The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

Eric Sharp

I'm excited to welcome Los Angeles based DJ and producer Eric Sharp to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral podcast. Eric is one of the most well known DJs in Los Angeles and he is currently a resident DJ at Sound Night Club in Hollywood. I went to see Eric perform an electrifying set a few weeks ago at Sound so we'll talk about the show, the energy he created and the uplifting power found in a good DJ set. From the music, Eric's mixes and stage presence to the sound system, the amazing crowd and the vibe at the club, it truly was a fun and inspiring night. We'll also talk about what it's like to DJ and stand out in a city oversaturated with DJs and how he ended up with a residency at one of Hollywood's best venues.
 
 
 
Eric will talk about his love for music, dance and throwing parties and how his passion for music ultimately inspired him to make his way out to San Francisco. It was here where he bought his first set of turntables, worked on his craft and also started throwing huge late night dance parties. Eric started to make a name for himself as a house DJ and the host of wildly successful parties where he would DJ with some of the best musical talent in San Francisco. The parties and energy he created through music and dance eventually made Eric a household name in the house and underground dance scene which ultimately carried over as he made his way to Los Angeles.
 
 
 
We'll talk about the transition moving to L.A. and I'll ask how he ended up getting gigs performing at Coachella, Outside Lands, Sound as well as gigs opening for Moon Boots and Holy Ghost. Eric will share his views on the craft of DJing and how the art has shifted over the last few years thanks to DJs now collaborating with pop stars like Rihanna and Sia. We'll talk about Instagram, technology, the power of "likes" and bots and the impact Instagram is having on our creative culture. Eric will also share his passion for good health, being a vegan and the steps he takes each week to remain healthy in a profession that can often be incredibly taxing on the body. All of this and more on this week's show! As always, thanks for listening. 

Writing, Losing Your Mind and Being Human

This week on the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I welcome myself to the studio. No interviews scheduled this week, so first off I'm going talk about the New Year and some of the big time guests lined up for January and February.
 
 
 
I'll also share my own personal thoughts on Instagram, social media and what it took for me to turn off all the distractions and finish writing my first novel. I'll talk about how I think Instagram is affecting the way we listen, think, communicate and even respectfully disagree with one another.
 
 
 
I'll talk about Recode Decode, a new podcast I've been listening to and its focus on the impact social media is having on our minds. I was recently struck by an interview on the show where host Kara Swisher spoke with author and journalist Franklin Foer, writer of "The World Without Mind." They talk about how social media is manipulating all of us by not allowing us to truly think for ourselves. All of this and more this week on the podcast. Thanks as always for listening!!

Harper Botorowicz

For the final episode of 2018, I welcome Harper Botorowicz to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast. Harper is a yoga teacher, hypnotherapist and a meditation teacher in Los Angeles where she is also known as Hesper Yoga. I met Harper a couple years ago at Create Yoga in Santa Monica where I was the DJ for her Friday night yoga classes. Right away, I was inspired by her passion for teaching and her ability to create stillness, peace and relaxation in a yoga class. In a world where people can't sit still, Harper has the gift to help people heal, relax and slow down. Through the power of visualization and mindful meditation, Harper is able take her student's on a spiritual journey that allows them the freedom and the space to let go and relax. 
 
 
 
Harper will talk about growing up as a dancer and a model and what eventually lead her down the path of yoga. She'll talk about how she incorporates visualization in her meditation practice and how she ended up teaching at Alo Yoga and Sweat Yoga, two of the most popular yoga studios in Los Angeles. She'll share her thoughts on Instagram and Alo Yoga, what she likes and dislikes about social media and how she manages the pros and cons of the platform. She'll also talk about how Alo Yoga has been such a positive and supportive company to work for, their Mindful Meditation classes and what it's like to be a part of their community.
 
 
 
She'll share the story on how she became a hypnotherapist, what it means to be a hypnotist and the powers the practice has by allowing the mind to relax and sit still. After years of studying yoga, hypnotherapy, the breath and meditation, Harper truly has the power to heal. She conducts her life with presence and grace and she can be an inspiration for us all. Hope you enjoy the show and Happy Holidays! 
 

Chris Lyans

This week on the podcast, I welcome Chris Lyans to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral. Chris is the COO of Jarjoygoods which is a sustainable, all organic tote bag company designed to keep your jars safe and your meals fresh, while helping the environment and our oceans become plastic free. Growing up in Southern California, conserving the environment has always been a priority in Chris's life especially now being the father of two young children. I'll talk to Chris about how the environment and living a healthy lifestyle became such a priority and how it impacts his day to day life as a dad and a health advocate.
 
 
Chris started studying water treatment and distribution in Southern California and got his certificate as a water treatment plant operator. He also worked at Erewhon Market learning about farm to table food and produce as well as working with fresh organic ingredients making personalized tonics for customers. He was also the first to market and sell "coconut water kefir" to over 8 states within Whole Foods Markets. 
 
 
With a long background in health, water conservation, meditation and eating clean, it's no wonder Chris and his wife  created Jarjoygoods to help bring more awareness to eating well while conserving our environment. I hope you enjoy the show and thanks so much for listening!

Joey Peters

This week on the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome drummer/producer and film composer Joey Peters to the podcast. While Joey is probably best known as the drummer of folk/rock band Grant Lee Buffalo, his talent, drive, and creative spirit after GLB has allowed him to forge a successful career as a music producer and film composer.
 
