Ryan discovered a deep interest in meditation and spirituality during his senior year of high school.  He lived in the Mindful Living community during his undergraduate years at George Mason University and graduated with a degree in Consciousness and Transformation. During these years he was exposed to the practices and philosophies of many of the world's great wisdom traditions and in 2011 he discovered and fell in love with the profoundly healing practice of Qigong.  He studied Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong, the Qigong of Unconditional Love, with the kind and joyful Qigong teacher Pauline Reid of Laughing Turtle Qigong.  In 2013 he met internal arts adept and healer Keith Harrington, and through Keith's instruction Ryan began to learn the Qi work of the Taoist Water Tradition, with which Ryan fell in love.  Since that time Ryan has continued to learn with Keith, exploring the internal arts of Qigong, Bagua Zhang, Medical Qigong Healing, Tai Chi Chuan, and Hsing I Chuan.  In 2016 Ryan attended his first workshop with the Water Tradition lineage holder Bruce Frantzis and has participated in several retreats and teacher trainings with Frantzis and his senior instructors since that time.  In 2016 Ryan also began learning Taoist Water Method Meditation through an immersive 16 month self-study program, followed by a live meditation retreat with Frantzis and subsequent one-on-one instruction with senior teachers.  Still wanting to deepen his practice of this profound art, in 2020 Ryan began studying Water Method Meditation privately with adept and founder of the Tao Arts Center New York, Susan Rabinowitz. Shortly thereafter, Ryan became a regular student in the Tao Arts Center of New York's weekly classes of Qigong and Wu Style Tai Chi. Ryan soon fell in love with Wu Tai Chi and embarked on his journey to learn the complete long form, a journey still in progress. Ryan continues to deepen his practice and understanding of Tao through integrating many other lifestyle practices and disciplines such as nature immersion, energy healing, philosophy, Taoist and western astrology, feng shui, music, and cooking.