Resonance – Episode 18
Verbatim Transcript
Speaker: Viktoria Levenberg
Guest Speaker: Tayla Wiehahn
Viktoria Levenberg: Prepare to have your mind blown. In this episode.
Tayla Wiehahn: We get some clash between the way we live our life and the way our hormones
want to live. As a cycling woman, you aren’t able to get pregnant every single day.
Viktoria Levenberg: As soon as we learn how to work with our bodies, we can set ourselves up for
success. I think this has the potential to change many women’s lives.
Viktoria Levenberg: In today’s episode, you’re going to hear me have a beautiful conversation
with someone who was my naturopath. Her name is Tayla — she is incredible. She’s got so much
wisdom. She is a naturopath and nutritionist; she is currently also studying psychology. And
honestly, if you feel like you’ve been a little bit disconnected from your body, your hormones,
perhaps even not really understanding how stress plays out in your life — on a physiological,
physical, mental level — Tayla has got so much wisdom to share.
Enjoy the episode. I’ll see you on the inside.
Viktoria Levenberg: Welcome to Resonance, a podcast for ambitious, heart-led humans craving
more balance, depth, and aliveness in their lives. I’m your host, Vik — health coach, yoga teacher,
facilitator, and fellow high achiever learning to live in tune with my nervous system, not against it.
This space is here to remind you that you can have it all — the career, the success, the fulfilment
— all aligned with your truth. Through honest conversations, expert insights, and practical tools,
we’ll explore how to work with your body, mind, emotions, and spirit, not against them. And the
best part: you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode to get there. Because true well-being is
not about being perfect; it’s about being in resonance.
Let’s dive in.
Viktoria Levenberg: Welcome to today’s episode of Resonance. So the guest we’ve got on today
— her name is Tayla, and she was my naturopath until I asked her to come on this podcast, and
we decided to kind of, you know, close our patient–naturopath relationship so that we can share
her wisdom in this professional scope.
And really, she is the person who guided me through so much of my journey. I first met Tayla
through a mutual connection when I was dealing with my chronic skin condition — where, as if
you’ve been around for a little while and you listen to some of the first episodes (I’ll link up
Episode 2, I think it is, that I share my story in) — you’ll know that I had a really massive skin
flare-up and a lot of issues with basically no diagnosis and no way to be helped.
And then I went to see Tayla, and she gave me a really alternative and holistic view of everything
that was going on. A lot of what you will hear in today’s episode are some of the nuggets that
really blew my mind when I was working with her.
And I’m pretty certain that it is with a lot of her help and guidance throughout my journey that I
have really been able to fully recover from my skin condition. She then helped me come off
twelve years of being on the hormonal contraceptive pill, and she then helped me, you know,
heal my cycle, optimise my nutrition. She’s an absolutely incredible, kind human — but also, she’s
got so much incredible wisdom to share.
And I tell you what — like, prepare to have your mind blown in this episode. There are things
about learning about the cycle and myths and things that we aren’t necessarily taught in school
or, like, you know, taught to — for example, thinking that we can be this, like, fertility clinic and
get pregnant anytime during our cycle. Like, that is such a myth.
We talk about hormonal contraception and alternative non-hormonal options that aren’t actually
really commonly known out there — not even so much so as when I went to see a doctor for it;
that wasn’t mentioned to me until I saw Tayla.
She also is going to share a little bit about the role of stress and how that wreaks havoc on the
body — and so, so much more. So get cosy, maybe go for a mindful walk. If you’re driving, please
drive safe — and enjoy the episode.
Viktoria Levenberg: Welcome to Resonance, Tayla. Thank you so much for coming on board and
joining me here.
Tayla Wiehahn: That is absolutely okay. I’ve been looking forward to it all week, so thank you so
much for having me.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh my gosh, me too. And actually, I forgot to mention it earlier, but I was
thinking of you this morning, and I’m like, having my little dandelion root tea — which you
recommended me back when.
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh, I’m so pleased to hear that! So good.
Viktoria Levenberg: So we’ll get into that in a moment, but yeah, that just came to me. So I’ve
also been looking forward to this, and, you know, we’ve worked together for a few years now, and
I am just so excited for you to share your voice and your message and your story with people who
are right now where I was when I probably first came to see you — you know, really stressed out,
potentially some physical symptoms showing up and already giving those early warning signs,
and perhaps feeling a little bit lost of where to from here and what’s next.
So, before we dive in, could you just give us a little bit of an intro — like, who are you, what do
you do, where are you from — and just, yeah, it’s Tayla, haha.
Tayla Wiehahn: Sure, yeah, I’d love to. Well, my name is Tayla, and I am a naturopath and a
nutritionist, and I’m really interested in the women’s health space — so anything related to, um,
fertility. And I don’t mean specifically fertility as in making babies — just anything related to that,
so anything to do with, I suppose, the uterus is probably more accurate, and the hormones, and
the lifestyle that comes with that, and with being a woman in general.
So yeah, as a naturopath, we do a lot — I mean, we like to look at the body from a very holistic
perspective. We use a lot of tools like lifestyle counselling and use our understanding of the body
and the mind to kind of help coach people, in some ways, through their situation and kind of
improve their well-being. That’s the ultimate goal, yeah. So that’s mostly what I do, I suppose.
A little bit more about me is that I have a practice — it’s called Tayla Made Nutrition.
Viktoria Levenberg: So good, by the way. How did you come up with that name?
Tayla Wiehahn: I mean, thank you! Yeah, I wish I could take the credit, but it was a magical friend
of mine who came up with it — in a stroke of genius, I guess — but yeah, I had to take it. I
thought, wow, this is a great play on words.
Viktoria Levenberg: So good. Do they get royalties for every client?
Tayla Wiehahn: No, they wish. They do wish, but no.
So Tayla Made Nutrition — it was started or founded maybe five years ago now. I have a practice
in Auckland, on the North Shore, and online, and I absolutely love, absolutely love what I do. I
wish I could do more of it at the moment, but unfortunately, my time’s taken up a little bit by
other pursuits — let’s say, in the realm of health and well-being.
Viktoria Levenberg: You’re studying right now, aren’t you? You’re on your way to your master’s —
is that right?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah, doing some psychology studies, which, yeah, very much influence the
way I practice. So if I start talking a bit about psychology throughout the discussion, then just
know that it’s very much in the forefront of my mind.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, I’m all about it — like, please do. It’s so cool seeing your evolution as
well, because I don’t think you were studying when we first met, and now, you know, when we
used to work together, I really saw you start to weave in some of the things that you were
learning from your postgrad, and I was like, ooh, great!
Tayla Wiehahn: I’m glad you noticed!
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes! And so right now, you’re writing your paper, right? Is that correct?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, I’m doing my research thesis — writing thesis — and it’s on a topic that I’m
really passionate about, which is related to women’s health. It’s on people living with
endometriosis.
Viktoria Levenberg: Ooh!
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, very big topic — but specifically about their sleep. So yeah, at the very
moment, I’m just diving into the world of research about sleep as it relates to endometriosis and
other chronic illness.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm-hmm. That’s just, yeah — a lot. It’s so important. You know, I was
gonna say it’s so powerful, and what a synchronicity as well, because I literally wrote a newsletter
this morning about sleep.
