Meditation pioneer Sharon Salzberg explores successful meditation, extending lovingkindness in the social media age, having compassion for enemies while fighting for others. She shares her traumatic childhood, anger towards meditation, and finding truth in it. Sharon discusses introspection with lovingkindness, balance and presence leading to self-compassion, and positives/negatives of anger. She compares meditation and prayer, commercialization vs mindfulness, importance of slowing down, and the power of love. Sharon's personal meditation practice is revealed.

Mayim and Jonathan sit down for another positive news stories recap! They cover a study suggesting our brains sync as we interact with one another, breaking down how mirror neurons wire us to fit in and the positive and negative impacts of emotionally connecting with others. They also share the findings of a brain scan study showing ayahuasca’s profound impact, including its effects on the imagination, how hallucinatory drugs dampen some senses while heightening others, and even the cultural connotations of ayahuasca use. Mayim and Jonathan discuss how belief in God can trigger the same parts of the brain as drug use and explain group thinking, ties between the civil rights movement and religion, and why connection to music can be spiritual.Check out our first Positive News Recap: https://mayim.simplecast.com/episodes/create-yourself-anew-breaking-down-2022-with-mayim-and-jonathanBialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Gabriel Iglesias (stand-up comedian) returns to MBB, but this time he’s in the studio for a chill summer fun episode! He describes his super fun birthday party and Mayim and Jonathan give him birthday presents. He also opens up about the terrifying moment his plane skid off the runway earlier this summer after being forced to make an emergency landing. Gabriel describes what burnout feels like for him and how he copes with it, his addiction to social media, his recent lifestyle changes, and using the stage as his therapy. He shares his take on artificial intelligence and what it means for performers, why he believes aliens exist, and how performing at smaller venues allowed him to fall back in love with comedy. Mayim breaks down veganism for Gabriel and they compare their experiences on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.See Gabriel Iglesias on Tour: https://fluffyguy.com/tour/BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Dr. David Richo, a psychotherapist, discusses the impact of childhood wounds on adult relationships, the importance of trust, the mindsets of ego, and the qualities needed for a thriving partnership. He shares practical exercises to incorporate into everyday life and explores parenting styles and finding a balance. The conversation touches on spiritual commitment and offers a discount for Dr. Richo's online course.

Sadhguru, yogi, mystic, and bestselling author, explores mindfulness, mental health, the mind-body connection, and the importance of holistic solutions. The podcast delves into disciplined behavior, conscious responses to social issues, managing mental well-being, and the individual's responsibility in achieving inner peace. It also discusses the misconception of joy and the significance of maintaining a sense of detachment to experience true joy.

Jinger Duggar Vuolo ( 19 Kids and Counting , author of Becoming Free Indeed ) opens up about the evolution of her views on Bill Gothard’s extreme religious teachings, how it feels to deal with her family’s struggles as someone in the public eye, and her anxiety as a result of trying to precisely follow religious principles. She discusses the positives of her upbringing, like her community of siblings, as well as the harmful dynamics she witnessed often at the expense of women. Jinger recalls the origins of her disordered eating and how her mom helped her through it, what forced her to finally challenge her beliefs, and her technical approach to disentangling her truth from the religious falsehoods she was taught to believe. Mayim breaks down religious obsessive compulsive disorder and shares her pop culture recommendations with Jinger. They discuss why Jinger still wants to be in the public eye, how she feels about her parents now, and the value of privacy after a life of being observed. Jinger considers how her relationship with a higher power and how her views on sex and a woman’s role in a relationship have shifted.Jinger Duggar Vuolo's new book, Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from FearBialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Christy Carlson Romano (Disney actress, activist, entrepreneur, content creator) breaks down her career pivot from Disney icon to child star advocate, the mechanisms of dissociation, and her struggles with love addiction. She details the juxtaposition between her typecasted acting roles with her actual complicated family dynamics, feeling “othered” from her siblings as she became the focal point for family, and the insecurities she carried after her Disney career. Christy explains why child actors are prone to addiction, her own sobriety journey, and the importance of supporting children’s mental health on sets. She shares her heartbreaking story of being assaulted while on her path to recovery, why she once cut her family off, and how she was conned by a “psychic”. Christy opens up about imposter syndrome when it comes to therapy, why she’s not active in it anymore, and her experience with EMDR.NOTE: This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike.Christy Carlson Romano's Podcast, Vulnerable: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vulnerable-with-christy-carlson-romano/id16119881438 Tips for Parents and Teens on Social Media Use — from the US Surgeon General: https://apnews.com/article/social-media-tips-children-surgeon-general-ad87529f4a6a762e3162f59db1f4709cBialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Clarissa Explains It All, What Women Binge podcast) explains how she got her starts on her iconic television series, her Blossom audition, what it’s like to have your mom as your manager, and how her strong sense of responsibility helped her cope with the pressures of being a child actor. She and Mayim bond over starring in female character-driven shows around the same time and Melissa teaches Mayim about "Christmas Culture." Melissa opens up about her journey as a lifelong learner, her foray into directing, and the fascinating story about how her mom inadvertently became her manager.NOTE: This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike.Melissa Joan Hart's podcast, What Women Binge: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-women-binge/id1598931852BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Susan David, Ph.D. (award-winning Harvard Medical School psychologist) breaks down emotional agility, explaining how navigating our emotions can impact every area of our lives, why emotional labor can lead to burnout, the importance of not allowing emotions to guide us, and ways to prevent internalizing stereotypes about ourselves. She reveals the dangers of toxic positivity, how our negative emotions can disconnect us from our true selves, why the power of choice equates to growth and freedom, and the four most common “hooks” that prevent us from taking action. Dr. David provides strategies to change up your routine in a positive way, ways to align with your core values, and how to have your own back through self-compassion. She also shares her own personal grief journey and battle with disordered eating that led her to her life’s work. Dr. Susan David's Book, Emotional Agility: https://www.susandavid.com/bookBialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik

Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory, Night Court, True Blood) joins us for a TBBT reunion! She and Mayim reminisce about the series, from their bond at joining the cast together at the same time and the origins of Melissa’s Bernadette voice to their favorite on-set memories. Melissa opens up about the awkwardness that ensued when she tried to confess her deep love of Blossom to Mayim and what it was like to come of age in their acting careers just as social media was taking off. She discusses her comedy influences, what she likes about writing for herself, and demonstrates her formerly thick New Jersey accent. Melissa also describes her tendencies to beat herself up internally and the positives and negatives about how celebrity is looked at in our society.NOTE: This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike.BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik