B is for Bivouacking: mindfulness in nature

The simplicity of camping out under the stars with nothing but the natural world around you will encourage you to be more present – one of many ways to improve physical and mental wellbeing

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Published: January 30, 2019 at 9:32 am

How can camping out in nature improve your physical and mental health?

On a clear spring night, few things can beat the simplicity of falling asleep beneath the stars. It’s something we’ve done since our time on Earth began and, out in the open, as shooting stars cut the sky and owls call, that sense of a less complicated time is stirred.

You can achieve this by tenting, but why not go a step further and bivouac?

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Also known as bivvying, this temporary encampment, using little or no facilities, can be achieved in a number of ways.

Camping tent in fresh wheat fields at sunrise
At sunrise and sunset, focus on the light around you as it gradually evolves ©Getty

Pick a warm, cloudless evening, light a fire and roll a sleeping bag out on the beach; build your own woodland shelter from fallen branches; or, on colder nights in the hills, throw a synthetic divvy bag out on the grass and wake at sunrise to a world all yours.

Is this your first time heading out into the wilds to camp? Check out our beginners' guide to wild camping and learn more about Britain's best wild camping spots.

For more ideas about how to be present in nature, here's our A to Z of mindfulness.

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