Tayla Wiehahn: Wow, look at that timing!
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, there you go. I mean, it’s — as I kind of wrote this morning — it’s the
foundation for everything, you know? Like, as soon as sleep falls off the table—
I don’t know about you, but I just completely start to— I know that’s when the red lights turn on.
It’s like, danger zone. Because it’s hard to function when you’re not getting enough and, or good
quality sleep.
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s it. That’s exactly what I’m finding out, and I keep getting reminded of, you
know, as the years go on in this health space — let’s call it, yes — that those foundations of
health are so important. And sleep often is so neglected, and sometimes is like one of the first
things to go.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm-hmm, right.
Tayla Wiehahn: And in that cycle of, like, poor sleep, um, negative effects the following day leads
to more poor sleep and so on, so forth. Yeah, it’s just — it’s really influential.
Sure. You find in your work too, with your clients, it’s just — yeah, it can be very impactful.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. I mean, in this modern world, we tend to overcomplicate things. We’re
like, “Give me this new miracle drug,” or, “What 18-day fasting protocol do I need to go on?”
when it’s like, actually, like — how’s your sleep? Are you eating real food? Are you moving your
body? Are you drinking water? Like, let’s just start there.
Tayla Wiehahn: So true. Yeah, so true.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh wow, I love that. And it’s, um, yeah — really keen to hear, um, you know,
whenever it feels right for you to weave in, um, if you feel like giving us an early sneak peek of
kind of what’s coming through your research, that’s super cool.
I mean, I just recently, um, finished my postgrad as well, as you know. I decided to put hold on
that and not pursue the Masters for now, just as I kind of focus on getting LVN Health up and
running. But yeah, I know kind of what it’s like when your head’s in the game and you’re all in the
papers, and so if there’s any kind of, um, wisdom that shines through — like, I’m all about it.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, well, I mean I’m happy to share anything about sleep and endo from what
I’m discovering. But obviously, I’m still a student in this space.
Viktoria Levenberg: But yeah, we’re all students of life, you know. You probably know more about
it than the average person. And I think, like, before we start to nerd out in the science, I also do
want to ask you on a personal front — like, what is one thing that doesn’t show up in your official
bio that you would be happy to share about yourself?
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh, great question.
My official bio as in, like, “naturopath”.
Viktoria Levenberg: Naturopath, nutritionist, student,” you know, kind of the things we generally
say. Yeah.
And I always like to throw this curveball inside — so what’s something not many people would
know if they just, like, found you on the internet?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah.
That’s a really — I love — that’s a great question. Um, I guess a bit of a funny thing about me that
not many people know is that I love to dance. I have a bit of a history with dance. Um, love a
dance class. It’s one of the things that I keep coming back to as the years go on. I absolutely love
it, and it brings me so much life. And I think everyone should dance more, honestly.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, my goodness. I mean, there’s actual studies that have been done about
the psychological benefits of dance and, like,
Tayla Wiehahn: Moving your body. You love it
Viktoria Levenberg: It’s huge. What’s your go-to dance style? Is there, like, one that you prefer
over another?
Tayla Wiehahn: I’ve dabbled in various types over the years, um, but I think at the moment it’s
probably more of, like, a contemporary style of dance that I like the most. But who knows — like,
I do, trust me, I love a hip-hop dance, even though I’m, like, you know, tall, lanky white girl.
Viktoria Levenberg: Welcome to the club!
It’s hard with these long limbs, isn’t it?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, flopping about!
Viktoria Levenberg: Haha, yeah.
I feel you. I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing moments in front of the dance hall. Haha. I’m
right now playing with the idea of, like, a burlesque class, because that sounds kind of fun.
Tayla Wiehahn: Awesome! Have you done one before?
Viktoria Levenberg: Um, no. I’ve done pole once, but the skin burns were just not up my alley.
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh yeah, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: They’re like, “Oh well, it’s just part of it,” because I thought it was, like, such a
cool workout — such a great way to, like, you know, experience your body in a different way. But
then I saw kind of the people who were doing it regularly, and it was painful. No, no thank you.
Okay, you get used to it.
No, I’m good, thanks.
Tayla Wiehahn: Ooh, yeah, no — I agree with you there. I’ve only been to one class as well, and I
was left with bruises. But I admire — I do love the amount of strength and coordination that
comes with the skill, the pole. It’s amazing, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hats off — like, so much respect to the women that do that. But, uh, no, not
for me. So we’ll try burlesque, see how that goes. I’ll keep you posted.
Tayla Wiehahn: Right, yeah, that’s right.
Viktoria Levenberg: Amazing. So, um, yeah — I’d love to hear, as we kind of, you know, learn a
little bit more about you and your field of work and research — how did you get to what you’re
doing today? Like, how did your journey unfold?
Tayla Wiehahn: It kind of started in a not very dramatic fashion. I wish I had a big, um, you know,
story that led me here. But honestly, I think I realised that my story is probably similar to a lot of
others that ended up here. And it started with me and my own health issues, and I was just trying
to find a way to resolve them.
So, for a bit of context, I was in my early twenties and I was travelling the world, and I was dealing
with a lot of health issues relating to my hormones. So I had probably, like, what would be
considered, like, moderate acne at the time, which, at that age, just completely — it has a huge
effect on how you see yourself and how you see the world.
Yeah, I had period troubles — like, a lot of period pain and irregular cycles — and had been given
a diagnosis of PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome. And when I consulted the doctors about it, I
didn’t really have many options in terms of treatment or management, aside from, of course,
going on the oral contraceptive pill.
Which, for me, at the time, I had been on it, and I was almost convinced that it was part of the
reason why I ended up with these symptoms.
Viktoria Levenberg: Interesting.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah. And at that point, I had no reason to connect them other than just the
timing of events. That kind of got me interested in, um, yeah — how they related to each other.
But yeah, it was honestly out of my frustration about not having the answers that I wanted —
like, why do I have these problems? And why is my acne not going away?
Really, this is what it boils down to, yes.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, and rather than seeking, uh, kind of resolve in the next miracle face
cream or whatever—
You kind of looked inside, and you’re like, “No, there’s probably more to this,” and which is what
led you to where you are today.
Tayla Wiehahn: It did, yeah. At least it started off the journey, and it led me to enrol in the College
of Natural Therapies. But, you know, I tried all the things that I’m sure a lot of people with those
similar kind of concerns could relate to — like, I booked in, I did like a year of facials and all the
fancy microneedling and peels and, yeah, all the treatments, right?
And drank all the water, haha!
Tried to do all the things that you can think of — all the ointments and creams — but wasn’t
really seeing a big difference. You know, little differences in my skin, but not really many changes
in my cycle and the pain that I was dealing with on a monthly basis.
So yeah, I started my studies in naturopathy and then decided, “Hey, look, this is really
interesting. I’m kind of interested in this nutrition side of things,” so continued down there for a
little bit. And then it sort of evolved.
