Episode 3: Mind Your Own Wellness With Portia Wilson

Listen now to Episode 3 – With Portia Wilson

 

Transcription of Podcast:

Rebecca:

This is the Mind Your Own Wellness podcast with Rebecca Castano Amanda.

Before we kick off today’s Mind Your Own Wellness episode, I would like to mention a disclaimer.

This episode and all episodes thereafter are for general information purposes only.

I am not a medical practitioner and information discussed is opinion only.

Please consult your licensed care practitioner or medical professional for advice as required.

 

Hello, Stunna, and thank you for joining us for our Mind Your Own Wellness third episode.

Today, I’m speaking with world champion equestrian and almighty powerhouse Portia Wilson.

 

Portia:

Everything has life.

You’ve just got to take a second to let yourself admire the beauty in everything and you will find it.

If you’re looking for problems, you’ll find it.

If you’re looking for greatness, you’ll find it.

And that’s also why I’ve been loving watching your Instagram because you are positive and you are thriving and you go, you know what?

Even if it’s a tough day, what can we look for to make it better?

 

Rebecca:

I love that.

Thank you.

And you’re so right.

You’re so right.

And I think it’s too we have to go through, you know, sometimes the darkness to find the light as well.

And I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason.

Mhmm.

Sometimes we don’t—

 

Portia:

—know why.

And we do not.

 

Rebecca:

But, yeah, you’ve gotta try pull out the goodness, and you have to really dig deep sometimes.

And, I think too, it’s hard when the system is so against you.

 

Portia:

Yes.

The system’s broken.

 

Rebecca:

Exactly.

And, you know, it’s for what you say, if they’ve seen you rapidly declining, why weren’t you taken in instantly?

You know?

So much of that that doesn’t make sense.

No.

And that’s—and you should have never got to that point.

No.

But, you know, but it’s hard too because there’s so many—you probably would have gone through so many stages and you would have been resentful, but they get to a point—you’ve got to then go, you can’t live in the past.

You’ve got to heal that trauma.

And we’ve all got that trauma in different ways.

 

Portia:

So speaking of that, because today is not about me.

It is about you.

So do you have any past trauma that you would like to share?

 

Rebecca:

I think, like, you talking about that actually—like, there is a couple of things that really got me into natural medicines.

And what—I first of all, was a couple years after having my daughter because I was 24 when I had Stella.

And I started riding straight away because I ride horses and I got back into life fairly quickly because I remember being pregnant, I really struggled because I’m such an active person.

And so as soon as I had Stella, I was like, you know, I just wanted to do everything again.

And I think I breastfed for twelve months and I really—

 

Portia:

Congratulations.

 

Rebecca:

Thank you.

I think I really ran myself into the ground.

And then I went and got blood tests.

My thyroid—

I was having thyroid issues which I’ve never had.

And so obviously they ran a whole lot of tests and told me to go on thyroxine.

And I’m like, no.

I don’t like the thought of being medicated if I don’t have to.

Like, so I’m all about—like, if I wasn’t this way, what’s the root—there has to be a root problem to this.

 

So I was really lucky, and I got to work with some great doctors in Byron Bay.

And to this day forward, I’ve never had a thyroid issue.

 

Portia:

Well done.

Rebecca

That was just—and, you know, because then you can go—you know, so many of us women—I feel bad.

Like, I never got postnatal depression, but so many women go through that.

And we’re so depleted of nutrients.

And, you know, the doctors are all like, you’re fine.

You’re fine.

But you’re not.

Like, we’re making a baby and that’s a whole different conversation.

 

You’re human.

But exactly.

So you’re so depleted of nutrients and you’ve gotta get them back.

 

Yes.

 

Rebecca:

Otherwise, your body starts to suffer in so many ways.

So the way that my body at that time suffered was through my thyroid, but I was just so depleted.

So we really replenished my body through, you know, tonics, and I was doing IVs.

And I did everything that I could to get it back on track, and that’s when I really started educating myself because I remember—and I still go to a GP—and they’re like, you’re fine.

You’re fine.

 

But when I go in and read my own slides—like, for example, my iron will be right on the edge of okay.

And I’m like, so what happens if I have a stressful two weeks and then I’m completely depleted and I’m anemic, you know?

So I feel like I just take medicine into my own hands a bit and then I top up where I need to.

So that was like the first thing, I guess.

