The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

IG and Insecure People, Upgrading Your Life and Traveling

After a two week vacation in Europe, I'm happy to be back to record a new episode of the Spiritual Spiral Podcast. Next week I welcome musician/producer Zhao to the show but for this week's episode, I felt inspired to talk a bit about my vacation, the importance of travel and how Instagram is a huge "downgrade." I'll also talk more about Recode Decode and a recent episode with Tristan Harris, I discuss how IG is a breeding ground for insecure people and I end the show by playing my latest song "Lost at Night" which lands on iTunes and Spotify this Friday 5.24. Thanks as always for listening and you can support the show by visiting my Patreon page by clicking HERE.

IG is Turning Human Beings Into Robots and Brands

On today's episode of the Spiritual Spiral Podcast, my cat Nellie joins me in the studio to celebrate my birthday and to talk about Kara Swisher, Cal Newport and how I think Instagram is turning human beings into robots and "brands." And that's probably not a good thing. Hope you enjoy the show! You can always support the podcast by visiting my Patreon page and as always, thanks for listening to the show. 

Paul Teodo

This week, I welcome Paul Teodo to The Spiritual Spiral Podcast. Paul is a freaking stud and a rad guy and someone I really look up to and admire. Why? Because not only is he a musician and an amazing yoga teacher, but about two years ago, he and his fiancé packed up and left Los Angeles and moved all the way to Bali to teach yoga. How freaking cool is that?  Paul was anointed the best yoga teacher in Los Angeles in Yoga Trip Magazine about two years ago so we talk about what it felt like to be considered the best yoga teacher in Los Angeles. Paul talks about music and being creative and what inspired him and his fiancé to leave LA and move to Bali. We also talk about social media and Instagram, we discuss his acting pursuits as well as what ultimately led him to step into a yoga class and eventually become a teacher. You can check Paul out at the Yoga Barn in Bali where he currently teaches or visit him on one of his retreats around the world. You can listen to his music here and you can support my podcast by visiting my patreon page. Thanks so much for listening. 

Andrea Marcum

This week on the Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I am super excited to welcome Andrea Marcum to the show. Andrea is an author, musician and yoga teacher based in L.A. where she teaches at Yoga Works West Hollywood and on Montana Avenue. She teaches online classes at Udaya.com and also leads teacher trainings, workshops and retreats all around the world. I discovered Andrea about seven months ago after a friend of mine posted a photo on Instagram of her new book. The book is called Close to Om and while it certainly focuses on yoga, it's about how we can all slow down, take a breath and learn how to live a fuller, deeper and more meaningful life. We discuss Andrea's musical background and ultimately what led her down the path of yoga. We talk about her passion for yoga, what inspired her to write a book and we talk about this idea of "stopping before you can start." We discuss the creative process, the yoga culture in Los Angeles and we even talk about Joni Mitchell and social media. Definitely check out Andrea on Instagram and buy her book on Amazon. You can support my show by visiting my Patreon page and as always, thanks so much for listening.

Matt Dery

This week, I'm excited to welcome my friend Matt Dery to The Spiritual Spiral Podcast. I went to high school with Matt and ever since I can remember, Matt has been a huge fan of sports. So much so that Matt went on to become a well-known sportscaster and sports reporter in Detroit, Michigan where he currently resides. Matt hosts three sports podcasts including Locked on Lions and he currently teaches at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He shares his views about social media and what it's like raising kids and teaching high school students in this social media crazed world. We talk about sports and why so many professional athletes spend their free time staring at their phones and how this can become problematic for pro athletes. We also talk about the toxicity found on social media especially on Twitter and having to deal firsthand with trolls. You can support the show by visiting my Patreon page and be sure to check out Matt on Twitter @deryspaks.  Thanks so much for listening.

Colin Wright

This week for episode 30, I am excited to welcome Colin Wright to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast. I met Colin a couple months ago when he was in Los Angeles on his book tour and he has become someone who truly inspires me and the way I live my life. Colin is a writer, public speaker, hosts a podcast called Let's Know Things, and writes a blog called Exile Lifestyle where he shares his thoughts on the world, minimalism or any topic that peeks his interest. On top of all that, he also travels full time leaving it up to his readers and followers to decide where he should live next. We sit down and discuss minimalism, social media and the power these platforms can have on our lives. We also discuss how in 2009 he transitioned from running a hugely successful branding agency into becoming a minimalist and full-time author and traveller. Colin's self-awareness, his unique ability to offer different perspectives on the world, as well as his minimalist lifestyle should be an inspiration for anyone who wants to live a life with more value and intention. A great interview and thanks as always for listening. You can follow Colin on Twitter, Instagram and be sure to check out his blog. 

Stop Liking So Much On Instagram

In this week's episode, no guests lined up but I do get a quick visit from my cat Nellie which is always awesome for the show. After she says hello, I dive in and talk about why it's time to stop "liking" specific accounts on Instagram. The people who post model shots and pretty pics all the time and who constantly share their "perfect happy life" on Instagram. Yep it's time to unfollow them or stop "liking" their pics because they're merely perpetuating Instagram's incessant and manipulative cycle. I also talk about minimalist Sam Harris and his podcast interview with Roger McNamee, the author of "Zucked." I have a few amazing guests coming up over the next few weeks, but until then, enjoy this week's show!! Thanks for listening!

Reasons Why Instagram is Bad

One of the biggest reasons I started the podcast was to shed a little light on why I think Instagram is ruining the world. Obviously, it's complicated but I've decided to record episodes where I give specific reasons on why I think Instagram can have such a negative effect on people's lives. There are so many reasons so I'll start by talking about the comparison factor and how introverts and the soft spoken ones in the world aren't being heard like they used to be. One of the goals of my show is to introduce you to inspiring artists, yoga teachers and creatives who I think have an interesting story to tell. But the other reason I started the show is to bring more awareness to how and why I think Instagram is affecting our brains in such a negative and dramatic way. I think it's important to talk about the impact of Instagram and social media so we don't allow it to affect our lives or the way we communicate with one another. Enjoy the show!