Yeah, and similarly, in my kind of transition or evolution to psychology study, it was sort of similar,
but it was more about the clients that I saw. At the time, I started realising that although
naturopaths — we work in this beautiful holistic space, which I love — the way that we look at
the body is through a holistic lens.
The tools that we have available to us to use to support clients are heavily with nutrition, which is
great — it’s very much my area — and a bit of lifestyle support and counselling kind of vibes,
haha. And of course, nutraceuticals — so, like, natural products, herbal medicine, vitamins and
minerals.
But I felt like they were making good changes in people from what I could see, and I felt great as
a practitioner to be able to support people like that. But I always felt like there’s more that could
be done in the psychological space.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm-hmm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And it was working with a lot of people with endometriosis that really did flick
the switch for me and go, “Wow, okay — chronic illness is just such a space where your
perspective and your mindset…”
And your psychology is, um, really important and yeah.
I wasn’t—I didn’t have the tools to be able to help people in that kind of way.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm.
Tayla Wiehahn: So honestly that’s really what led me to study further.
Viktoria Levenberg: And here I am—and here you are.
Exactly, and like, you’re making your holistic practice even more holistic, right?
Like, the mental health is just as important as our physical and emotional and spiritual health.
And you’re really kind of bringing more, kind um, tools into your little tool belt—or I guess
probably quite large tool belt at this stage.
By the way, I just wanted to say your skin looks amazing.
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh, thank you.
Viktoria Levenberg: So throughout that whole journey, you know, cause you kind of, you uh—you
mentioned you were struggling with the acne and the, um, I guess mainstream solutions weren’t
working for you. What was it that finally shifted the dial for you, personally?
Tayla Wiehahn: I wish I could say it was just one thing, and, you know, I can attribute all my, um,
yeah, health changes to that. But it—as like most things—there’s so many factors that played into
it. And it took a matter of years for me.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And that’s not to say that’s the case for everyone, but, um, for me, uh, stress was
a huge part of it.
Tayla Wiehahn: Stress—I think most people think of it as like, “Oh, just a bit of overwhelm while
you’ve got a big to-do list.” But it’s so much more than that.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm.
Tayla Wiehahn: It can be psychological stress, physical stress—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, just day-to-day stresses of life, all that kind of stuff. So I think through my
studies and, um—
There’s a bit of burnout in there, you know.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yep. Been there.
Tayla Wiehahn: Been there—you know what I’m talking about.
Viktoria Levenberg: I know what you’re talking about.
Yes, yeah.
So what I’m hearing you say is it was a broad range of tools and support, and consistent doable
steps over time, right? Because I—I love that you said the fact that it took you years, because—
and that’s the reality. Like, we live in this TikTok culture where everyone’s expecting miracles in
like a 30-second video, um—
Viktoria Levenberg: I don’t know if they’re even shorter on TikTok—I don’t use it, but hahaha.
Something like that, um—
You know, I’m probably gonna have to go on for business purposes, but I’m still battling that at
the moment.
And yeah, because we are cyclical beings, right? Like, it takes 12 months for us to go around the
sun, and these habits, they take time to ingrain. Even you mention like your skin—correct me if
I’m wrong, cause you’ll be more of an expert on this than I am—but I’m pretty sure our skin
renews like every 90 days or something?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: So like, if you start cleaning up your lifestyle and—and all the things, probably
not gonna see the immediate effects of that for at least three months. And that’s three months
of being consistent, um, on—on the outside. So yeah, really grateful that you mentioned that
because yeah, so many people get discouraged because they don’t see results in like a few days
or a couple weeks. And that’s just not how it works.
Tayla Wiehahn: And I think another important thing to know is that, like you said, um, there’s a
lot of—yeah—different things that need to be consistent in order for change to be made
sometimes. And yeah, that takes a lot of time.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Um, realistically, you know, in the perfect world we might be able to alter so
many things about our lifestyle or our mindset like this and stick with it, but we’re also humans.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
Tayla Wiehahn: You know, we are influenced by so many things and tempted by various different
things that might just, um, yeah, make our path a little bit more complicated.
Viktoria Levenberg: Exactly.
Tayla Wiehahn: So yeah, sometimes it can take your time, but…
Viktoria Levenberg: Small doable steps over time—like that’s it.
That’s it.
That’s what I keep coming back to, to be honest, with like everything I’ve learned about
behaviour change and motivational interviewing. Like, the reason so many of us fail with some
goals or whatever that we set ourselves is because A: we set them too high, and B: we expect
unrealistic outcomes. You know, like—
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s so true.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Um, and so you sharing this, yeah, really just brings it back to—to the really
real. And um, you mentioned as well kind of the influences of your cycle and your journey with
hormonal birth control, which I’ve been like awaiting—so excited to talk to you about this
because this is like—this is the woman who helped me like heal my cycle, you know?
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh gosh.
It was you that made the changes!
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah—yes.
And you know, you really supported me at the time. So I guess like, just for a little bit of context
for anyone who might not know the story—you know, I, um, came to you kind of in the midst of
dealing with my skin flare-up condition, and I saw you after seeing like endless doctors and
specialists.
I think I remember like bombarding you with all the letters—
And they were prescribing me antibiotics and steroids and things kind of left, right, and centre.
And I finally felt like you were the first person to kind of sit down, take the time, and rather than
get the prescription pad out, you really took the time to get to the root cause and hear what was
going on.
And just that, like, as you say, on the psychological front—and what you’re diving into now—like, I
kid you not, that initial consult in itself, just having someone hear you, did so much, I think,
already on like deeper levels. So my eternal gratitude to you for that, first of all.
Tayla Wiehahn: So pleased to hear that, yeah. Yeah. Um—
Viktoria Levenberg: But I guess I digressed slightly, because where I was gonna go is the birth
control piece. Um, so I was still on the pill when I first saw you, and around that time I recall
already feeling like I needed to come off, um, for various reasons. It just felt like it was
contributing to my skin condition. Then we had the whole liver thing, and it was just kind of all,
um, yeah, exaggerated—all happening.
And Tayla, until I heard you do that workshop with, um, Rochelle, where you spoke about skin
and cycles—I think it was—and you took us through the female menstrual cycle, I never
understood that. I hadn’t been cycling for like 12 years.
So—can you please just walk us through that a little bit? You know, like you educated me then,
can you just kind of—cause I think there’s so many women who have no idea, right? And like, this
is your life’s work, but back then that was like huh!
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh, so cool to hear that. I’m so glad. And I remember the moment that it
happened for me as well—it wasn’t even that long ago, um, either. And I—I kind of had this
moment of like, whoa. So yeah, hopefully we can bring that to listeners as well today.
Viktoria Levenberg: Blow some minds—let’s go.
Buckle up ladies— You’re about to
Tayla Wiehahn:, Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: See your uterus very differently.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yes, exactly. Um, right—so the purpose of having a reproductive system in the
body, um, it was for the sake of fertility and reproduction, right? But in order for that to happen,
we need various hormones to fluctuate up and down.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And they primarily, uh, run on two cycles. The first cycle is, um, kind of the cycle
where the brain tells the ovaries to ovulate—or not to ovulate—based on, yeah, various feedback
mechanisms.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And the second cycle is where the brain and the ovaries are working together to
tell the uterus to grow or to, um, shed the lining. And when it sheds, of course, is when you
menstruate—when you have a period.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yep.