I also had a fall off a horse, which I had a concussion. And that’s when I really got into hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

 

And I remember that was quite scary because—as you said—the sickness and everything that goes with it.

So that really helped with my healing.

And the other thing that I think during all that period of time happened was I was going really dark under my eyes.

And when I did a lot more research—because I started going down the rabbit hole—I found out I had two root canals put in from when I was younger.

 

And a really interesting thing was, if you go into Chinese medicine, one of them was on the thyroid point.

So I then—

 

Portia:

Oh my god.

 

Rebecca:

—I was like—so I went to a mainstream dermatologist and he was like, no, Rebecca, you’re crazy.

You’re completely fine.

 

Portia:

The script.

You’re fine.

 

Rebecca:

Yes.

And then I found this amazing holistic dentist I go to in Carrara, and he was like, absolutely you are not crazy.

What you’re thinking is right.

You know, essentially you’ve got to—it’d be like if you had a dead organ, you’d remove it.

You’re not going to leave something dead because in your sleep, you’re just going to stay sick.

So I went and got both of them out.

All the darkness under my eyes went away and mentally, I felt so much better.

I had so much more clarity.

And so those are probably the three events that really got me, yeah, delving into natural medicine.

 

Portia:

That’s incredible.

And, you know, it’s interesting because I talk to a lot of women about the same thing and they get the same script from mainstream GPs.

You’re fine.

Take this.

Here’s the script.

But they look at the symptom, not the whole person.

What’s your history?

What are we looking at?

Sorry. Oh my gosh.

 

You fell off a horse.

So I just want to touch on this again a little bit more because that is—I fell off a horse and I haven’t been on one since because I’m terrified now.

I love them.

They’re beautiful creatures and they’re great for healing.

But how did you get—how old were you when that happened?

 

Rebecca:

Well, like, I’ve been riding—

My mum rode.

She was a girthy dressage rider.

So I had a pony in the paddock from when I was born.

It was bred into me.

 

Portia:

Oh my gosh.

 

Rebecca:

So yeah.

I was competing when I was five, and then I first rode for my country when I was 13 in Germany.

 

Portia:

So you are literally a world class champion equestrian.

 

Rebecca:

I’m not—like, I don’t—

 

Portia:

No. You are.

I mean, own it.

No. Own it, because so many women downplay their achievements or downplay their contribution to the world or to their community or to their family.

Own it.

You are a world class champion equestrian amongst many other incredible things.

So well done.

 

Rebecca:

Oh, thank you.

 

Portia:

No. You’re very welcome.

So, when you fell off the horse, how long did it take to get back on?

 

Rebecca:

I’ve obviously had a few falls during my time.

Like, you know, especially when I was younger, the model was—you fall off, you get straight back on.

That’s good.

I remember there was that one fall that did rattle me a bit.

 

Especially I think having a daughter now, I’m a lot more aware of what could happen to me, where when I was younger and a bit more wild, you don’t think about the consequences as much.

But when you’ve got a child, you’re like, I want to come home every night.

You’re a lot more protective of yourself.

So yes, I was younger, and that fall rattled me a bit.

Especially hitting my head.

I wasn’t out for long, but still—

 

Portia:

Were you aware of what a concussion is and the damage it does to the brain?

 

Rebecca:

I did have a little background, but it wasn’t until I delved into it a lot deeper myself that I really understood.

And that’s why I got into the hyperbaric oxygen therapy as well.

And I really found that beneficial.

 

I still find that so beneficial in so many aspects in my life.

Like, I got my tonsils out last year, and I booked them straight away.

I was doing IVs and hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

And within eight days, I was eating solid food.

So that’s an example of the inflammation that it can take out of you.

Like, some people can’t eat solids for two weeks.

So yeah. It was a dramatic improvement.

 

Portia:

It’s really interesting to hear what you’ve done—and it’s because you took charge, you took the initiative to research what was happening to you and what options were there instead of just taking a GP’s advice.

And what I really love is all of these therapies or alternative remedies that you’re finding—you’ve done so because you’ve done the research and now you have proof that they’re actually very, very helpful.

 

And I think that is really crucial because there are so many women, not just on the Gold Coast, but everywhere, who don’t always have the capacity or the confidence to do that.

 

And then they can say, oh my gosh, I saw—

And when I look at your Instagram and you’re saying, oh, I’ve done salmon DNA—

What on earth was that?

Do you want to talk about it?

Because that—I was stuck on that.

