Mayim Bialik's Breakdown

Vanessa Bayer & Jonah Bayer: Transcendental Meditation & Confronting Cancer with Humor

Sep 19, 2023

Vanessa Bayer, SNL alum and cancer survivor, discusses using humor to cope with her diagnosis, her time on SNL, and her transcendental meditation practice. Her brother Jonah Bayer, a writer and podcaster, talks about his studies in mental health counseling and his own battle with leukemia. They talk about their love of Blossom, their working relationship, and the difficulties of mental health treatment.

01:03:13

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Episode guests

Vanessa Bayer

Jonah Bayer

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Using humor as a coping mechanism, Vanessa Bayer discusses her cancer diagnosis and how it influenced her comedic approach to life.

Jonah Bayer shares his transition from comedy and music journalism to supporting artists' mental health journeys in community mental health.

Finding a wellness practice that works for you, such as meditation or yoga, can aid in self-care and establishing routine for cumulative benefits over time.

Deep dives

The power of laughter and optimism during illness

During a hospital stay, Vanessa Bayer reflects on the only time death crossed her mind and discusses how her mother's reassurance helped her stay optimistic and overcome fear.

Introduction

4min

Reflections on a TV show finale and sobriety

8min

Parents' Professions and Frustrations at JCC

4min

Leukemia Diagnosis and Make-A-Wish

15min

Navigating the Competitive World of Comedy

6min

Siblings, Nostalgia, and Overcoming Challenges

13min

Mental Health Practices and the Benefits of Meditation

4min

Ashtanga Yoga & the Importance of Mental Health Practices

14min

Vanessa Bayer (SNL, I Love That for You) joins us in the MBB studio to discuss using humor to cope with her cancer diagnosis as a teenager, her tenure as one of longest-running female cast members of Saturday Night Live, and her transcendental meditation practice. She opens up about her Make-A-Wish experience, landing SNL and the resiliency working on the show entails. Vanessa’s brother Jonah Bayer (writer, podcaster, musician) joins in virtually to discuss his current studies in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, what inspired him to enter into the mental health field, and why he’s interested in the mental health of creatives in particular. He opens up about his experience navigating Vanessa’s illness, his own battle with leukemia, and how he uses yoga to maintain his mental wellness. Vanessa and Jonah profess their deep love of Blossom, explain their working relationship as siblings, and consider the difficulties around getting started with any mental health treatment.

Vanessa & Jonah's Podcast, How Did We Get Weird?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-did-we-get-weird-with-vanessa-bayer-and-jonah-bayer/id1586365658