I started foraging after my publishing company collapsed. The Cold War had ended, and certain gentlemen found themselves unemployed, so I published their wannabe James Bond know-how.
And it got me in a lot of trouble with the American government.
Lesson learned.
Don’t take on an empire and expect a good outcome!
I escaped to the wilds, but stress led to addiction and homelessness.
Even now, sunset can trigger memories of the fear of not knowing where I’d sleep.
I’m very transparent about this period of my life, for a reason. I know many of you reading this will know someone who struggles with addiction.
I also know that there is hope in the hedge.
The one thing that kept me alive through those dark times was staying very close to plants and what is known as the ‘more than human world’.
Finally, I got myself into a Buddhist recovery community in Thailand.
Sat with the significant discomfort of detoxing with thirty other lunatics while being made to sit in a forest hall practising mindfulness.
Instead of traditional recovery work like gardening or building, I chose to record wild edible plants as my daily mindful practice.
In that community, I discovered the transformative power of quiet, stillness, presence, and surrender.
After a few months, I returned home and, a couple years later, ran my first retreat, Contemplating Plants.
I taught the attendees foraging, but more than that, I taught mindful foraging practices that help people develop deep, embodied relationships with plants, self and soil.
It’s been over ten years since I returned from Southeast Asia.
These experiences shaped my Mindful In Nature audio course, where I share these transformative practices for overcoming stress and anxiety through mindful awareness and nature connection.
Talk soon,
P.S.
If you struggle with addiction or know someone who does.
I have put together a short info sheet on where to get help and support.