Because I stick with the injectables, and I don’t do Botox or lip fillers or anything else.

And then I saw you injecting something and went, okay, what’s this?

 

What’s salmon DNA?

And then you went—it’s this, this, this.

It helps with this, this, this.

And I went, I need you.

I need to talk to you about this.

 

Rebecca:

Yeah.

What is it?

Obsessed.

It’s actually salmon extract.

How they make that and get it out of them, I do not know.

 

Rebecca:

Maybe we don’t wanna know.

I don’t and I don’t know who We don’t.

We’re mentioning with that to get to that point.

It’s from Korea.

It’s very big over there.

But I’m very much into, like, like, I don’t like, don’t get me wrong.

There’s a time and a place for Botox, but I don’t—I personally don’t love that frozen look.

Yep.

So I think the salmon DNA is a great option.

It’s like as well.

But it also helps with pigment and it’s moisturising.

And it has a lot of benefits.

And to me, and it’s wild caught, so it’s not beautiful.

Beautiful.

So I just think it’s a great alternative.

I’ve done three sessions under my eyes, which I—because that’s, I feel like, my weaker area.

You know, I’ve got really fine skin under there and I definitely think it’s helped brighten and hydrate more under there.

And then you can do your full face, which I’ve done two sessions of.

And I’m really happy with the results.

You look stunning.

Yeah.

 

Portia:

What I really appreciated you saying—and I don’t know if you said this on Instagram or through a message to me—but when I was asking you about it… Oh, actually, I think it was just a, you were just saying it on Instagram, but you said you were too facial, but you had a lot of facial expressions.

And I think it’s really important as well for women because we do have opinions.

We do have facial expressions.

We do like to show when we’re angry or sad or happy or thrilled, or just on top of the world.

And when you have Botox, I figured that kind of suppresses those feelings and emotions.

And I loved how you said, I’m a naturally facial person.

And I could be paraphrasing here, but I think it was something close to that.

 

Rebecca:

I think I would have said yeah.

I’m very expressive.

Yes.

That’s the worst.

And, yeah, I do think you’re right.

I’ve got a little theory on this myself—whether it’s true or not, I don’t know.

But I feel like too, it can block your third eye when people get Botox around there.

And so that’s another reason.

So then on that, what’s the third option?

It’s like your intuition.

And I’ve noticed in the past—don’t get me wrong, I’ve obviously dealt in it—but I feel quite blocked through there when I’ve had it.

So that’s just my choice not to have it through there, and that’s my opinion whether it’s real.

But I’ve spoken to a few other girlfriends that are intuitive in that space, and they feel the same.

So I think there might be something to it.

 

Portia:

I agree.

And I’m hoping that listeners of this podcast will sort of run in alignment with these views.

And even if they don’t, like you said, everyone has their own opinions, their thoughts, and their own brains and critical thinking capabilities.

So going out Spartan, yes, I do.

I have been delving into the third eye as well because I spoke to my husband about a couple of things and he went, “I think”—my husband is completely non-believer in many, many things.

And I am a believer in many, many things.

And he went, “The third eye?” and went, “Why are you saying these words?”

So that’s really interesting.

And I love that.

Maybe.

Yes.

Yes.

Sorry.

Anyways.

Okay.

So moving on.

So we now know—thank you for sharing your trauma because at the end of the day, this is what this podcast is all about—is giving a voice to women who’ve had trauma.

So other women who may not have the courage just yet to speak up about their trauma can go, okay, these are options.

Even if I don’t want to talk about it, even if I’m not ready to talk about it, there’s someone who’s been there.

I’m not walking this path alone and they’ve tried this and that might help me.

So that’s what the point of this is.

And I’ve also seen some Instagram posts from you before and I, I believe from the most part—in fact, all of it—I think I’m probably 100% on the same page as you.

So on that topic, without any controversial work, has there ever been any information that you have been given that has affected you or that has hurt you or that you’ve just gone, oh my gosh, that has been—no. That is not okay, and it has flipped you.

 

Rebecca:

I feel like we had that two years ago with COVID.

Am I allowed to say that?

I mean, I personally didn’t have the vaccination.

It was a hard time for, I think, a lot of people.

Doctors, GPs saying that it was the right thing to do.

I know a lot of people didn’t have choice in the matter, and they didn’t want to.

I really held my ground on that one.

I was probably quite vocal about it, and I still am.

The side effects that are now coming out are enormous.

