthouse in Brooklyn, Ryan sits down with his dear friend Ricki Lake to explore the real work of spiritual awakening. Together, they trace Ryan’s journey—from a decades-long career in entertainment to walking away from it all in a single day and building a life devoted to helping others heal. The episode also features reflections from Danielle Robay and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who share the profound impact Ryan has had on their lives. They talk about letting go of the ego, coming out and family acceptance, love as "the space inside of which all things get to exist," fear of death, new fatherhood, and why the real path to peace isn't about doing more work — it's about finally resting into who you already are. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When life feels heavy, it's easy to believe you're carrying it all alone. In this episode, Ryan shares a personal story about moving through fear and uncertainty. A simple shift in perspective can help you remember that you're supported, loved, and never taking the next step by yourself. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life will always bring the unexpected. In this morning's episode, Ryan reminds you that while you can’t control every circumstance, you can choose how you respond. Through today’s meditation, you’ll practice finding the grounded, compassionate part of yourself before the day begins. You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.