Foraging as a Gateway to Being Present

In the past, children naturally learned about edible plants by carefully observing their older family members.

We learned from a warning look at hemlock and an encouraging nod while picking dandelion greens. The adults taught us what to avoid or embrace.

This learning process engaged all our senses: sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. Our senses let us richly internalise plant knowledge. Over time, many cultures grew disconnected from nature's rhythms. Identifying safe wild foods became a lost art as societies industrialised and urbanised.

Packaged foods and supermarkets replaced the need to know our local flora.

The sensory-rich wisdom of foraging faded into obscurity for most. My journey with wild foods began during a challenging period in my life.

I struggled with addiction. I found solace and grounding in the simple practice of spending time in nature. I observed the colours, forms, textures, and smells of the plants around me.

Through this quiet, attentive interaction, I relearned how to be present.

It took focus to see the subtle features of different species. It drew my mind out of chaos and into the present.

I brushed my fingertips along the jagged edges of a dandelion leaf, listened for the crisp snap of a red campion stalk, and caught the pungent scent of wild garlic on the breeze. These simple acts of sensory engagement had a strong calming effect.

I came to see foraging as a way to "re-member" myself. It pulls my scattered attention together by engaging with the natural world.

The practice was like a portkey, borrowing the term from Harry Potter. It could pull me from disconnection and anxiety and bring me to the vivid aliveness of the present.

There's something about the posture of foraging that breeds presence.

You can't dwell on the past or worry about the future. You're trying to find a hidden sorrel leaf among the poisonous lords and ladies. Distinguishing toxic hemlock from safe cow parsley needs your full attention.

This heightened awareness and concentration state is similar to a psychological concept known as "flow states," a term coined by researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

It's known as being "in the zone." In a flow state, we fully immerse ourselves in an activity, feeling energised and focused.

Time seems to disappear as our awareness merges with our actions. Csikszentmihalyi identified several conditions that tended to promote flow states:

1) The activity has clear goals and immediate feedback

2) There's a balance between the perceived challenge and your skill level

3) You feel a sense of personal control and competence

4) You become absorbed in the task as your actions and awareness merge

5) Self-consciousness fades as you integrate with the activity

6) You lose track of time

7) The process becomes autotelic or rewarding

Foraging meets many of these criteria. You need the right intention and mindset.

The goal is clear; to identify and harvest wild plants. You receive immediate sensory feedback on whether you're identifying a species correctly.