this week at ease, we’re joined by professor and head of the department of cinematography at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, Bill McDonald. we discuss ideas like staying true to your voice as an artist and the significance of storytelling. we also explore different factors that shape one’s work and how patience and curiosity help foster artistic expression. if you’ve ever felt unsure about your creative voice, this episode is for you, let’s get into it!

EASE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ease⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508⁠ Website: https://www.easethepodcast.com/NAILEA DEVORA: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora⁠ JUSTUS BRYCE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks⁠

this week on ease we’re talking about awkwardness. we talk about why it’s not something to fear or fix. we also explore how confidence comes from staying present and not abandoning who you are just to escape an awkward moment. If you've ever overanalyzed a pause or felt the pressure to perform, this episode is for you. let's get into it!EASE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ease⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508⁠ Website: https://www.easethepodcast.com/NAILEA DEVORA: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora⁠ JUSTUS BRYCE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks⁠

this week at ease nailea and justus sit down with film scholar and UCLA’s dean of theater, film and television, celine parreñas shimizu. from what shapes cinema and colonial gazes to the role of education, creative responsibility, and the ethical tensions of AI in film, this episode asks what it means to create cinema with authenticity. no matter where you are in your relationship to film or creative expression, this conversation invites you to approach it all with a little more curiosity and ease. let's get into it!

EASE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ease⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508⁠ Website: https://www.easethepodcast.com/

NAILEA DEVORA:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora⁠

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks⁠

welcome back to another episode of ease, today we have a solo episode from our host, nailea! we don't always get to all of your questions so nai took some time to respond to you. keep sending your stories and we'll be back with another guest next week. let's get into it!

submit your stories on our website: easethepodcast.com

EASE:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ease⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508⁠ Website: https://www.easethepodcast.com/

NAILEA DEVORA:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora⁠

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks⁠

This week on ease, we’re diving into a conversation that a lot of us think about but don’t always know how to talk about, gender dynamics. From the way men and women are taught to express emotions, to the expectations placed on masculinity and femininity, we explore how these ideas quietly shape friendships, dating, and the way we understand each other. To help us unpack this, we invited a male perspective into the conversation, Justus’s brother, Caden, who grew up surrounded by women and brings an honest, thoughtful lens to what it means to grow up navigating masculinity today. This episode isn’t about men vs. women or who has it harder, it’s about understanding how these systems affect all of us, and how empathy, communication, and awareness can help us connect in healthier ways. Enjoy! EASE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ease⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508⁠ Website: https://www.easethepodcast.com/NAILEA DEVORA: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora⁠ JUSTUS BRYCE: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks⁠

This week at ease, we’re joined by registered dietitian Kylie Sakaida for a gentle, honest, and deeply relatable conversation about our relationship with food. From food anxiety to bloating, diet culture to self-trust, we explore why eating can feel so emotionally complicated in a world full of rules, noise, and pressure. Kylie helps us reframe nourishment not as perfection, but as curiosity, flexibility, and care. No matter where you’re at in your relationship with food, your body, or “healthy eating,” this episode invites you to approach it all with a little more ease. Enjoy!

EASE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easethepodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=40cfd03133084508

NAILEA DEVORA:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

NUTRITION BY KYLIE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutritionbykylie/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nutritionbykylie

Substack: https://nutritionbykylie.substack.com/

Website: https://nutritionbykylie.komi.io/

This week on ease, love is in the air this time of year, so we’re diving back into the conversation on love, relationships, and how to become better partners, with the help of Dr. Kate. Our last conversation sparked so many questions, so we invited her back for deeper follow-ups on dating anxiety in the age of apps, emotional attachment and sex, physical vs. mental attraction, trusting again after toxic relationships, and what it really means to find “the one.” We also open the floor to you, our audience, for a special segment featuring real voice memos about long distance love, porn in relationships, first relationships, and learning how to tell if something is truly healthy. This episode is honest, thoughtful, and grounded in research, because love isn’t just something we fall into, it’s something we practice. Enjoy!

