eed help shifting gears from mental map-making to actually inhabiting the spiritual territory? Watch as Ryan Oelke and Corey deVos explore what it means to truly inhabit and integrate our contemplative practice and our moment-to-moment experience of life.
Perhaps you’ve experienced this for yourself — you are sitting on a meditation cushion, eyes closed, and you ask yourself, “am I meditating right now? Or am I only thinking about meditation?” This conversation helps bring bit more discernment around questions like these, as Ryan leads us in a practice to help us to shift from a predominantly mental or imaginal enactment of spirituality to an authentically lived spirituality that can respond to the various pains and pressures of existence with greater presence, empathy, and skillful action.
Corey also shares how his daughter’s medical journey helped to fundamentally transform his own spiritual life, stripping away so many of the ornaments and embellishments of the “spiritual mind” and leaving him with a deeper and more intimate sense of what really matters.
If you are also struggling to bring more embodiment, more grace, and more discernment to your own spiritual life, you don’t want to miss this wonderful conversation between Ryan Oelke and Corey deVos.
Written by Corey deVos
Music by Justin Miles and Stuart Davis
Want to practice empathy right now?
We often forget to tell our friends and family how much they mean to us. Mirror is designed to help you tell your loved ones how unique and important they are, and how much you love them. Why not take a few minutes to do so right now?
Previous Episodes of Inhabit
Inhabit: Your Awakening
Corey deVos
March 7, 2024
About Ryan Oelke
Ryan Oelke is a co-founder and teacher at Buddhist Geeks and a Senior Teacher of The Realization Process. He has an MSEd in counseling psychology and is contemplative teacher of awakening, healing, and embodiment. He has 20 years experience in meditation, particularly in the Tibetan Buddhist and Dzogchen lineages. Ryan teaches meditation and a way of living dedicated to revealing natural presence and awakening in each moment of our lives, regardless of how it appears to us.
About Corey deVos
Corey W. deVos is editor and producer of Integral Life. He has worked for Integral Institute/Integal Life since Spring of 2003, and has been a student of integral theory and practice since 1996. Corey is also a professional woodworker, and many of his artworks can be found in his VisionLogix art gallery.
Comments
Oh wow. You guys blew me away with this episode. So grateful for what you are doing with this show and others on Integral Live. Love and blessings to you, Corey and Ryan.
Happy to hear this, Will! Thank you for listening and sharing 🙏
Hi guys,
Really enjoyed the broadcast, some very heartfelt exchanges and ideas explored.
One topic i feel might be of interest to explore is that of being single by choice. It still seems to be almost taboo to choose not to be in a relationship these days and yet many people end up in relationships because of fear of being alone. Both paths, being alone and being in relationship offer huge potential for spiritual growth but in possibly vey different ways, each worthy of exploration. Just a thought! maybe could be a good topic to explore….
Thanks again,
Warm regards
Mark
Thanks for this series of talks guys. I’ve got a reminder in my calendar now to make sure I tune in. I really appreciated what Corey was saying about the intimacy of his spiritual experience and how he feels uncomfortable talking about objectifying it through talking about it. I completely get this and have noticed my own gradual shift from talking *about* to living *from* – and that must surely be where the spiritual path takes us – the path that is the goal? “The Tao that can be spoken is not the Tao” – and yet of course we have to talk ‘about’ or there could be no sharing, no community, no teaching. I guess we could say that we inhabit paradox? Loved the Zen story too 🙂
Thanks so much guys.
Gary
Thanks so much for this conversation. I’ve been feeling alone and seeing a bunch of thoughts saying I’m wrong about being awake and it can’t be just this because I’m still suffering. Yet Corey’s story validates my own experience. So I’ll keep talking about awakening from being awake. I do love Nisargadatta’s saying “When I remember I’m nothing, that is wisdom. When I remember I am everything, that is love. And between these to poles my life flows”. Many Blessings.
Thank you Corey and Ryan, it was very insightful and transforming for me, and I looking forward to next session
cheers Ari
The zen master wept uncontrollably at the death of his child. A student said “Forgive me master but you weep as you taught us for an illusion.” The zen master said”Yes, and a child is the most beautiful illusion of all”