Tayla Wiehahn: So those two cycles are happening all the time.
Viktoria Levenberg: Just in the background.
Tayla Wiehahn: Just in the background—sorry, well, you’re so right actually—maybe not so much
in the background.
Because it very much affects things in our life.
But uh, I suppose we don’t think about it. We don’t have to, you know, tell our ovaries to ovulate.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, just as much as we don’t have to tell our lungs to breathe, right?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yes, as you say, yeah. And so that process is happening, um, in a cycling woman’s
body. However, when someone takes, um, any exogenous hormones—which means like any
hormones from outside the body—so if you’re taking a pill like the oral contraceptive pill, its goal
often is to suppress ovulation.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: So what it’s doing is you’re kind of overriding that cycle of the brain telling the
ovaries to do its thing. It’s being overridden because you’re getting exogenous information—
you’re getting these hormones in the body, you know.
Viktoria Levenberg: Synthetically, basically.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: So the body doesn’t need to produce them on its own.
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s right.
Yeah. In that way, if you were to look at your hormones on a graph—let’s say if the bottom axis is
time and this is the amount of hormones—instead of the natural ups and downs that are usually
going on between the brain and the ovaries, when you take a pill you’re getting, think about it,
like the exact same dose of estrogen or progesterone or whatever’s in there every day.
So instead of this up-and-down dance of hormones, you’re usually just getting a bit of a flat line.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
Tayla Wiehahn: Graph going on, um, and that is how—just to say this—um, that’s how it, the pill,
works as a contraception, right?
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: As a contraceptive. It’s because it needs to cut off ovulation. Otherwise your risk
of pregnancy is much higher—when you may not want it to be. So it has its function, right? That’s
why it was designed. And it’s, yeah—I don’t know if you want to get into the history of all of that
or not, but um, you know, it was very, very useful for the sake of women’s health and women’s
rights when it was created.
Um, but for—we’re talking about women who are cycling at the moment—taking the pill does
just mute the cycle whilst you’re on it, and it stops ovulation. So that can have very big impacts
on, um, a lot of functions on the body.
And I don’t think a lot of people know about that.
Viktoria Levenberg: No, they don’t.
And like, I am having flashbacks to—I still vividly remember that moment you drew that graph for
me on your little notepad when we were in session. And like, I—I just, like, my mind was blown,
because somehow—um, by the way, for any women or men that may be listening who don’t
know what ovulation is, it’s basically when we release—the egg is ready to be hatched. [laughs]
Exactly, to be fertilised.
Viktoria Levenberg: And that whole time, I thought that something was still going on in my body,
because I remember telling you, like, I, um—I would take the pill for three weeks, and then be off
for one week. And so I would still—well, what I thought was menstruate. And it somehow so
happened that one month was heavier than the other, so I was like, oh yeah, cause every other
month we release it from kind of the other, uh, side of our ovaries, right? Is that right? I’m like—
Tayla Wiehahn: I think so. Generally, but it’s not always the case, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Generally, um—and I always thought that. I was like, “Oh well, it’s fine, like,
I’m not taking it for a week, it’s totally cool.” But can you explain to listeners what you shared
with me then about the withdrawal bleed?
Tayla Wiehahn: Usually when you take those hormones, it’s as if your—your natural, your cycling
hormones—aren’t happening. It’s also a flat line. So then the moment you stop taking those
hormones—
Viktoria Levenberg: Or it’s like a sugar pill?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yes, that’s right. When you take a placebo pill or a sugar pill, you suddenly don’t
get any of those hormones. Um, and it’s the sudden reduction in those hormones that tells that
lining of the uterus to shed. So, um, that results in a bleed. And that’s what—what people
casually call a period, right?
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: But if you’re on the pill, or if you have some kind of manipulated menstrual
cycle—like for someone who’s taking the oral contraceptive pill—that bleed is not technically a
menstrual bleed, so to speak. It’s kind of a—it’s just a withdrawal symptom from temporarily
stopping the hormones.
Viktoria Levenberg: It’s like the uterus hangover after a big night out of popping pills. [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: [laughing] That’s a funny way of thinking about it—I’ve never thought about it
like that.
Viktoria Levenberg: I don’t know, it just came to me.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, I’m sure it would feel like that, especially if you’re dealing with, you know,
maybe pain or—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm hmm, yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: Emotional ups and downs when that time of month—or that time of the pill
packet—comes around.
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh huh, yeah, definitely. And um, thank you so much for kind of shedding
light on that, because that—yeah, that was brand new news to me when I first heard you share
that. And I think it’s so important to raise awareness of it.
And as a follow-up, like, I know many listeners will probably be like, “Well—but then, like, how do
I protect myself if, say, like, I don’t want to be using condoms or, um, or whatever it is?” And I was
on that journey with you as well, where I kid you not, I went to the GP and I was kind of like,
“Hey, look, I’m thinking of coming off the pill cause it’s doing all these things—like I’ve got a
growth on my liver because of the excess hormones that it was producing, etcetera—and, um, I
don’t want hormonal contraception.”
So they tried to sell me the IUD—which, as you know, is hormonal—and then she went into,
“Well, okay, well your only other option is the copper IUD,” which, for those who don’t know, is
basically inflaming your uterus. And that’s how you’re preventing pregnancy. When here I am
telling them my story of dealing with skin inflammation, trying to reduce inflammation in the
body—cool, put something in that’s gonna inflame you even more!
And then you came and shared there is another way that we don’t talk about enough. And so I
would be really grateful if you could share that now as well, because I think this has the potential
to change many women’s lives.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, I—I do as well. But I just want to also start by saying, like, you know, people
decide to go on and off the pill for a variety of reasons.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Um, and there’s—there’s nothing wrong with being on the pill. But, hmm, um—
it’s all about figuring out your own personal pros and cons, right? Like whether it’s gonna be
helping you, and um, yeah, if the benefits outweigh the cost.
Viktoria Levenberg: Exactly. We’re all bio individuals, and for me that time was very much over.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, you had decided—yep, this is the right move to take, to come off of it.
Yeah.
So, there is another option. Well, there was for you in your situation, which was something called
the Fertility Awareness Method.
Viktoria Levenberg: If you’re enjoying this episode and want to stay connected beyond the
podcast, I would love to invite you to join my newsletter. It is a soft little pause in your inbox—an
email that you actually want to read—sharing reflections, wellness wisdom, and seasonal insights
to really help you slow down and come back to yourself. You’ll also be the first one to hear about
new offerings, events, upcoming episodes of Resonance, and so, so much more. The link’s right
below this in the show notes—you can sign up through my website, lvnhealth.co, or by heading
to any of my socials at @LVNHealth. Links are in my bio—it is free, it is gentle, and always created
with care.
Tayla Wiehahn: I can already feel anyone listening to this sort of go, “Whoa, whoa, whoa—okay, if
this is anything to do with some weird pull-out method or whatever, timing, then I’m out.” But
hear me out on this, um, because it’s a—you know, there’s biological backing to this process. But
anyway—
The basis of Fertility Awareness Method is you—you have a look at your body’s signs and
symptoms, and you use that information to determine what your hormones are likely doing, and
therefore whether you are more or less fertile on any given day.