In some ways, now it’s making us question so much more.

Which is great.

Which is great.

 

Portia:

Because it’s waking so many people up, which gives me goose—oh, whoops. I’m just about to destroy everything here, which is just phenomenal.

 

Rebecca:

Exactly.

And that’s the thing.

I think a lot more people have become aware, and they’re more willing to question.

You know?

We’re told so many things that are good for us, and they’re not.

And, my daughter was vaccinated—not with the COVID vaccine, with all her trial vaccinations.

I now reflect upon that.

Like, I was obviously young, and I hadn’t gone on the wellness journey that I’ve gone on now.

And I’m not sure if I was to have another kid if I would even do those vaccinations now that I’m more informed.

Yeah.

Like, why should we trust them?

They told us it was right and there’s so many questions.

The FDA says so many things are safe.

They’re not.

I don’t think—this is another—this is how I met you obviously.

Like there’s so many endocrine disruptors.

Oh my gosh.

Yes.

 

Portia:

And they’re approved by the Australian government.

Yeah.

What is that?

Because, oh yeah.

That would be a whole other podcast.

 

Rebecca:

Oh yeah.

I could go into this so much.

But, like, I think just getting the basic ones—you know, your shampoo and conditioner—

Toothpaste.

Toothpaste is a massive one.

Fluoride, you know—mouthwashes are full of so much, skincare products.

So I try to use all organic as much as possible.

Underarm deodorant—that’s another massive one.

 

Portia:

Yes.

With the ingredients. So I was speaking to a good friend recently and her mum was just diagnosed with cancer, which is also a really concerning thing because so many people are being diagnosed with these cancers that are just erupting and it’s—and I kind of think, okay, well why?

There’s always a why. The who is irrelevant because the who will change, the why will always remain the same.

And then I look at shampoos and conditioners and SLS and dimethicone and copolymers and these horrible ingredients are all the main, main ingredients in all of these products.

And especially so for me with a brain injury—I know that my migraines, if I get one, it will knock me out for a week and I can’t recover from that any sooner.

But then you go to a supermarket, for example, and you look at the ingredients and the top ingredients will be those—and every single one. Imagine having shampoo, for example, you’re massaging it directly into your brain.

It is one of the thinnest areas of the human body, other than under your eyes, and you’re massaging those toxic ingredients directly into your brain.

And when people say, “Oh, I keep getting headaches,” I kind of go—and I don’t want to be that person who’s constantly saying, “Check your ingredients.”

But then I kind of think maybe we just need to help.

 

Rebecca:

I think it’s awareness as well.

Like, a perfume is another massive one.

Yes.

Like, I just use essential oils.

Yes.

Great.

And then I was always used to just using essential oils, and then if I was going out, I would use a perfume.

And then I had a beautiful perfume I loved and I’d never spray it directly onto my skin.

Right.

But then I’d go out and I was like, “Why am I getting a headache?”

I’m not a headache-y person.

And then I was like, the only thing I’ve felt different is the perfume.

So now I’m absolutely no to it—I just have organic perfumes and I think that’s a really

 

Portia:

Which is also becoming more and more commonplace, which is phenomenal.

More and more people are learning how to make organic perfumes, which is amazing because the more people that make it available and the more commonplace it becomes, the more confidence women will have to go, “Oh, okay. Let’s give it a go.”

Yeah.

Because yeah, absolutely.

And even when you spray perfume on your skin—because of the animal product and because of the alcohols and toxins that are made to preserve it—some people actually find rashes on their skin and there’s just a host of issues with so much.

 

Rebecca:

Hormones.

Yeah.

The fertility—

 

Portia:

Hormones in skincare.

Yeah.

 

Rebecca:

Yeah.

It’s your biggest organ and people don’t realize—whatever you put on it, it’s absorbed straight into your bloodstream.

So yeah.

And I’ve actually—I finally… So makeup was the last thing I kinda went into with good products because I really struggled to find good organic makeup.

 

Portia:

Right.

 

Rebecca:

And I finally got the whole shebang now with that.

Because, you know, originally, you’d get the mascaras and I think they were still working out ingredients and whatnot—and then it would smudge all over your face.

And you were like, “Oh, it’s just not working.”

But now I’ve got the organic makeup staples too.

So that’s—

 

Portia:

Well done.

Because to start—not only to realize—it’s such a big journey.

