The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

Too Many Opinions and I Guess Hitting is OK

Today on the Spiritual Spiral podcast, I found myself thinking about the apparent evaporation of boundaries in our culture. Thanks to tech and social media, it feels like we live in a world where people share or crave 24-7 access to every minute detail of people's lives. It also appears like we live in an ever growing me-first society where people do whatever they want, with no regard to other people's feelings or the potentially negative consequences. Truth to be told, I stopped watching the Oscars at least a few years ago but with that said, I'm perplexed at how many varying opinions are being voiced after what seemed, to my eyes, like such an egregious act at this year's awards. The reaction also makes me nervous thinking we may now live in a society where violence and hitting people is no longer condemned but excused and brushed aside as "normal behavior." I read an excerpt from a wonderful new essay entitled Lucky-Go-Happy by one of my favorite writers, David Sedaris, that just published this week in the New Yorker. I also play a powerful clip from a recent Bari Weiss podcast where she questions America's toughness and I end the show by playing a clip from MSNBC where a teacher seems to be overstepping his "boundaries." Lastly, I am thrilled to say my new book SSAFY is NOW available online. Please visit SSAFYoga.com where you can order an advanced autographed paperback copy. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Kurt Goebel

Today on the Spiritual Spiral podcast, I'm excited to welcome musician, producer and composer, Kurt Goebel, to the show. Kurt has studied piano since the age of 6, he majored in piano in college and after being on the road for several years, he moved to Nashville where he's now a full time composer and producer. We begin by talking about Kurt's work flow in the studio, how he prepares for each artist he works with and what it's like writing music in so many various genres. We talk about the shift in the music industry and the impact streaming services have made on the way artist's release music as well as the way consumers listen to music. Kurt shares great stories about what drew him to the piano at a young age and what it felt like playing his first gig at the age of 14. We talk about music production, craft, songwriting and the potential downgrade in the sonic quality of today's pop music. I also end the show by playing a fabulous new song Kurt produced entitled "Be Alright" by singer/songwriter, Anna Graceman. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Talking is Easy If No One Knows How to Listen

Can you tell when someone isn't listening? I was on a Zoom call this last week, and right away it became clear that the person I was speaking to wasn't listening. Instead of trying to listen and engage in a meaningful conversation, they opted to check email and look at another device. Is that what happens in a me-first, tech obsessed society with non-stop distractions?  Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I reflect on a culture where a substantial amount of people have forgotten how to listen. Social media apps are breeding a world of self-absorbed narcissists and yet, is there anything that can be done to stop this immutable trend? And as more people opt to send a text or DM over making a phone call, what is the effect on human being's innate need for real human to human interaction? I also play a clip from the Russel Brand Podcast and I end the show by playing a clip from the Bari Weiss podcast where she asks an existential question. In a world where the news moves at such a frenetic pace while our attention spans are  drawn to ephemeral distractions, can anything be done to reverse this trend and get people to care about anyone but themselves? Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Michelle Featherstone

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm thrilled to welcome the uber-talented singer/songwriter and producer, Michelle Featherstone, to the show. It's crazy to think I met Michelle close to twenty years ago while we were busy making records and playing gigs around the LA club circuit. She and I begin by talking about the craft of songwriting and why, thanks to tech and social media, we may be seeing a lack of depth in the current state of songwriting. We discuss the therapeutic and healing effects of music and Michelle shares a story about when she began playing the piano for the first time as a young girl. She also talks about the first time she got up and sang her own songs in front of an audience in Los Angeles. We talk about the arduous and solitary process of songwriting and why it can feel overwhelming when artists are asked to navigate the world of marketing and technology.  Michelle shares some great stories about the moment she saw an "in" into the music business and how it led to her pitching her own music to music supervisors. We also discuss SONA, an advocacy organization formed by professional songwriters, that fights for songwriter's rights and why she is such an advocate for artists' rights and fair pay for songwriters. All the music on today's show is from Michelle and you can find her on IG @michellefeatherstone and you can listen to her music on all streaming platforms under her name or under her electronic side project called PPLRS. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Gilli Moon