So in the case where someone might be wanting to avoid conception, they—yeah, let’s say—they
might track their symptoms, and let’s say either they might abstain from sexual intercourse or
use condoms on various days where there might be a higher chance of conception.
And there’s also another thing that not many people know—but, um, as a cycling woman, you
aren’t able to get pregnant every single day of the cycle.
Viktoria Levenberg: Thank you—preach it, sister.
Tayla Wiehahn: Such as—I feel like we were fear-mongered into, um, believing that we were just
hyper-fertile through health class in high school.
I don’t know about you, but—yeah.
Yeah, it was very much the case in my education. But any who, so, um—the best way, or the most
kind of like scientific way, of understanding your signs and symptoms throughout the cycle and
tracking your fertility, um, risk throughout the month—or throughout the cycle—is through
tracking your basal body temperature, which is your—your natural body temperature when
you’re at complete rest. And I’m so glad—
Viktoria Levenberg: speaking of sleep—
Tayla Wiehahn: Ha ha ha—yeah, speaking of sleep, it plays a big role—sorry to cut you off.
Ha ha ha—no, no, that’s very relevant. Um, yeah, and I’ve—uh, you were such a great, um, client
to learn this information, cause you took it and you ran with it, and you were so good at, um,
following the instructions, I suppose, and yeah—
Viktoria Levenberg: I have a Virgo rising in my astrology chart, so that’s probably why. [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: [laughing] I love it, I love it. Um, but yeah, so the process is that you track your,
um, basal body temperature every day, and you should naturally start to see a bit of a trend.
So if someone is ovulating normally—let’s just start there because not everyone is. That’s a very,
very—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, we’ll get to that as well.
Tayla Wiehahn: Mhm, yeah. Let’s start with normal, right? So if someone is ovulating somewhere
in the middle of their cycle—and therefore usually more fertile around ovulation, by the way,
cause that’s when you have the opportunity to fall pregnant, is when you ovulate—but the trend
of your basal body temperature, if it was on a graph, it would start off fairly consistent and low in
the first half of the menstrual cycle. And then as soon as you ovulate, it’ll rise, and it’ll stay
really—
It’ll rise—and you’ve noticed some, some shifts, I know, cause you shared some of your charts
with me.
Which was great, um—
But yeah, your body temperature rises and it stays risen for the remainder of the menstrual cycle
until you bleed and a new cycle begins.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And the reason for that is because as soon as you ovulate, you start producing—
you start producing this beautiful, magical hormone that we all need more of called
progesterone.
And it has many roles in the body. One of them is to kind of hold the lining of the uterus in place
so we don’t get spotting or, um, yeah, menstrual issues in the latter half of the cycle. Um, but
primarily, it’s there to help nourish a growing fetus, should you conceive.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Um, but one of the other side effects, I suppose, of having progesterone in the
body is that your metabolism slightly increases. And with an increasing metabolism, your
temperature rises.
So as soon as you ovulate, you start producing progesterone, and your temperature trend
changes.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, and that’s often why we’re also feeling a little bit more tired, a little bit
hungry in that second half of the cycle, right? Because our uterus is literally preparing, like, a cosy
little nook for a potential fetus. It doesn’t know that nothing’s coming.
And it’s just—it’s taking a lot of energy to do that.
Tayla Wiehahn: Absolutely, absolutely.
And that’s—don’t even get me started on that, but um, yeah, it’s just another thing that not
many people know a heck of a lot about, and yeah, therefore aren’t able to maybe serve their
body in the best way.
And sometimes we get some clash between the way we live our life and the way our hormones
want to live—if that makes sense.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, especially in, you know, a male-dominated world—I will just name it
what it is. You know, it’s sort of—the day is structured to follow a standard, like, testosterone
cycle, which is a 24-hour cycle generally.
Versus the female body—yeah, has a lot more to adapt to.
And I love that we’re bringing this out into the world, because the more people know—I know
Rochelle’s doing a lot of this as well—it’s just like, the more we can raise awareness, um, the
more we can start to accommodate things.
Like, you know, sometimes I will, like, work from home on specific days of my cycle just because I
know, like, I’m like, “It’s the last place I wanna be is the office,” you know? [laughs] Interacting
with people—go away! [laughs]
But now I know why—rather than just kind of walking around blindly thinking, “Oh my gosh,
what’s wrong with me?”
Tayla Wiehahn: Such powerful information about yourself, I think.
I mean, that’s—
Viktoria Levenberg: I agree
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah. Something that very much drives us.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. And um, you know, I do want to kind of share how I’ve been doing this,
which is what you recommended, right? I still wear my little Oura ring.
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s amazing.
Viktoria Levenberg: Um, and I sync that to the Natural Cycles app. So I’ll link all of that in the
show notes for people who are, like, a little bit curious. Um, but that app is FDA-approved in the
United States, so it is officially recognised as a contraception method.
And also, people can use it to get pregnant because, again, you kind of work with your fertility
window and kind of adapt based on that. But I just think it is so cool.
And it’s been, I think, almost two years now that I’ve come off the pill. And my cycle—it took a
good, I’m gonna say, nine to twelve months—as you say, a year or years—for it to stabilise after
being on the pill for twelve years.
Um, and now it’s like clockwork. Like, it is so cool. I, like, I know when I’m ovulating, I know when
my bleed’s coming up, I can plan, like, my months around it. And say if, like—for example, like
right now we’re doing this podcast recording, I’m approaching ovulation—I’m chit-chitty-chatty
as, you know, I’m like, “Let’s go!” [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: Amazing.
Viktoria Levenberg: Versus, say, like, you know, in the first week of my cycle, I’d probably be like,
“Nah, I ain’t scheduling nothing there.”
So there’s power in that knowledge. Yeah
Tayla Wiehahn: Absolutely. There is so much power in that. And yeah, just—I wear my Oura ring
as well, so—
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh cool!
Tayla Wiehahn: But just to make the connection that, um, the Oura ring—or some other smart
devices, like your, like the newer Apple Watches—I think track your temperature for you.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And that links to the app, which then tells it whether you’re on green days or red
days.
Which green is representative of more safe days, or like, lower fertile risk, and red days—higher.
Just to connect some dots there.
Viktoria Levenberg: But yes, thank you. I, like, take it so for granted, so I appreciate you pulling
that, cause I just, like, have my charts in my head already. [laughs] I’m like, “It’s so cool!” It’s just
like this repetitive pattern.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: But yes—it measures your temperature, which is what connects it all.
Tayla Wiehahn: Ha ha ha—yes, yes, yes. But I’m so glad to hear that you, um, you find that
fascinating as well. I know you incorporate it into your work.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Um, yeah—which I am so eager to hear more about, um, cause you are—you
love to work in the nervous system space, right? Stress management for— Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, exactly.
And I am really, like, in my personal and work life, I’ve embraced that cyclical nature so much.
