Kellie Blizard
The last time Shannon Ryan was on our screens in Celebrity Treasure Island 2019, she proved herself a force to be reckoned with – a cool, calm, kick-arse competitor whose love of fitness, meditation and yoga stood her in good stead in the wilderness.
So it’s fitting that embracing Mother Nature is a path the 34-year-old former The Block NZ host has been treading with increasing dedication since her move to the States in 2015.
It started with a permaculture course in Northern California under the guidance of a renowned neo-paganist, eco-feminist author and activist named Starhawk. Then a stint in LA during the pandemic led to a new passion for herbalism – the use of plants as medicine.
“There were riots and protests with the murder of George Floyd,” tells Shannon, chatting with Woman’s Day during a recent visit home.
“Everything was shut down and I was in a city of millions – more people than in this whole country. A lot of people were forced to live in their cars, supply chains were interrupted and people didn’t have access to what they needed.
“That definitely made the cogs in my mind start whirring with my new direction. What can people use when they need it? What did our grandparents turn to?”
Keen to learn – and do – more, Shannon moved to the mountainous desert terrain of Taos, New Mexico, to study herbalism, with classes taking place at the base of the towering Rocky Mountains.
“Herbalism is a great pathway to learn history,” she tells, adding that she often feels homesick for Aotearoa’s coastline. “But I’m learning a lot more about my Celtic, Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English ancestors, as well as my Māori and Polynesian ancestors, and how they all interacted with their environments, whether it be in recent years or a long, long time ago.”
Shannon admits this version of herself – which she jokingly refers to as “witchy” – is a long way from the wide-eyed teen starting out in media in 2006.
She recalls, “When I first started in TV, the industry advice was, ‘You don’t want to be painted with the too-hard brush.'” Even talking “about not dropping trash on the beach” was considered too controversial, which was a struggle for the “outdoorsy and elemental” tree-climbing tomboy, who grew up on an organic farm near Warkworth.
Shannon says she’s not the people pleaser she was on The Block NZ (with Mark Richardson) and CTI.
“I was a baby deer in the headlights and most definitely a supreme people pleaser,” she reflects. “I found myself in frequent inner conflict about what didn’t feel right, but I didn’t have the tools to recognise and communicate effectively, despite valiant attempts.”
Fast-forward nearly two decades and it’s fair to say Shannon has learned to paint herself however she likes.
“Being away from it all, you can kind of come in and be like, ‘Um, nope. You can’t tell me how to be any more.’ Having a good support network also really helps.”
She beams with pride talking about little brother Jack, who was born partially sighted.
“He’s a really talented musician in a band called 3D Howls, and he’s started to make and write his own music. It’s pretty neat that I’ve gotten to watch this tiny little bub I held at 17 become a 17-year-
old himself!”
She adds, “I’m also the luckiest person when it comes to friends. I have some really solid girlfriends in my life. We hold space for one another and hold each other accountable.”
Among them is fellow US-based Kiwi star Kimberley Crossman – her “LA lady”, who is also passionate about mental health and animals.
“Kim has offered me home and heart in both NZ and the US,” tells Shannon. “She is also always there for her people, no matter how busy she is, which I appreciate and value deeply.”
There’s a sense that these strong friendships have been instrumental in navigating the pandemic, as well as difficult personal situations.
She politely declines to discuss her relationship with US-born husband Justin Greenwood, whom she married in 2015, but she admits that at her lowest point, she found herself just “lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling”.
She has since made her health a priority, going to therapy and scheduling time for a meditative practice called Yoga Nidra. Shannon’s passion for all things permaculture and herbalism has also led to her creating a small production company, Wildcrafted Wisdom, which produces digital content, with a podcast series, Bite-Size Herbal, set to launch soon.
“It’s not just about gardening and tea!” she grins, adding she’ll be chatting with a variety of inspirational figures she’s met on her journey. “I really care about storytelling. Humans are so connected to stories, whether it’s a documentary or the Kardashians.
“It’s been a big few years for so many of us and I can’t stray from my core values any more. I’ve come more into myself. I feel really grateful for that.”