What impact do streaming services have on the way we culturally "value" art and music? And if musicians have to spend more time doing self-promotion and less time on the craft of songwriting, what is the impact on the quality of art? Questions to consider as I welcome my next guest, singer/songwriter and record-producer, Gilli Moon, to this week's show. Gilli has released eight studio albums, she has written three books and she is the co-founder and president of Songsalive. Gilli is a powerhouse of creativity and we begin by talking about music, inspiration and what happens to the purity of creativity once we release our passion projects into the world. Gilli shares personal stories about what led her to pursue music as a full-time career and we talk about the devaluation of music and art thanks to Spotify and streaming services. Gilli and I also talk about the importance of pursuing different mediums as an artist and she shares important lessons she's learned about the business side of the music industry.  I also end the show by playing a song from Gilli's latest record, a Beautiful Mess, which is available now on her website or on all streaming platforms. You can find Gilli online at www.gillimoon.com or on IG @gillimoon. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Know-it-Alls, Censors and The Illusion of Good Health

I'm certainly not a physician but based on my own health history, I've grown wary of our culture's over reliance on "quick fixes" and pharmaceutical options to treat disease. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt it was valuable to tell a few stories about some of my own health struggles and what led me to rely more heavily on homeopathic and natural remedies. I talk about the bizarre response to some of Joe Rogan's recent podcast episodes and why I'm even more disheartened by the calls to take him off of Spotify. Granted, Spotify has been an evil perpetrator in "devaluing" the work of musicians and songwriters, and yet, something dangerous seems to be at play with the demand to cancel and de-platform Joe. I play a powerful clip where Dana White talks about the absurdity and hypocrisy surrounding Joe and I also read a wonderful poem from Mary Oliver entitled, Mysteries, Yes. I share some thoughts about our know-it-all culture, I play a clip from a recent Sam Harris podcast and I read an excerpt from Winston Marshall's thoughtful piece on Substack called, When Artists Become the Censors.  I end the show by reading a new poem I wrote called A Soup Bowl of Joe and Fear which I recently published on Medium. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Asher Luzzatto

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, you're in for a wonderful chat as I'm thrilled to welcome my friend and the uber talented, multifaceted and mayoral candidate, Asher Luzzatto, to the show.  Asher is an attorney and works in real estate and he's also been a leader in the preservation movement in Los Angeles. Most notably, Asher is also running for mayor where he hopes to prioritize the environmental, social and cultural strength of Los Angeles over the short-term political gain. I met Asher close to six years ago at Hyperslow, which was the yoga and meditation studio he co-founded and also one of the yoga studios I started my journey as a yoga teacher. Asher and I cover a myriad of topics including health, politics, homelessness and what ultimately was the catalyst that drove Asher to run for mayor. We talk about the confusing and unstable times we live and how it can be amplified when the news media stops offering nuanced perspective. We discuss the paradoxical nature of human beings especially when living in such a tech driven and capitalistic culture. We talk about the value of creative expression, meditation, slowing down, and being open to fresh perspectives. And Asher ends the show by sharing a personal story about why he was drawn to yoga, meditation and living a more introspective lifestyle. You can find Asher on IG @must_ash or you can find him online at www.asherluzzatto.com or www.asherformayor.com. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Kama Hagar

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm thrilled to welcome reiki master, yoga and meditation teacher, Kama Hagar, to the show. Kama is a certified holistic wellness coach who also founded the sustainable all-natural skincare line, Mukama Botanica. She is currently living in Puerto Rico where she offers custom private and remote yoga and meditation sessions. We begin the show by talking about the gift of curiosity and where Kama's innate desire to try new things comes from. We talk about her vagabond-lifestyle upbringing as a child and what inspired her to move to Puerto Rico. We discuss meditation and finding balance in our day to day lives and Kama talks about why she went from the business and fashion world to the world of yoga and meditation. Kama talks about why living in Hawai'i has had such a profound impact on her life and her yoga practice. Kama and I also talk about listening to our "inner voice"and Kama ends the show by sharing some powerful tools that we innately have in our back pocket which can help us relax. You can find Kama on IG @kamahagar or you can stay up to date with any new information from Kama by visiting her website, www.kamahagar.com. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening.