The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

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...

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...

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,...

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...

With the non-stop information being forced upon us every single day, is anyone able to sit still and think for themselves? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I begin by reading an excerpt from Steven Pressfield's amazing book, The War of Art, and talk about my own creative process and how I often oscillate from feeling positive to negative about my own craft. I talk about energy and instinct and share...

This past week, a friend of mind asked me, "How do you do it?" He wondered how I managed to finish writing a book, produce and release a new record and three music videos while continuing to release more podcasts?  The answer was pretty simple... I value my free time. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, as I reflect back on 2021 and look ahead to 2022, I felt compelled to remind listeners about the val...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I welcome yoga teacher and wellness coach, Ali Owens , to the show. Ali has been teaching yoga classes and leading retreats and workshops for over 12 years. She has been featured in Yoga Journal and created programs for GLO and Udaya. Ali and I begin the show by talking about the value of a yoga and meditation practice and Ali explains why her yoga practice has been...

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how lucky I am. The ability to walk, breathe, talk, think freely and make music; all of these wonderful gifts can often be taken for granted. For today's episode of the Spiritual Spiral, I begin by talking about the enormous gift of life and share a quick story about going to the Santa Monica Stairs this past week.  I play a clip from the Joe Rogan show where...

With a new record done and my first book coming out early next year, lately I often ask myself, "What's next?" I've recently been writing poems, demoing new songs and watching instructors on Masterclass to try and help spur on some of the creative juices. Then I wonder, can creativity be nudged out of us or do we have to patiently wait for the muse? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt inspired t...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome writer, journalist and college professor, Joanne Gerstner, back to the show. I was introduced to Joanne about a year ago and I've become a huge fan of her writing. Joanne has a brand new newsletter which you can find at opencourt.bulletin.com where she not only writes about sports but she also shares a nuanced and honest perspective ab...

Will there ever be a finish line? It's something I ask myself pretty regularly as the world continues to shift and look more like a pernicious version of a science fiction film. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I begin the show by reading a poem I wrote over the last week. It's entitled Shrinkage and you can find it on Medium by clicking HERE .  I travelled home to Cleveland about a week ago and sha...

What happens to the raw intimacy of the creative process thanks to technology and social media? Can they co-exist or is the intoxicating and addictive allure of tech a dark cloud that ultimately dampens the creative process? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm thrilled to welcome growth marketer, writer and teacher, Nicole Cifani to the show. Nicole is the Senior Director of Growth Marketing at Thi...

Many journalists have become increasingly tired of the mainstream news media. With conglomerates less interested in truth and investigative journalism, news reporters and journalists are leaving the big news corporations and curating their own path on either Substack or Youtube. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm thrilled to welcome independent news journalist, Kristi Leigh , to the show. After sp...

If truth is no longer revered and social media has changed people's values, then what is the cultural impact? It feels like we're living through a new kind of science fiction movie. It may not be as sexy as a blockbuster Hollywood movie, and while it may be more pernicious, it certainly feels like a new type of dystopia. Today on the SpIritual Spiral, I touch on the news media's coverage of Colin...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome yoga and breath teacher, Marlize Joubert to the show. Marlize has been studying the healing arts for most of her life and knowing how emotionally challenging the world can feel sometimes, it felt like the perfect time to have Marlize on the show.  Marlize and I talk about how to find balance in the often chaotic and unpredictable world we seem...

I watched the new documentary on Val Kilmer a couple weeks ago and while it was certainly well done, I couldn't help but wonder why does our culture lionize actors? Is it simply because they have a lot of money and they're often good looking. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I welcome actor and writer, Polly Humphreys, back to the show. Polly and I talk about the new documentary on Val Kilmer and we...

As I watched the harrowing and tragic first episode of 9/11 on National Geographic, I couldn't help but think about how much our world has changed over the last 20 years. On that tragic day, there was no such thing as Facebook or Instagram and smartphones didn't even exist. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt inspired to talk about how the world looks and feels so much different from 2001. And w...

What happens if finding the truth is no longer of any value and instead, news organizations are merely interested in keeping you entertained? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome back Matt Bilinsky to the show. With the California recall just a few weeks away and the end of the pandemic seemingly nowhere in sight, I felt it was important to have Matt back on the show. Matt is an a...

At what point does an experience get bombarded with so many distractions that the original experience is longer a pure "experience." Is multi-tasking something to be revered? Today on a brief episode of the Spiritual Spiral, I begin by talking about a recent bike ride and the physical and mental benefits of exercise. While walking up and down the Santa Monica stairs, I wonder what happens if you'r...

It feels like the world wants everyone to think the same way which is why I typically resonate the most with artists who help me look at life with a fresh perspective. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome the incredibly talented writer and musician, Tessa Lena , to the show. I discovered Tessa's articles on Twitter a few months ago and I've been impressed by her passion and by the...

I am in the midst of reading the fantastic book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman which has gotten me to think not only about television, but the evil impact of social media on our ability to think critically. And what happens if the news media isn't concerned with finding truth anymore if the goal is to merely keep you entertained. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I begin by talking abou...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome musician, poet, painter and singer-songwriter, Joseph Arthur, to the show. I've been an enormous fan of Josephs for probably over 15 years but what has been just as impressive to me is how outspoken he's been on social media throughout the lockdown. Speaking your truth, especially when it goes against the "narrative", is certainly not for the...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to be joined by journalist, author and professor Joanne Gerstner, as well as Marketing and Business Development Coordinator and Podcast Host, Matt Dery, for this special "roundtable" version of the show. Much like me, Joanne and Matt are also fervent sports fans but what also intrigues me about sports is how it can often mirror the complexities of our s...

With all the confusion and chaos happening around the world, now felt like the perfect time to welcome yoga teacher and my friend, Sesa O' Connor, back to the show. I certainly find myself feeling deeper levels of anxiety thanks to the non-stop media dissection of the virus so Sesa and I start off by talking about the media and the impact they may have on our culture. We talk about social media, t...

Do you ever wonder if you came close to dying today? I know, a potentially morose question to think about, but I do wonder if we sometimes come close death and we didn't even realize it. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt compelled to tell a story about a recent bike ride that could have gone awry. I talk about our culture's desperate need to be right and to be first and I wonder if our culture...