And, um, I really love teaching it to people as well, because as soon as we learn how to work with
our bodies, um, we can set ourselves up for success rather than, you know, expecting to go and,
like, run a marathon on Day Two of your period.
Yeah—just, just exactly right there. And, um, speaking of stress—you know, that’s obviously
something that, um, both you and I, and every other human living on this modern planet,
experiences in our day-to-day life. Um, but I would love to hear your perspective from, like,
whether it’s naturopath, nutritionist, or even psychologist—or all of the lenses combined—you
know, in your words, like, how does stress show up for us, and what does it actually do to our
body, mind, and spirit?
Tayla Wiehahn: Mmm, oh my goodness—it has such a wide reach.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mmm hmm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Such a wide reach, as I’m sure a lot of people have some lived experience to, um,
yeah, to be able to prove that. But what it—how it shows up, um, I suppose we can start there.
In my world—uh, like my professional world and personal world—it changes my hormones quite,
um, the connection is quite close, and the change can be quite dramatic in some instances.
Viktoria Levenberg: Interesting.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, I mean, one connection and impact that stress has—and again, stress is
such a—it’s such a wide, it encompasses so much, right? Like I said before, it’s not only, like, um,
physical stress—like someone going for a run, you know, or—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Any small stress on the muscles—that’s still stress, even if it is helpful.
But it also can be, like, a source of—there could be a psychological source of stress. Like maybe
you’re going through a tough mental time for whatever reason. Or, you know, I’m sure everyone
can think of at least five—
Viktoria Levenberg: Moving house, I mean—
Like totally—the top five stressors. I think it’s like, moving house, a newborn, a death in the
family, uh, changing jobs, and um breakups
Tayla Wiehahn: Marriage—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, or yeah—or the other way around.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, relationship, yeah.
Yes, right. So those could be huge. Um, I guess another way that it could show up is
physiologically. Like, uh, if you are unwell—if you catch a virus—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: It’s technically a form of stress. Your body has to work really hard to overcome it,
or fight off the bacteria, you know. Your immune system’s activated, um, various inflammatory
markers would be up.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Um, so stress shows up in a lot of different ways. And its impacts are pretty wide-
reaching. But one area that I see a lot, and have experienced myself, is the connection between
that wonderful hormone I was talking about before—progesterone—and stress.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: So progesterone—the reason why I’m saying it’s such a beautiful hormone and
everyone needs more of it—
Viktoria Levenberg: You love progesterone. [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: Absolutely
Viktoria Levenberg: We all do love it.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yes.
And if you don’t, you—you know, if you learn more about it, you will, you will.
Exactly.
Um, yeah. And I guess if you’ve seen me talk anywhere, I always praise, praise progesterone.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: But, so, um—it’s a hormone that has a lot of functions, like I was saying, in the
uterus.
Right.
Primarily, kind of, makes the uterus lining nice and juicy and ready—nourishes the lining, ready
for, um, potential conception and for a baby. But, um, it also has some effects on the brain.
It’s known to be, uh, what’s called GABAergic, I believe, which is a term that kind of—it
promotes, uh—so, like, similar feelings that GABA, one of the neurotransmitters, would give you.
So it’s a bit more, like, calming—
Viktoria Levenberg: Ahh, relaxing, yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, it’s a wonderful hormone that has that effect on the brain.
Uh, but where am I going with this?
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh, but where am I going with this? I’m saying when it’s not there—
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, when it’s not there.
Thank you.
Viktoria Levenberg: I got you, yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: When, um—yeah, when progesterone is not there, you don’t feel those
wonderful, like, rejuvenating, um, GABAergic feelings.
Now, stress, unfortunately, it’s sort of, any of those kinds of stresses—it sort of robs your, um,
your body of the potential to make a good amount of progesterone.
Which is really, really important to remember—especially as, yeah, as women or people who are
cycling, really. Um, because if you’re stressed—I mean, you basically—there’s a—if I brought out
a big biochemical chart—
I’m not gonna, you know, put everyone through that.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh, I would love it! I’m like, ready to be nerded out. [laughs] Show me, show
me the charts, Tayla!
Tayla Wiehahn: [laughs] Oh gosh, we’d need, like, an extra hour, I think. But, um, basically, the,
um—the flow of hormones eventually gets to a fork in the road, where the body kind of has to
choose where it sends its resources.
Either to create this beautiful hormone called progesterone, or to kind of make more cortisol and
hormones that help us deal with stress.
And so, you can imagine if somebody is stressed—and yeah, like I said before, we probably all can
think of five things off the top of our head that are stressing us out right now—we all feel it all
the time.
But if it becomes a chronic problem—let’s say it’s been happening for a few weeks, or a few
months, or a few years—you can imagine that you’re gonna have less resources available to
create enough progesterone.
And that’s gonna have some negative flow-on effects in your cycle, but also in your mood and
how your brain kind of behaves, and therefore, yeah—your general mental well-being and
emotional health.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, that is so potent. And also, like, um, your skin as well, I think—which you
shared in your journey. Obviously that was kind of the warning sign that showed up for me when
I first saw you. And, um, tell us a little bit about skin and its role as kind of, you know, the largest
organ of the body. Cause again, that was like another “aha” moment for me.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah. Yeah sure. Um, well I guess, much like what I was saying before—that
the body has a few resources that it decides where it sends them, like progesterone and stress
and cortisol. The brain’s constantly making decisions like that any moment of the day.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: So if you—how do I put this? I guess there’s a hierarchy of organs in the body
that the brain is trying to prioritise and keep functioning well. And of course, at the top would be
things like your heart and your lungs and all these vital organs that keep us alive.
That’s a no-brainer, right?
Exactly. But as the list goes down, um, skin unfortunately ends up really close to the bottom.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm, yeah. I think it’s like below digestion even, right?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah. And so unfortunately, like, if there is a lack of resources, or a reason
for the body to be shunting its resources elsewhere, then skin suffers a little bit.
I mean, when you think about survival from a biological perspective—our skin, like, having glowy,
dewy, beautiful skin, although it’s lovely, it’s not as important as, you know, helping you digest
food and get nutrients to stabilise your blood sugar or something. You know, like, there are a lot
of functions that top having beautiful skin.
So when people show up with skin issues in my clinic, or they start realising, “Oh, I’m having
some issues with my skin,” that’s often a big sign to go, “Ooh, okay—so what is either stealing my
resources, or what’s requiring my resources right now?” Um, or yeah—is this a sign of something
deeper?
I think that’s—yeah, it’s a big clue.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
And that’s kind of what the case was for me. And when we first started our work together, right,
it was—I mean, there was so much, now that I look back on that time—there was so much stress.
And it was physical, mental, emotional—it was just like an absolute overwhelm.
Yeah, that’s the best way to put it.
And so yeah, no wonder that my skin was kind of blowing up and almost attacking itself, you
know, like with all the flare-ups. And it could show up as that, but it could even be things like—I
was speaking to a friend this weekend who had a cold sore that wasn’t healing, that you
mentioned earlier. Like that physiology—or like, really brittle nails, or, you know, eczema,
etcetera.
Like, so many people get little allergies and eczema when they’re stressed.