To realize, then to go, “Well, now I know, but now I have to actually do something about it,” and then to slowly make that happen.

And now you’ve—you, like you said, you’ve got the whole shabam.

So that’s obviously not a 24-hour thing where you went, “Yep, let’s get it done.”

It’s been over time and trial and error, because that’s another thing.

Women sometimes are like, “Oh gosh, I’ve got to try this first.”

They just want the answer—and it’s not always easy.

 

Rebecca:

And a lot of in—in some of those organic products, you really have to go around and try them.

Because some of them, you know, aren’t great, and some of them do have different essential oils or something that you might be sensitive to.

So I’ve really had to fish through what works for me.

 

Portia:

Correct.

Did you know people are allergic to lavender?

 

Rebecca:

Yeah.

 

Portia:

I did not know this.

I have learned so much about—because I thought, “Oh, it’s natural,” and it’s only been in probably the last ten years that I have really learned that even organic or natural things, people still have really severe reactions to.

 

Rebecca:

That’s so good.

I love that you’ve had—it would have been such a beautiful journey.

 

Portia:

It has been.

And when you learn, you really discover more about yourself, more about your capabilities, and you learn about what’s going to work for you.

And at the end of the day, that’s what matters—what’s going to work for you.

And you obviously have done exactly the same.

You found organic makeup that works for you, and you look stunning.

So that obviously not only compliments your complexion, but you’ve found what works and what makes you happy.

And then I saw that you got keratin treatments on your hair to help grow your hair.

 

Rebecca:

Oh, the biotin shots—yeah.

So the biotin shots, I’ve done—I’ve done five weeks.

So you get an injection—it’s with biotin, which is what we naturally produce in the body.

That we get less of as we age.

 

Portia:

Great.

 

Rebecca:

Yeah, like collagen.

So I’ve been getting them once a week, and my hair has really taken off.

And they say that it really works from the root to the end.

And the quality of it—mixed with your amazing shampoo and conditioner—feels good.

 

Portia:

And it was really—it was amazing because when I received your order, and then it’s come like $3.60.

So Portia is actually one of my customers—who now I’m one—I’m your fan.

Because then when I saw you on Instagram, I have learned so much from you, because you’re a confident woman.

And I don’t know how much—because we all know that Instagram is very different to reality—but you’re very confident and you’re always out there just, you know, showing your best self.

And that was really inspiring because I’m thinking, you know, a lot of other women really want that confidence as well.

And when I talk to women, they say sometimes, “Oh, you’re so confident.”

I went, “I ain’t got nothing on Portia.”

 

Rebecca:

Oh—

 

Portia:

But you do.

You’re very confident in your own skin.

You’re very confident in your own mind.

Like, all over, you’re like, “Yeah, I’ve got this.”

 

Rebecca:

Oh, thank you.

No, that’s nice.

I think I am—I, I like, I guess, questioning things and—

 

Portia:

Which has served you well.

 

Rebecca:

I feel like it’s something that I’m not afraid to do.

Like, if someone tells me—you know, again, going back to the COVID injection, that was a classic example.

And it’s hard too, because you’ve got so many people telling you that that’s the right thing.

And I remember even a couple of friends saying, “You’re a hazard to society.”

 

Portia:

Oh my god, that too.

That was fun.

 

Rebecca:

And I’m like, “Oh, you know, you shouldn’t be around me for two weeks because you’re a hazard to me. You’re going to shed on me.”

 

Portia:

It was outstanding.

I was like, “What is this trial universe I’m living in?”

Suddenly, I am completely healthy, but yet I am suddenly the person who is the danger to society.

And I was actually—so my—I’m allergic.

So I’ve never had the flu shot, even, because I’m allergic to egg protein.

So I couldn’t have the—

And then I thought, it’s a no-brainer, obviously.

And I looked at some of the key ingredients…

That’s a lovely one that they use—the key ingredients of the vaccine.

 

Portia:

And I said, “Well, egg protein is one of the main ingredients.”

So I told my GP, “I need an exemption because I obviously can’t get it—it’ll kill me.”

And she went, “I’m sorry. We can’t give you that.”

And I went, “Hold up. Let’s rewind a tad. How is it that I have to have this injection when I know I’m allergic to an ingredient?”

Like, I have evidence. You have evidence.

And she said, “No, you’ll still need to have it.”

And I said, “But it will kill me.”

 

Then I got further evidence saying I was at higher risk of complications from any injections because of the brain haemorrhage.