 
Grant Lee Buffalo was one of my favorite bands in the mid 90's so I'll ask Joey about his early days growing up in California, his passion for the drums and how Grant Lee Buffalo came to fruition. Their big break through came thanks to Michael Stipe from REM who declared their first record "as the best album of the year hands down." We will discuss stories about touring, songwriting and how the band eventually went on to tour the world and open for Pearl Jam and REM. One of the most memorable moments on tour came one evening when he was asked half way through the set to fill in for REM's drummer Bill Berry who suffered a brain aneurysm on stage. 
 
 
 
 
After Grant Lee Buffalo ultimately came to an end, thanks to file sharing and Napster, the music industry went through a dynamic shift so we'll discuss the transition he made from drumming in GLB to working in film trailers and film composition. We'll talk about the pluses and minuses of Instagram and our tech crazed culture and what it takes to stand out from the crowd as an artist. From Neil Young, Coldplay, NIN, blues and jazz, we'll talk about the power of music and how we need singers and musicians who inspire us more than ever. 
 
 
 
 
 
I'm thrilled and grateful I had this opportunity to sit down and talk with someone who is not only a friend, but who was also the drummer from one of my favorite bands growing up. I hope you enjoy our conversation and thanks for listening.

Thankful, Bored and Good Conversations

This week on the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral podcast, I want to quickly thank all my listeners for all the support I've received over the last 12 weeks. Your emails, texts and comments have left me so inspired to keep the conversations and the podcast going so thank you so much.
 
I'll also talk about the power of good conversations and the impact my guests have had on my life and I'll talk about the amazing book I'm reading called "Bored and Brilliant." It's written by Manoush Zomorodi and it's truly been inspiring as she talks about the effect our devices are having on our brains and our free time.
 
Tristan Harris is quoted as saying, "I hate to say this, but if you surrender to the default settings of the world, they are designed to take advantage of you. Everything requires vigilance." Your free time is far too valuable to waste on mindless pictures and boring content primarily found on Instagram. So this week I talk about why I decided to take a stand and spend as little time as possible on Instagram so I could truly focus and finish my first novel. 
 
Thanks to Instagram and our cell phones, the distractions are never ending so I talk about the importance of valuing your free time.  Less screen time and more conversations is one of the goals of my podcast so we can get back to the parts of our lives that truly add depth and meaning. Thanks for listening over the last 12 weeks. 

Nicole Sciacca

In episode 11 of the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral, I am excited to welcome Nicole Sciacca to the podcast. After speaking with Nicole for close to two hours, I felt energized and inspired by her contagious and positive energy. Nicole is a yoga teacher in Los Angeles and while she teaches regularly at Playlist and Equinox, she is the first to admit she is not only a teacher, but always a student constantly asking questions and seeking more knowledge. She is always on the lookout for new sources of wisdom to add to her life. 
 
In this week's New York Times, writer Gillian Flynn said, "There are those of us who want to look under the rock and there are those who always avoid looking underneath the rock." From a young age, Nicole was never afraid to "look underneath the rock" examining life head-on so she and I will have a candid conversation about her childhood, growing up in Alabama and her passion for dance. We'll talk about the current state of yoga and the issues with Instagram and specifically Alo Yoga and the negative impact these platforms are having on the yoga culture. She'll talk about how she first found yoga while living in Los Angeles as a professional dancer and how an injury took her out of the dancing world towards the path of yoga.
 
Nicole's classes emphasize the spiritual and the physical and she does it in a way that is intelligent, sensitive and precise. She spent years studying the practice of yoga and has recently included an emphasis on mobility and functional movements of the body. This shift can be attributed to meeting Hunter Cook, a mobility specialist based in Long Beach, CA. Hunter is a true expert in mobility, FRC and Kinesiology so she'll talk about how Hunter became her mentor and a huge influence on the way she now looks at the body and approaches yoga.  
 
Nicole will share her insight on Instagram and marketing and how to stand out from the crowd in a real and authentic way. She will also share her experience as a mom raising a 5 year old son in this Instagram crazed world. Nicole's warmth, commitment and compassion is truly a gift to not only the yoga community, but the people she comes in contact with every single day. After speaking with her, I felt energized and inspired to try and live a deeper and fuller life. She should be a role model for so many of us. Enjoy this week's show.

Tony Leech

In Episode 10 of the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral, I welcome writer/director and filmmaker Tony Leech to the podcast. Tony grew up in Detroit, Michigan and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. He'll share his inspiration for telling stories and what drew him to tell the story in his latest feature film "Variant." He will also share what drew him to not only write, direct, and produce the movie, but also finance the film all on his own.
 
 
Tony will share the story behind writing the highly successful film "Hoodwinked" which went on to gross more than 100 million dollars worldwide. The success from "Hoodwinked" opened up new opportunities including the chance to work with the Weinstein's so we'll hear how Tony first came to meet Harvey Weinstein and how the Weinstein's went on to distribute "Hoodwinked" and "Hoodwinked 2."
 
 
 
Tony will also tell the story behind "Escape from Planet Earth" where he was hired by Harvey to be the film's writer and director. After their relationship ultimately culminated in a huge falling out, Tony stopped working on the movie and moved to San Francisco to work for a video game company. After a year, Tony ultimately made his way back to Los Angeles to follow his true passion for storytelling and got back to work on his next feature film.
 
 
 
Whether it's in "Variant" or in Tony's short films, I notice a common theme of "feeling at home" or feeling "safe" so we will chat about the importance of home especially living in Los Angeles. We will talk about Instagram and the impact it's having on his life as well as the impact is has on the introverts in our society. We may even get a visit from my cats this week so enjoy the show!