It’s like, hey—what do you think that is?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah.
That’s so true. When we really tune in, we can start to hear our bodies and hear what—what it
maybe needs. But um, maybe even before that, just that something is wrong. It tries to
communicate with us in some kind of way.
Viktoria Levenberg: Exactly.
Yeah. Like every time something’s happened—or maybe whether it’s a symptom or just feeling—
like sometimes we just feel a little bit “meh,” yeah?
And those are all signals. Like, the body is so intelligent. It is always sending you signals of either,
“This is great, I love it, you’re doing so well,” or “Hmm, that doesn’t sit right with me—we need a
course-correct.” And like, either we listen and we course-correct, or we ignore and we push
through—and the signals, unfortunately, just get louder.
I mean, I’m still—I think we all are, as you say—navigating it every day. And we all have stressors.
But I think there is a difference between stressors—because those are inevitable, like, those are
gonna show up in our lives no matter what—and then how we deal with that stress.
And so, I would love to hear from you, you know, when things get a little bit much in your life—I
mean, right now you’re doing it all, right? Like, you’re running your practice, you’re also working
in a practice, you’re doing the masters—like, those are already three massive stressors. Um, how
do you recentre yourself? And what are some of your go-tos?
Tayla Wiehahn: I have a lot of go-tos. [laughs] And you’re so right in saying that it’s a—it’s a
never-ending process to try and manage these things. And I think, much like you, I’m a little bit of
an overachiever—overachiever and, like, hard-working soul—
often to the detriment of my poor nervous system.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yep. [laughs] Sorry! Sorry, vagus nerve! [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: I know, right? Like, ugh, sorry. But, um, yeah. So it—it is super important to me
to—it’s not even just important—it’s essential for me to try and constantly work on these
management strategies, for the sake of not only my hormones, but just, you know, mental well-
being, social well-being, physical health—everything.
Um, some ways that I personally really like to try and manage it, um—yeah, keep my nervous
system functioning throughout all these pursuits, I suppose—honestly, the biggest one would be
journaling. I find that really powerful.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: It’s a practice I’ve been doing for—honestly—ten years now. It’s been a really
long time. And granted, the first five years of that was kind of like a “line a day.”
I kept, like, a “line a day” journal.
Viktoria Levenberg: I’ve got one of those right now!
Tayla Wiehahn: Do you? Ah, they’re lovely. I love them
Viktoria Levenberg: But even then, sometimes I’m like, “Ugh”
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, yeah, I definitely spend a few days like, “Ugh, gotta catch up on three weeks
of line-a-days.”
But yeah, I really attribute that to setting the habit in place for me. But the later five years, it’s
been more of an intentional practice.
But yeah, sitting down and typing—I find typing is a bit quicker.
Viktoria Levenberg: Do you journal when you type? So you don’t do handwritten?
Tayla Wiehahn: I don’t. Not anymore.
Viktoria Levenberg: That’s so interesting.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, I find it’s a quicker way to—I can type faster than I can write, basically.
Viktoria Levenberg: Ditto.
Tayla Wiehahn: So, yeah—so I can, you know, get more into a flow state, I guess, and just write
out my thoughts much quicker.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: But I do find that journaling is such a good way—I know that there are great
studies out there about the benefits of regular journal practice on mental health and just
emotional processing.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: And I wish it was a habit for everyone—just based on the benefits that I’ve found.
Viktoria Levenberg: Ha ha ha, yes! I agree.
Tayla Wiehahn: But yeah, I really find that—
You’d like it as well?
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, I—I like, um, I was saying earlier—ugh, that one line a day—it’s cause I
have, like, multiple journals. And I do a bit of reflection at the end of the day, but then it’s just
like—having—I feel like I travel with, like, three journals now.
Tayla Wiehahn: Oh really?
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, each has its own little purpose. But as you say, it’s so—especially free
writing, as you say, getting into that flow state—sometimes things come up that you didn’t know,
because you start to tap into that unconscious.
And yeah, I find it really powerful—especially if I’m feeling stuck or something’s going on—to ask
a big question and then just free write. No grammar, no whatever, no spelling—just whatever
comes out and then often something really potent unveils itself.
Tayla Wiehahn: Absolutely, and that’s such a good point. People often ask me, um, “What am I
supposed to write about?” Like, what’s—like, how do I do this? And I’m happy to share my
process.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, please do.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah sure, which I have done with many people before. But I literally start by just
saying what I did that day.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s always how it begins. And that sounds really boring, but I promise you—
once you get into that, you will find something in there. Your thoughts will start to go, and you’ll
start to pick some things up. It could be as simple as, “Started my day with a cup of coffee and a
croissant, and then I went to—oh wait, I had a croissant for breakfast. You know, like—”
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: “I had a croissant for the last three days… maybe that’s not the most nutritious
breakfast.” Or you pick up these patterns. Um, yeah—you follow your thoughts and you find
something in there that can lead to some insight.
And I really think that momentum comes through reflection and insight.
That’s the way to get it, really.
Viktoria Levenberg: It’s a really powerful practice.
Yeah, so that’s like one of your key essentials. Um, are there any others that are, like, non-
negotiables for you in your practice?
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, um—exercise is a big one. I mean, it’s a big endorphin releaser, which,
yeah, definitely helps me. I feel the instant effects from that. So things like—honestly—chasing a
ball. Like, it’s really great.
Viktoria Levenberg: [laughs]
Tayla Wiehahn: I absolutely—it’s a non-negotiable. It’s part of my week. But another one is
maybe less tangible, but, um, something that I—I don’t know if I’m strange for doing this, but
let’s see how it sounds when I say it out loud.
It’s thinking about my—it’s about leveraging the resources that I have around me, I guess, is the
snapshot version of it. But, um—let’s say I’m having a cup of coffee, right? And most people just
have coffee either to wake them up or maybe get their bowels moving, or whatever the case is.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yep.
Tayla Wiehahn: But it has a bit of an effect on your brain—some people more than others. For
me, I feel the effects. It kind of helps me stay focused—or anxious, so yeah, you gotta be careful
with that fine line.
Viktoria Levenberg: You’re talking to the girl that can’t even drink green tea anymore, so yeah, I
feel you.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah! Okay, so for those who, like, can have caffeine—knowing that it has some
kind of effect on your cognition, for example—leveraging that, I think, is such a powerful tool. It
can help you feel like you’re on top of it—on top of your game—and making progress in a good
way.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: So if I have a cup of coffee, it’s like—I don’t want to waste the potential that that
coffee could give me. So I make sure that the first two hours—or, um, I think it actually takes like
eight hours for coffee to really metabolise properly.
Viktoria Levenberg: That sounds right, yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, but at least the first couple of hours when I notably feel the effects, I will sit
down and, like, either try and work or do something that’s cognitively—more of a mentally
difficult task. So I can use the caffeine.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm, yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: And similarly, you could apply the same concept to, like, your motivation levels,
for example. At the moment, I’m trying to manage a few different tasks in a day—some are more
rewarding than others, and some are a bit more laborious.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: Like, I’m—you know all about it as a postgrad student. Like, yup—a lot of reading
articles, a lot of writing things down, just…
Totally.
