Nature as Ally – The Wisdom of Shamanic Healing
Discover shamanic healing: reconnect with nature, restore balance, and nurture mind, body, and spirit through holistic practices.
With more than 70 per cent of Australians now using complementary medicines and natural therapies, the divide between Western medicine and alternative traditions is narrowing. A fast-paced, technology-driven, modern society detached from the rhythms of nature is suffering the consequences — emotional instability, chronic illness and a growing sense of emptiness. Many are searching for deeper meaning and a more holistic, nature-based solution to their emotional and physical wellbeing. In this context, ancient wisdom traditions such as shamanic healing are experiencing a resurgence, not as a replacement for modern medicine, but as a vital complement to it.
Western medicine has achieved some incredible advancements in diagnosing and treating illness. It is largely based on the patient handing over their problem to another to “fix it”. On the converse, shamanism, a centuries-old wisdom, passed down through generations, is rooted in the belief that each person can trust their own body, intuition and healing ability. This practice has long been seen as unconventional but is making a comeback. Some Western medical practitioners are now purposefully integrating a holistic perspective into their own methodology.
Antonia Ruhl, shamanic healer and founder of Natural Stress Therapy clinic, says, “True healing begins when you shift your attention away from the diagnosis to the root cause of the pain or disease and listen to what your body and soul is trying to tell you. The pain is not always the enemy. It is a signal to alert you to the real problem and guide you back to wholeness.” By cultivating greater self-awareness and active participation in one’s own wellbeing, individuals are being shown an empowering path to healing, and with lasting results.
Return to nature
Humans are biologically wired to be in tune with nature. Yet the modern world often separates people from the natural world through concrete cities, artificial lighting, endless screen time and schedules that leave little time for rest or reflection. This can often result in poor moods and higher levels of anxiety, depression and disconnect. After all, you can’t expect to thrive when you’re disconnected from the very source that gives and sustains life. This is the view of the shaman.
Shamanism views the human body, mind and spirit as deeply interconnected with nature and the four elements — earth, water, fire and air. Each one holds energetic significance, and shamanic practices use them to help restore harmony, clear emotional or energetic blockages and reconnect individuals to their natural state of balance.
The four elements
Earth — Used for grounding, stability and nourishment, the earth represents your roots and how you connect to the physical world. Rituals might include walking barefoot on grass, laying on stones or crystals, or laying on the ground. Engaging with the healing properties of everyday herbs and plants also helps to foster respect for nature’s pharmacy. These practices can help you to feel more present in your body and reduce overwhelm by giving you the feeling of being “held” and by reconnecting with that which is solid and supportive.
Water — Associated with emotions, water encourages you to allow life to reveal itself rather than resist or control it. In shamanic practices, bathing in salts, swimming in the ocean or visualising flowing water such as a waterfall washing away pain or troubles can help to soothe overwhelm. Water invites emotional release and offers cleansing. This element supports the body’s natural ability to renew and may help to reduce inflammation and flush out toxins from the body.
Fire — In shamanism, fire is a sacred tool used for ceremonial burning and is believed to be the most dynamic of all the elements. It helps to release old wounds, anger or beliefs that no longer serve you. Vitality may be reawakened, and you may find your personal willpower ignited, creating more direction in life. Fire can transform pain into purpose, acting both as a destroyer and creator, burning away the old to make way for the new.
Air — Conscious breathing techniques can regulate the nervous system and relieve stress by stimulating energy flow. Sound healing, music, wind instruments and drumming are also common ways to engage the air element and to shift your emotional state. These practices may bring about mental clarity, a sense of freedom and space for new perspectives. They also support deeper connection to your natural intuition.
Ruhl likens balancing the human body to an orchestra, “If one instrument is out of sync, the symphony will not play in harmony. Shamanic healing aims to tune every aspect of one’s being, and Mother Nature is the maestro that we should all look to for regulation.”
Debunking myths around shamanism
A major barrier to wider acceptance of shamanic healing is misinformation. Shamanism is not a religion or witchcraft, nor does it have to be shrouded in ceremony or reserved for secluded retreats. It is simply a return to something ancient, wise and real that gives us a natural understanding of our health and a deeply restorative path to healing through reconnecting with the earth.
As science has shown us, nature breathes, grows and pulses with true life force and unlike artificial structures, it nourishes and helps to restore our minds and bodies. Ironically, however, in a world where isolation, anxiety and chronic illness have become the norm, society often treats man-made constructs as the necessities of life.
Another common misconception is the association of shamanism with mind-altering hallucinogens such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro or Rapé. While these are a part of some South American traditions, they are not central to shamanic practice. Ruhl clarifies, “I do not believe you need mind-altering substances to connect with the divine or to understand yourself. Real transformation happens through awareness and connection, not escapism.”
In our modern society, we look for escapism in one way or another, whether through social media scrolling, consumption or the endless pursuit of quick fixes for big problems. These distractions offer temporary relief but pull us further from what truly needs our attention. Meanwhile, the body gives us niggling signs of imbalance that we often ignore — until we no longer can.
Global traditions with earth-based wisdom
For thousands of years, long before synthetic drugs were available, nature and the elements served as medicine for many Indigenous cultures across the globe. This ancestral knowledge, passed down through traditions, teaching and storytelling, was based on deep ecological awareness, intuitive connection to the natural world and a belief that nature offers healing not only for the physical body but also for emotional or energetic stagnation.
Indigenous Australians have long used “bush medicine” and native plants such as eucalyptus for not only clearing respiratory issues but also to help cleanse spaces of negative energy. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners work with qi, or life force energy, to restore balance across the body, mind and spirit with herbs and practices that not only improve physical health but also uplift emotional states. Ayurvedic medicine also combines herbalism with lifestyle practices such as diet, yoga and meditation to help purify the body, calm the mind and enhance longevity.
These practices share one profound truth: nature does not exist in isolation, but rather, as an active partner that supports humans across physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Shamanic traditions echo this same belief. Every plant, root, flower, seed or bark is considered to carry its own energy. Working with these natural allies for healing involves matching each one to the unique energetic needs of a person.
For example, aloe vera is not only valued for its ability to heal burns, cuts and soothe the digestive system, but it may also help to calm inner turmoil and restore vitality after periods of emotional pain or stress. Similarly, chamomile is seen in traditional practices as a plant of peace and patience that may soothe frayed nerves and open the heart to inner calm, especially when irritability or grief are at play.
When working with plants, shamans do so in a sacred and respectful way, offering gratitude or prayer before harvesting. This exchange affirms that healing is a relationship with nature, not a transaction. You honour the wisdom of the plant, the respect you hold for yourself and the living intelligence that joins you on the path to wholeness.
“We are pure consciousness living in these exquisite divine bodies,” Ruhl says. “It is the highest honour to live as a human being on planet Earth; however, it is highly dishonourable to not understand and look after this amazing body we were given, or Mother Nature that supports it.”
In this fast, often overwhelming world, perhaps the true cure is to slow down and realise that wellness is more than just the absence of physical disease. How you listen and respond to your body when it feels unwell or out of balance is key. While shamanic healing does not promise a quick fix, it does offer a powerful compass to reconnect with yourself and Mother Nature — your constant ally, always there, ready to partner with you on your lifelong journey of wellness.
