Waking Up With Ryan

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On the Waking Up with Ryan podcast, coach Ryan Weiss explores how the first five minutes of your day can shape everything that follows. Through short daily audio and video episodes (10–12 minutes), he delivers powerful "moments of awakening" designed to interrupt the inertia of fear, ego, and judgment, helping listeners reconnect with themselves before the noise and demands of the day take over.
Blending wisdom, meditation, and practical insight, Waking Up with Ryan offers a daily ritual that grounds, inspires, and empowers listeners to move through life with greater intention. More than just a podcast, it is an ongoing exploration of self-discovery, presence, and what it truly means to remember who we are.

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32 episodes
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Avg 16 min
English

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Friday · 15 min
Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors: The Powerful Lesson in Loving Yourself First
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.
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Thursday · 10 min
What If You Stopped Pushing So Hard?
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.
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Wednesday · 11 min
Just Because It’s “Normal” Doesn’t Mean It’s Right for You
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.
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Tuesday · 11 min
Overcoming Overthinking: Your Busy Mind Isn't You
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.
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Monday · 11 min
Everything Heals in Time (If You Let It)
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.
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August 21 · 1 hr 6 min
Jamie-Lynn Sigler on Mental Health, Motherhood and Finding Her Way Back to Herself
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.
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August 20 · 12 min
What If You Had No Memory?
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.
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August 19 · 13 min
What's Blocking You From Finding Love?
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.
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August 18 · 14 min
Dear Universe, I Am Willing
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.
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August 17 · 14 min
If You're Not Nervous, You're Not Growing
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.
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August 14 · 17 min
Breaking Up With My Narcissistic Husband
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.
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August 13 · 10 min
Every Relationship Is an Assignment
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.
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August 12 · 12 min
When Life Doesn't Go Your Way
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.
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August 11 · 11 min
Knowing Who You Are Isn't Arrogant
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.
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August 10 · 13 min
The Journey Is the Point
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.
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August 7 · 1 hr 1 min
What a Good Death Looks Like with Jennifer Grey
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.
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August 6 · 13 min
What Is Your Truth?
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.
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August 5 · 10 min
You Never Know Who You're Impacting
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.
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August 4 · 12 min
Boundaries
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.
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August 3 · 11 min
How Do You Make People Feel?
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.
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