Totally—just boring stuff. But obviously it needs to get done, right? So knowing that as soon as I
wake up, I’m probably gonna have a decent amount of motivation sort of stacked up from being
well-rested—
Viktoria Levenberg: Exactly. Key nugget right there.
Tayla Wiehahn: Right there, exactly. Um, yeah, I wanna use that and leverage it. So I’ll make sure
to do the boring tasks first, and then sort of reward myself. Kind of tap into your, uh—like, neural
chemistry, and yeah—leverage the dopamine that I do have, you know? So instead of waking up
and doing something that might give me a massive dopamine spike, like scrolling on Instagram
Reels—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mhm.
Tayla Wiehahn: —does that make sense? To try and leverage what’s already there?
Viktoria Levenberg: It sounds like you’re working with your body. And, like—speak of cyclical
living, right? Like, cyclical living isn’t just our hormone cycle—well, I guess our, like, female
reproductive hormone cycle—but it’s also our day. And, like, if you know your chronotype, or you
know that you’re more productive or you feel more motivated in the mornings, and then you’re
gonna have that coffee, which you know is gonna kind of alter your brain chemistry to be even
more alert—and again, you’re using that to your advantage, right?
And so, this information is power. That definitely resonates a lot. And everything you’ve shared,
right—from the movement, to the journaling, to this incredible way of being really smart with
how you structure your life, I guess, in a way—
Tayla Wiehahn: Yeah, ‘cause that’s what it comes down to.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Tayla Wiehahn: That’s it exactly.
Viktoria Levenberg: And I’m very conscious of your time, so, you know, as we look to—I don’t
know where the time has gone, to be honest.
Tayla Wiehahn: It’s flown by, really, hey?
Viktoria Levenberg: We’re gonna have to get you back, because there’s so much more—
Tayla Wiehahn: So many things to talk about, right?
Viktoria Levenberg: So much to talk about, I know—and I’m just loving the vibe as well.
And so, I guess for today, as we wrap—I have a little question that I ask at the end of each
episode, which is: if there was one thing that would resonate with the listener from our
conversation today, what do you hope that one thing would be?
Tayla Wiehahn: I like the notion that knowledge is power. I think it’s really, super powerful. The
more you know about your body, the more you can apply that knowledge into real life, right? I
think in order to actually apply that knowledge and not let it overwhelm you and become a
negative thing—uh, reflection and insight is so important on your own body. So things like—it’s
the journaling, really. It’s really what I’m trying to get at, I guess. But, um, yeah—insight brings
reflection, which is how you use knowledge as power rather than letting it overwhelm you.
Viktoria Levenberg: Exactly. And so what I’m hearing you say is that, like—whether it’s through
journaling or some other way—it’s asking ourselves questions, and not just accepting what is at
face value. Because, like, if we just take things for granted as they are, they’re just gonna stay
exactly as they are.
Versus, as soon as you start looking deeper, you can start to make some more conscious choices.
And, um, then you maybe decide to have the croissant for breakfast for a fourth day in a row—or
maybe you decide differently.
Maybe it’s a pain au chocolat—who knows?
Tayla Wiehahn: Beautifully put—and beautifully pronounced as well!
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh, thank you! I lived in Switzerland for a little bit, so there’s a bit of a—je
parlais un peu français, mais pas… not too much.
All the French speakers will be like, “Oh my god, you just butchered that!”
Oh, amazing. How can people find you, Tayla? I mean, I cannot recommend you enough, you
know. I am just—hmm—it felt right to move our relationship into this next stage, and kind of, you
know, close working together. Because, I mean, to be honest, like—you’ve set me up for such
success that I feel like I’m thriving.
And also, I know you’ve got so much wisdom to share—it was just like, it felt selfish to keep you
to myself. So, for someone who’s listening and they’re like, “Oh my god, I need a Tayla in my life,”
how do I get in touch?
Tayla Wiehahn: I’m on all the social channels, um, at Tayla Made Nutrition. I have a website—
Tayla Made Nutrition. But much like you, I think I’m ever-evolving, so who knows what kind of,
you know, places you can find me next. But for now—haha— Tayla Made Nutrition is it, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, amazing! And we’ll link it all up in the show notes as well so people can
find you and follow the incredible insights that you share. There’s so much that I learn from you
still every day, and I’m grateful beyond measure for you coming on today. This was so enriching
and, you know, it was almost like quite a wild walk down memory lane for me as well—because
as I sit here with you and reflect on our journey together, I realise how monumental a lot of what
you’ve shared today has been in my life.
And I know for a fact that it is going to influence and ripple out into the world, and it’s just—
yeah—a real honour and privilege to share that with you.
Tayla Wiehahn: Thank you so much. And it was an honour and privilege to work with you and
also to be a guest on today’s podcast. I’m, yeah, really grateful. So thank you so much.
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow. This episode was incredible. Like, I really hope that you have walked
away from today’s episode with something to take and contemplate on, because some of these
downloads, some of this wisdom that has just come through, is like—really what pivoted my life
quite significantly.
And I think Tayla put it so powerfully at the end, you know—emphasising that knowledge is
power. And so my invitation for you from today’s episode is just: how do you start to invite
curiosity and reflection in your life? Like, maybe from our conversation, or perhaps it sparked
something broader.
What is one area in your life that maybe needs a little bit more of your attention? And if you’re
not sure, maybe you kind of take Tayla’s advice and just start journaling—and notice what comes
up. Because chances are, there’s definitely something.
And we’re not going to move forward if we don’t actually look at where we are first. Like, in order
to get from point A to point B, we’ve got to turn location services on and honestly look at point A.
And so, I would encourage you to look at point A—have a look at what’s going on—and start to
dive a little bit deeper into the insights that are arising for you.
I’m so grateful for your time. Thank you for being here. I’ll see you next week, where I will dive in
a little bit deeper about cyclical living and how I implement it in my day-to-day life—that has
helped me feel more energised, be more productive than ever, and honestly, learn how to not
just work with my body, but also nature and everything around me.
It’s gonna be a juicy one—you’re gonna love it. In the meantime, have a beautiful week ahead.
Lots of love. Bye for now.
Viktoria Levenberg: Okay—quick pause. Let’s just take a brief moment to take a deep breath in
through the nose… [inhales] …and now through the mouth… [exhales]
Mmm. How yummy is that?
Hey—if mindfulness has ever felt confusing or too hard to start, I created a free online course
called Living Presence: 8 Days of Mindfulness to help you come back to yourself—gently. You can
sign up for free using the link in the show notes below at LVNHealth.co, or through the link in my
bio at @LVNHealth.
The views and opinions expressed by guests on Resonance are their own and do not necessarily
reflect the views of me, Viktoria Levenberg, Living Health, or anyone working within the Living
Health brand.
This space welcomes a diversity of ideas, experiences, and stories, and part of Resonance is
learning to take what aligns—and gently leaving the rest.
Also, while I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and deeply passionate
about well-being, this podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only.
Resonance does not substitute personalised medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Always
seek guidance from qualified professionals for any physical, emotional, or mental health
concerns.