Still—“No, I’m sorry, we can’t give you an exemption.”

So even with all this medical evidence, they said, “You still need to have it.”

 

So I went, “Alright.”

And then I was removed from my workplace at the time because of it.

And I just thought—okay, bye.

Because I’m not participating in that.

 

I’m actually so happy now.

Because yes—you do what you want to do.

You put into your body what you choose.

But no one should ever have the power to dictate what goes in or what comes out of your body.

It’s that simple.

We have the power to choose that.

 

Rebecca:

I can agree to that.

I ended up getting COVID—and I had long COVID afterward.

One of my symptoms was I started having a lot of nightmares.

So I went back to Byron Bay, to this doctor I’d been seeing.

 

And I started doing ozone IV therapy. I don’t know if you’ve seen that on my Instagram?

 

Portia:

No!

 

Rebecca:

So they take 200ml of your blood, mix it with ozone, and then IV it back in.

It’s a great way to detoxify, especially if you’ve had the injection or long COVID.

And I noticed a huge difference in my mental clarity.

 

Portia:

Oh my gosh.

 

Rebecca:

It really helped me.

And there are so many studies on it now.

It’s quite big in the U.S., Mexico—all those more health-conscious regions.

 

Portia:

Everywhere but the West.

The West has its “thing” and they’re driving that thing as hard and fast as they can.

And if you go along with it—godspeed.

But otherwise, there are so many more options to explore.

 

And that’s another reason I wanted you to talk about all this—because women deserve to know they have options.

 

Rebecca:

There’s so much toxicity, so many factors that affect us, that we’re not made aware of.

We’ve just got to do what we can to manage.

 

Our bodies weren’t made for all these chemicals and toxins—they just weren’t.

And the system is designed to make us rely on it.

I was saying to my husband recently, “Let’s go to the farmer’s market, let’s buy this and that…”

And he said, “Do we really need to buy all that?”

And I said, “Change your mindset.”

 

We buy the healthy food, we eat well, and then we get sick less.

Which means we’re not going to the GP with a long list of ailments and leaving the chemist with 15 different scripts—each one with its own side effects.

 

It’s a vicious, vicious cycle.

So like you said—if we look after ourselves with the good stuff—

 

Because the system wants you sick.

And that’s what’s so frustrating.

It profits from people being unwell.

 

Portia:

Right?

And when you say that, some people are like, “Really?”

 

Rebecca:

I mean—pharmaceuticals have saved a lot of lives.

They definitely have their time and place.

But I think if you can avoid them, and do what you can—

Most people haven’t even experienced really good cellular health.

Because from childhood, they’re being given processed foods.

Even look at Japan—have you seen how Japanese school kids eat?

So clean, so healthy, compared to the West.

 

Portia:

Absolutely.

 

Rebecca:

And I notice it myself.

When I eat processed foods—even though I try to be good—

My brain fog increases.

My skin changes.

I don’t feel like myself.

 

And it’s about awareness.

That’s what it all comes down to.

 

Portia:

Exactly.

Raise awareness.

Not in a pushy or dictatorial way.

Just offer information:

“I’ve got something that might help—here it is.”

 

Rebecca:

And it’s the small changes.

Take gluten, for example.

Every body is different.

So I ask: “How do I feel two days after eating that?”

If I feel great—cool, that works for me.

If I feel foggy and gross, I note that down and avoid it.

 

It’s that simple.

And over time, those little adjustments add up and help you feel the way you want to feel.

 

Portia:

Yes!

And if you don’t get the result straight away, you just keep tweaking until you do.

You talk to others, you share experiences, you learn from one another.

No suffering in silence—just support and growth.

 

So—on another note—because Instagram can be very different from reality, I want to know more about the real Portia.

When you’re not online, what helps you stay mentally strong, calm, driven, and hopeful?

 

Rebecca:

Well, I’m very yang—go-go-go.

I love being active.

So it’s really important for me to balance that out with yin practices.

 

Yoga really helps me slow down and reset.

Acupuncture is a big one for me too.

I’ve got a wonderful acupuncturist, and she knows exactly when I’ve been in my head too much.

Whatever she does with those needles—it knocks me out, and I walk out floating.

 

And grounding—just taking my shoes off, especially when I’m with my horses on the property.

Getting that barefoot time, walking around on the earth—it’s such a simple but powerful way to feel centered again.

 

Portia:

That’s so interesting.

