From cosmos to clinic: A chat with co-founder Suneet Kaur

Suneet Kaur, co-founder of the School of Shamanic Herbalism, a cross-cultural shamanic practitioner and a practicing medical herbalist, centres her work on bridging the two worlds of the scientific understanding of plants and the spiritual wisdom of shamanic practice with dedicated clarity. Her approach is clear; it isn’t about escaping into spiritual realms or ignoring the physical body. Instead, it is about bringing ancient shamanic principles down to earth to support everyday wellbeing, healing, and reconnection with nature.

You hold a Diploma in Medical Herbalism with distinction. How does having a deep understanding of plant chemistry and physiology actually deepen the shamanic connection to a plant’s consciousness, rather than clinicalising it?

I think it is impossible to approach plants with a clinical mindset once you have built a relationship with any plant. A clinical mind set comes from a disconnected space, where plants only exist as substances rather than living intelligent beings. Part of the Plant Kingdom’s soul mission is to support life on Mother Earth, not as a sacrifice but as part of the living reciprocity of life, of which humankind is also part of. Understanding plant biology and its actions on the human body allows us to have safe interactions, supportive medicine and deepened understanding of humankind’s position within Mother Earth’s ecosystem of life. So understanding a plant’s chemistry and physiology is like understanding a new layer of a loved one and building new pathways of connection with each plant.

How do you reconcile the rigorous science of plant chemistry with the 'unseen' spirit of the plant for your students?

I think the idea of those two things being separate is the one of the main reasons we set up the School of Shamanic Herbalism. The concept that we live in a world of duality, that we must have either this or that, is the belief we challenge most. Earth wisdom and scientific knowledge can work in harmony and walk side by side with eath other, they don’t have to be exclusive. Plants understand their medicine better than us, many indigenous traditions believe that the reason we know about the medicine chest of herbs that work for humankind for centuiries is because we could talk to the plants directly.

How did moving from 'intuitive' healing to 'clinical' herbalism change the way you view the efficacy of plants?

Certain plants or trees would come to me during energy healing session with clients, or for my own personal healing journey. But once I began my training as a medical herbalist they began telling me I needed them before I was even sick. I began taking a herb or being drawn to a plant medicine intuitively, then realising I needed its pharmacological properties physically. Essentially, the conversation with plants deepened and became more intimate.

In a world of DIY herbalism, you emphasise your 500+ clinical hours and professional memberships. Why is formal clinical training vital for someone teaching shamanic plant work?"

I took the medical herbalism training because I had a deep desire to understand plants on a much more scientific level so that I safely prescribe to my clients who had health concerns. I wanted to know more about how to make and take herbal medicine. Having this training has given me such a profound understanding of not only plants but our bodies too, as well as introducing me to hundreds more plants and being able to run shamanic herbalism apprenticeships, ceremonies, and workshops in a safe and effective manner.

You speak candidly about being a first-generation British-born Punjabi Sikh woman. How does this specific intersection of identities influence your shamanic herbalism teachings in the UK?

I feel like my whole shamanic practice is an intersection. My shamanic training lies within several different lineages, so my shamanic healings, ceremonies and apprenticeships are born out of the tapestry that is created from the threads of wisdom from each lineage. This is part of my personal expression because I am used to walking between cultures, landscapes and worlds. The meeting of shamanism and medical herbalism in itself is also an intersection, so the school and the work we do is born out of that beautiful union.

How has your own ancestral lineage influenced the way you teach students to find their own 'roots' within the British landscape?

Being comfortable in and embracing all of aspects of my identity allows me to hold others in their own uniqueness. We all carry ancestral stories, and whilst there maybe similarities, how we express the spiritual medicine from these stories depends on an individuals heart, desires and soul purpose. I often say that each person who joins our apprenticeship is a flower bud, I don’t know which flower they will blossom into, my job is simply to help them bloom.

For a student who feels disconnected from their heritage or their own voice, how does a plant ally help bridge that gap?

I can really only answer this from personal experience. The diaspora of being the first generation born outside my ancestral motherland does have a large energetic impact. Entering into relationship with the Plant Kingdom has allowed me to feel more rooted in my birth land, help my roots be less tender, and awakened the remembrance we are all one family - one world.

The Shamanic Herbalism Apprenticeship isn't a weekend workshop - it's an eight-month commitment. What is the 'slow medicine' philosophy behind this duration?

Roots take time to take hold in the earth, trees take time to have several sets of branches reaching for the sky. Time is not a linear event rushing past us as if we are missing out or catching up. Time is cyclical, seasonal, rhythmic. The apprenticeship is not just an event or a ceremony, or a one off. It is a journey through the medicine wheel and the chakras. We flow in a paced rhythm to place intentional attentiveness to the Plant Kingdom and our own learning. This sharing of time with the Plant Kingdom is an act of love, reciprocity and commitment to our own healing journey.

The Apprenticeship follows a specific seasonal arc. What is the most profound shift you see in students between the 'Living Altar' stage in the spring and the 'Cosmic Consciousness' stage in the autumn?

Usually, each person will have their own arc moment, a particular module or weekend or plant that profoundly moves or transforms them. It is different for everyone depending on each persons healing journey. After the first five modules, we have a long break before the last two. This is intentional. You could perhaps say this is the group arc. The first five module create a foundational layer for each person before moving to an energetic deepening of all the wisdom that has been received, so the break gives time for each person to integrate and rest before the final stage of their journey.

You often speak about being a guide rather than a 'guru.' Why is it essential for the School of Shamanic Herbalism that students learn to be their own authority in their healing journey?

I am a big believer in personal sovereignty. I strive for this in all aspects of my life and in my practice. It is something I have always been called towards. We come to this life with free will to learn and grow, so to have full authority of our own free will is key to living in peace within ourselves. So this is the value I share to students.

Your blog often critiques 'hero worship' and 'exoticism' in shamanic spaces. How does your school intentionally avoid the 'guru' trap that many spiritual centres fall into?

I haven’t met a teacher yet who hasn’t shown me they have a human side. I am no exception. I make it clear to all truthfully the apprenticeship is not with me, participants are apprenticing with the Plant Kingdom. I make it clear that I am guide students through their apprenticeship, but I am not the gatekeeper to Spirit, that they are to build their own direct communion and to show a pathway that they may not have been aware of. We have clear graduation ceremonies at the end of each apprenticeship that allows people to move forward in a positive and healthy way.

You focus heavily on UK-native, non-psychoactive plants. How do you respond to the modern trend that 'real' shamanism requires exotic or psychoactive substances?

In my humble opinion anyone who thinks that does not belong in our school. Shamanism is a philosophy and a way of living in reciprocity and respect with nature and the cosmos. That is a human birth right and an ancient way of living that belongs to all lands. Those with the biggest ancestral wounds often cling to other cultures and lands. Those that feel psychoactive substances are central to shamanic work I think would find our apprenticeship challenging as it requires you to be in your body and your senses to connect to the natural world without any reliance on mind altering substances. Every shamanic medicine has its place, there is not a one size fits all rule.

You mention that your work is for those who are 'spiritually open but not naïve’. How do you teach your students to be accountable for their own healing rather than handing their power over to the 'spirit world'?

Self honesty is key for any real work to happen. We encourage our students to embrace all their emotions no matter how difficult or painful, and hold them in a non-judgemental space so each person can safely and gently process what is going on for them. This may look like asking you to do a journal practice, or plant ritual, or asking some self-reflective questions in circle.

If you are interested in learning more about the plants then join the next Shamanic Herbalism Apprenticeship or one of our Upcoming Ceremonies & Workshops.