EASE: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easeradio?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=448c0315affb48a7

NAILEA: 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

Segments:

00:00 Intro

03:10 Too Many Options in the Dating World

06:40 The Myth of Finding "The One"

12:10 Feeling Uncomfortable with Intimacy

17:11 Not Having a Sex Drive

19:50 Attachment Through Sex

26:09 Relationships Feel Like Too Much Work

30:34 Audience Question: Getting Cheated On & Trusting Again

34:05 Audience Question: Long Distance Relationships

41:04 Audience Question: Partners Watching Porn

45:00 Audience Question: Knowing if a Relationship is Healthy

47:15 Audience Question: Yearning for a Boyfriend

50:51 Last Note from Nailea!

This week at ease, we’re joined by bestselling author and religious scholar Dr. Reza Aslan for a deep, curious, and open-hearted conversation about belief. From childhood faith to adult skepticism, we explore how religion, spirituality, and culture shape the ways we seek meaning in our lives. Reza helps us understand how belief systems offer clarity, connection, and compassion. No matter where you’re at on your inner journey, this episode invites you to think more expansively about what you believe, and why. Enjoy!

EASE: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easeradio?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=448c0315affb48a7

NAILEA: 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

Segments:

00:00 Intro

01:03 Why Do We Avoid Talking About Religion?

07:20 Identity and Beliefs

09:42 We've Always Had a Soul

12:04 Religion is Psychology

16:20 Tapping In To Our Souls

18:59 Is Our Soul....Us?

20:30 How Manifestation Affects Us

22:05 The Rise of The Non-Affiliated

26:30 The Appeal of Religion

28:58 The Appeal of Atheism

31:24 Storytelling is The Foundation of Being Human

32:43 What Does "Non-Affiliated" Say About Our Generation?

33:58 Audience Questions

36:43 How Can Exploring Our Own Beliefs Help Us Find Ease?

This week at ease, we’re exploring what it means to stay curious and creative. In a world that moves fast and asks us to have all the answers, we slow down with a gentle, expansive conversation about learning, creativity, and staying soft enough to evolve. From making mistakes to making meaning, this episode is for the ones trying to figure it out without losing themselves in the process. Nailea and Justus reflect on what school never taught us, how our creativity gets shaped by self-worth, and the lifelong work of rebuilding how we define intelligence. Together, we unpack the difference between performance and purpose, and why we tend to doubt ourselves even when we care deeply. Enjoy.

EASE: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easeradio

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8OhqmT9r3HLyenR52ER?si=448c0315affb48a7

NAILEA: 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

00:00 Intro

00:42 Don’t Be Afraid of Creativity

05:23 Beginnings are Always Messy

07:12 “Don’t Be Me, Be You”

12:05 The Artists Way

14:50 We Are All Storytellers

15:55 “Either Or” Thinking

17:53 Lack of Clarity

20:40 Audience Responses

30:46 Outro

This week at ease, we are back for our first guest of season two, Dr. Varun Soni! Dr. Soni joins the table for a soft, expansive conversation on what it means to find your North Star, even if you don’t believe in one. As a chaplain, scholar, and spiritual advisor, Varun helps us unpack what we’re really searching for when we say we feel lost. Together, we explore the quiet inner compass that lives beneath fear, anxiety, and doubt. From gut feelings to intuition, ego to inner knowing, this episode is for the seekers, skeptics, spiritual girls, and anyone trying to feel a little more grounded in their 20s. Varun shares how spirituality isn’t about having all the answers but instead learning to listen for the right questions. We talk about the loneliness of early adulthood, the difference between wisdom and noise, and how to find meaning in the small, unglamorous moments. It’s not about finding something to believe in, it’s about learning to trust what already lives within you. Enjoy!

EASE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easeradio

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8Ohq

NAILEA DEVORA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

Off the table, Nailea and Justus dive into a raw conversation about what it means to reinvent yourself in the new year, not through chasing trends or leaving everything behind, but by returning to who you were before the world told you who to be. They reflect on the pressure to “glow up” every new year, the parts of us we’ve buried to survive, and how healing often looks like softness, not spectacle. From unlearning shame to learning how to actually see yourself again, this episode is a reminder that growth doesn’t have to be loud, and maybe the version of you you’ve been looking for is the one that’s been waiting to come home all along.

EASE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ease/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easeradio

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51x8Ohq

NAILEA DEVORA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naileadevora/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@billlnai?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/naileadevora

JUSTUS BRYCE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusbrycee/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justilocks

Segments:

00:00 Intro

01:45 Reinvention is Forgiveness

14:30 Reinvention is Looking Back

22:40 Reinvention is NOT Listening to Outside Noise

32:12 Reinvention Takes Time

34:38 Outro