Years ago, a counsellor friend of mine told me one of the best things you can do during an anxiety episode is to have a pot of dirt.

Just stick your fingers in it.

Feel the earth.

Ground yourself.

And it really works!

It distracts you and reconnects you.

 

And like you with your horses—just being free in that moment is so healing.

 

Physically—I’ve seen you doing PT sessions, rooftop workouts, you’re amazing.

 

Rebecca:

Haha, yes—I do PT three times a week with my partner.

We’ve got a great Brazilian coach—he’s so vibrant and full of life.

It’s such a great way to wake up and set the tone for the day.

Doing it with my partner means we push each other, which is really motivating.

 

I also run, try to keep up with him, and then go for walks.

Riding my horses and doing all the daily movement on the property—that’s enough of a workout in itself!

But I aim to move my body six days a week and be outside getting fresh air.

 

Portia:

That’s exactly where I’m lacking.

Now that I can move more, I really want to get back into it.

I used to scuba dive—it was incredible.

I loved it so much.

 

After the crash, even though I can swim, my body doesn’t remember the movements well anymore.

But I’m thinking of returning to it.

 

Rebecca:

Wow—no, I haven’t tried it.

 

Portia:

You have to!

There’s nothing like it.

I don’t always love being around people—sometimes they just stress me out.

 

But under the water, it’s complete silence.

You can’t hear the world.

You might hear a little trickle of water in your ear, but it’s pure, beautiful stillness.

 

And it is like when you watch the cartoons of those little underwater ocean life—that’s exactly what it’s like. Even in the Seaway, when I’ve been down there and I’ve seen the sharks and the dolphins, you could just sit on the bottom of the ocean floor, sit there and watch them swim around you.

And that right there took my stress away.

Every time I’d come back up and go, oh, I’m ready to take on the world.

And I lost that.

So now I need to do that again.

Find a way to do that without killing myself.

 

Rebecca:

What a graceful ending too.

So I want to just clear the edge.

 

Portia:

It’s incredible.

I can’t even say yes.

When I learn to do it again, we should do it because that would be amazing.

And I want to get back on horses because I love it.

And I used to be able to trot and canter and I lost all of that as well.

So there’s so much that I’ve lost.

And then I look at you and go, there’s hope. Because you know, even talking to you now about your trauma that you’ve experienced—you went through it, you dealt with it and you got back up and kept going. And now you’re just continuing to thrive.

 

Rebecca:

The thing is, so many of us have trauma.

I think everyone has a degree of trauma.

 

Portia:

Correct.

 

Rebecca:

And it’s how you… you know, sometimes you just gotta face it.

And I know a lot of people’s is a lot harder than others, but it’s just taking those little steps and getting yourself back up and going each day.

 

Portia:

This is the thing.

Every trauma is valid.

Everyone’s experience is valid and you’re absolutely right.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to share it or just have someone to hold their hand, to walk through it and to come out the other side.

So what is your—because my favourite is salmon—but what is your favourite therapy or remedy that you’ve tried to date?

 

Rebecca:

That is a—I have so many things.

 

Portia:

Really?

Okay. What’s your top three?

 

Rebecca:

The thing is, I’m very intuitive—what I feel like my body needs at the time.

But I think… I have an Oura ring. I don’t know if you’ve heard much about it?

 

Portia:

I have not.

 

Rebecca:

Sleep is a massive thing for me.

I’m a great sleeper—I fall asleep—but I get up at 5 or 3:30 every morning.

So I’ve learned a lot about sleep since I’ve had it—your deep sleep, your REM sleep.

I notice my mood if I don’t get my eight hours. It gives you a sleep score—

You can be in the 80s, 90s, 70s…

Like, I know if I have a couple of drinks, then my sleep score will go right down.

So it’s really interesting, especially seeing how you are the next day with your energy.

So I absolutely love monitoring that.

I’ve just gotten more into that. It also does your heart rate variation.

So my heart rate, for example, sits between 48 and 54 when I’m sleeping.

However, my variation is quite low—and that can be different for everyone.

I think men are a lot different.

Tall people even have different heart rate variations to shorter people.

But that’s just a real indicator for me—if I’m well or, you know, if I might be getting sick, then my heart rate variation will be quite low.

So you want your heart rate variation number to be higher.

And then it does your body temperature, and gives you all the data back.

So I absolutely love my Oura ring. That would be a big one for me.

