The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

Emily Cohn

In episode eight of the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral, I take my show on the road and welcome New York based filmmaker Emily Cohn to the podcast. If the last name looks familiar, it's because Emily is my cousin but I didn't invite her on the show just because she's family.
 
About two months ago, I was lucky to attend a screening in Los Angeles where Emily screened her first full length feature film entitled CRSHD. Emily is only 23 years old and in a day and age where most twenty-somethings seem to be spending the vast majority of their time on Instagram, she spent the last three years writing, directing and editing her first feature film. The story is a female sex-comedy taking place one summer at Oberlin College and the result is a film that made me laugh, think about the direction our culture is headed and it also left me totally inspired.
 
 
 
We'll have a candid discussion about the process of making CRSHD, the trials and tribulations that came along with making her first full length movie as well as the challenges of having to "wear so many hats" during production. We'll also discuss her love/hate relationship with Instagram, what's next for CRSHD as she submits and awaits responses from film festivals and she'll share what projects she's working on next.
 
 
 
I'm so proud to have Emily on the show and I'm sure you'll be inspired by her stories and her passion for filmmaking. 
 
 
 
Enjoy the show!

Dr. Gerald Minniti

Dr. Gerald Minniti makes his way to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast in this week’s episode!  
 
Gerald is one of the most highly recognized plastic surgeons based in Beverly Hills and while he is well known for his expertise and knowledge in a wide array of procedures, Gerald is also well regarded for his warmth and compassion towards all of his patients. 
 
We’ll talk about his inspirations and what lead him to become a plastic surgeon and what it’s like being a plastic surgeon in one of the wealthiest communities in the country. We’ll discuss the evolution and trends seen in his practice and the impact Instagram is having on his clientele as well as our culture. 
 
Are more people having work done because everyone always looks so “perfect” on Instagram? Are more men coming in to see him than before and are his patients getting younger? Have Instagram filters made people more insecure about their skin?  We’ll dive into these questions and talk about Gerald’s own obsession with Instagram and how he uses the platform. 
 
I met Gerald a few years ago in yoga class and after regularly bumping into each other, it was only a matter of time until we became friends. We’ll also talk about the yoga community, his experience of raising two boys in this digital age and about his recent trip to Dubai.
 
In a world where so many people claim to be an “expert”, it’s inspiring to sit down and have a candid conversation with someone who truly is an expert in his field. 
 
Thanks for listening!
 
 

Sean Grey

In episode 6 of The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I am stoked to welcome my friend Sean Gray to the studio.
 
Sean has been teaching yoga for well over ten years and the way he examines and lives his life should be an inspiration for all of us. Sean and I have an in depth conversation about what drew him to yoga, his passion for the daily practice and how he navigates teaching yoga in the chaotic world we live in today. Sean will also share his views on Instagram, social media and how he prioritizes what's truly most important in his life. 
 
I used to go to Sean's classes regularly so I'll talk about what it's like to be one of his students and experience the dyanmics of his class firsthand.  
 
His classes and his practice exude depth, passion and intensity, and we will hear how practicing yoga can have such a dramatic impact on your life especially when you have the discipline to pratice every day. 
 
Enjoy the show!

Diana Coconubo

In this week's edition of the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I am super excited to welcome my first guest and friend Diana Coconubo to the studio.
 
I met Diana almost two years ago at our Yoga Teacher Training and one thing I learned right away about Diana is she never holds back and she's always willing to share her opinion no matter what it may be. 
 
Diana is an actor, writer, a yoga teacher and she just finished editing her very first short film this past week so we dive in and talk about her film and everything she went through to bring this film to life. It's a rewarding but also long and arduous process so she talks about all the feelings that come from putting her heart and soul into such a personal project.
 
We'll talk about her love/hate relationship with Instagram and social media and how she even went on an "Instagram cleanse." We'll hear stories about being an actress in LA while also being a waiter at one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. And she shares her thoughts on the crazy Yoga scene in Los Angeles and the impact social media is having on her life. 
 
While we don't get any visits from my cats this week, on the bright side, you'll hear great stories, you'll hear us laugh a lot and you'll hear a lot of profanity in the interview which is always super spiritual. As always, thanks for listening!
 
 

Kanye, The Shallows, Netflix and Birds

In the fourth episode of the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral, I'll talk about Kanye West and share his latest views on Instagram.
 
I'll discuss Netflix, The Shallows and how I think the creative content in the world isn't as good as it used to be. 
 
I'll talk about Led Zeppelin and our culture's new obsession with electric scooters and I even get a quick visit from my cat Nellie! 
 
Thanks for listening! 

Elon, Colin, the Media and Instagram

In episode three of the Downward Facing Spiritual Podcast, I discuss Elon Musk, Colin Kaepernick, the media's response to news events and how they may be more manipulative than ever before. Are they reporting the news or just doing whatever they can to grab your attention and pry you  away from Instagram.
 
Elon Musk also shares his views on Instagram and how the social media giant is affecting our culture. I also ask why the media and the public primarily only reacted to Elon smoking marijuana on the Joe Rogan show when there were so many more interesting topics to discuss from his interview. 
 
I'll talk about Nike's decision to use Colin Kaepernick in their new advertising campaign. Does Nike actually support what Colin Kaepernick "stands" for or is Nike doing what they can to make money and get your attention. Does Colin truly believe in protesting against gun violence in America or is it good for his brand since he lost his starting quarterback job and hasn't played football since.
 
And maybe I'll get another visit from my cats, Nellie and Leo. (The true stars of the show.)

The 90s vs.The Present and the Glaring Difference

In this episode, I'm going to dive a little deeper and talk about Instagram and why I think it's affecting our culture in such a negative and profound way.  
I will also look back on the 90's and talk about the L.A. riots, Rodney King, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, gun violence and the striking similarities between the 90's and present day America.
The one  glaring difference however is the use of the internet. Back in the 90s, the internet was invented for the first time and barely being used while now, it seems like people just can't get enough. People can't stay away from Instagram or their phones long enough to actually care about what else is happening in the world. People care as long as they can get back to taking selfies or get back to more important stuff like Instagram. 
We may even get another visit from my cats and I'll also explain why I think Cardi B is just like Jerry Springer and how my idea for a podcast came to fruition.
 
Thanks for listening!
 
 

The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

Welcome to the Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral Podcast!  A podcast about music, art, yoga, bringing conversations back into our lives and why I think Instagram is ruining the creativity in our culture and what we can do to ignore Instagram and feel more creative again.
About six months ago, I started writing my first book about what's happening to our culture. It's mostly a satire about the impact of social media. Thx to Instagram and social media, I think people are less creative and less productive than they have ever been, so I want to talk about what we can do to bring that creative spark back into our lives. 
I'm a musican, a DJ, a Yoga teacher and a writer and I struggle with social media and the impact it's having on my creativity every single day. So let's talk about what we can do as artists to become more productive and manage our time better and stop wasting time on nonsense like Instagram.
I want to open up the dialogue with other artists, yoga teachers and musicians and listen to their stories about their creative journey and their struggles with social media. I want to talk about what we can all do to stay more focused and creative in this Instagram crazed world. It's going to be freaking awesome and totally inspiring and totally spiritual.