 

Secondly would probably be the IV of the ozone.

That’s been great for—if you’ve got viruses, anything underlying—it’s really good to help get rid of that.

So that’s been a good one.

I get the NAD injection.

I love that too. That’s really good cognitively, I notice.

But I just do that intuitively, you know?

Like if I’m feeling a bit run down and I need a little bit of a boost, I’ll get that.

And the hyperbaric oxygen chamber—if I was to have, for example… like, I’ve had a concussion—

When I got my tonsils out, for example, that was great—just how it got rid of all the inflammation in my body so quickly.

So those would probably be the top three.

 

Portia:

That’s incredible.

Okay, so we’ve got two more questions to get through before I send you off into the world again—because you’re just absolutely incredible.

Okay. So we’ve covered your fave therapy.

We’ll just hold for a tick until my little tornado goes back into the silence.

We’re almost done.

 

Rebecca:

It’s 2:30.

 

Portia:

It’s 2:30?

 

Rebecca:

I’m in another hurry.

Oh my gosh.

 

Portia:

I’ve got to go get my son.

Oh my god, that time went so fast.

Time’s been going for ages! What’s going on?

 

Rebecca:

I could stay on for ages! My dad’s like, “Balance all over!”

 

Portia:

I have no idea. I’m thinking it must be around 2:00.

Happy days. It’s like, oh…

 

Rebecca:

Anyway. Okay.

 

Portia:

Okay. So, with everything that you are currently doing, is there anything that you haven’t tried that you really would like to try in the future to improve any element of yourself or your being?

 

Rebecca:

That’s a great question.

Absolutely. I think you can never ever stop working on yourself.

And you know, there’s trial and error in some things.

I’m actually going fasting this Saturday—so I go and fast for seven days.

And I find that when I do energetic healing during that period, it really opens me up into new things.

I’ve considered Ayahuasca maybe… but I also—I’m not sure.

So that’s probably one of the things I’m thinking about, but we’ll see.

 

Portia:

That’s very exciting but also a little bit daunting—because I’ve only seen the TV versions of what that is.

I’ve done no research into it, but it looks very, very intense.

And now I can hear my husband’s already gone to get my son. So we do have time.

Oops.

Yes, but I agree.

We could talk all day.

What excited me the most was—

Number one: your Instagram.

And again, I don’t know if your Instagram persona… I don’t know if they’re the same or different, and that’s—it is what it is.

But when you’re on Instagram, I’ve learned so much about you and I thought, oh my gosh—you’re doing all these alternative therapies that many women probably would have no clue even existed.

And it’s great because you’re in a position—or you’ve put yourself in a position—where you can do those things.

You’ve researched, you’ve asked questions, and you’ve critically thought about, “Hey, could this work for me? Is this going to work for me?”

And you’ve empowered yourself to make those decisions.

And I think a lot of women will really find comfort in going, “Hey, I can do that too.”

 

So in addition to that, because I know for me personally, I know that I have been in control of getting to where I am.

I’m only where I am because I made it happen.

But in saying that, it also took a village.

So after all of the trauma and everything that’s happened in your life, has there ever been that constant person or people or group in general that have been supporting your journey?

 

Rebecca:

That’s a great question.

I feel like yes and no.

It’s been a situation where, yeah, I’ve got a great core group of friends.

But I think if you want to do something, there’s only you that can do it.

And don’t get me wrong—sometimes it’s harder than others, and you really have to dig deep.

If you want to make it happen, you’ve got to make it happen.

You’ve got to have the willingness.

And I’m very open-minded, so I love being open to alternative therapies and whatnot.

But at the end of the day, only I could make that decision to do that.

Only I—if I want that, then I can do that.

People can tell you to do things, but you have to want to do it.

You have to want to make that change.

 

Rebecca (as host):

And that stunner was the one and only Portia Wilson.

I have learned so much today, and I want to personally thank Portia for joining us on our Mind Your Own Wellness podcast.

I hope to have Portia back very, very soon.

I’ve learned so much about Portia and her strive for excellence in health and well-being.

If you would like more information, please get in contact and I’ll definitely pass it along.

I’ll also be posting links relevant to what Portia has mentioned in today’s episode.

So watch out for that.

 

And if you have any specific questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You can find us at www.naturallycos.com.au or via Instagram at @naturallycos.

We look forward to welcoming you back for episode four.

 

Thanks again, and have a wonderful day.