I Think, Therefore I Am Here 冥想 ── 邁向身心合一的空靈境界

Perhaps you have a big test coming up and you are feeling nervous. These days, it is pass or perish, so you know you have got to do well. The pressure is on, so you may be losing sleep and the ability to concentrate. How can you deal with the stress, study effectively, and take the test with confidence? Maybe you should try meditation.

When people think about meditation, many picture old men sitting cross-legged on remote mountaintops. People describing meditation frequently mention elements such as gurus, relaxation, and "thinking about nothing".

It is not necessary to travel to a mountaintop to enjoy the benefits of meditation because it is actually more about awareness than just relaxation. The secret to meditation is breathing.

To start meditating, find a place where you can sit or stand comfortably for a little while and concentrate. Close your eyes and start taking slow breaths. Focus on the air moving in and out of your body. If your mind starts to wander and you begin to think about something else, refocus your attention on your breathing.

Meditation has little to do with escaping problems or thinking about nothing. Instead, the breathing techniques help you calm down and think more clearly about your feelings. The issues on your mind unfold clearly, as if they were in slow motion.

This clarity is called "mindfulness”. Being mindful means that you are aware of what you are thinking without becoming caught up in your thoughts. It takes practice, but with time, that big test will not scare you anymore. You will realize through meditation that fear is just a product of not being mindful.

也許你正為了明天的大考感到緊張。現在，不是通過，就是完蛋，所以你知道你一定得考好。壓力就在那里，你也許就會睡眠不足或無法集中精神。該怎樣面對壓力，有效地學習，以及信心十足地迎接考試呢？或許你該試試冥想。

人們一想到冥想，腦子里就會浮現出在深山頂上老人盤腿而坐的畫面。許多人在描述冥想時，也總是要提到古魯（宗師），放松，什么都不想等要素。

不一定登上山頂才能享受到冥想的好處。因為冥想時意識比放松更重要。冥想的秘訣是呼吸。

開始冥想前，找個你可以暫時站著或坐著舒服的地方然后集中精神。閉上你的眼睛并緩慢呼吸。集中注意空氣進出你的身體。如果你開始胡思亂想了，就把注意力重新集中在你的呼吸上。

冥想并不是逃避問題或什么都不想。相反的，掌握呼吸的技巧能幫助你平靜下來，讓你更清楚地思考自己的感覺。你的心結就像是慢動作似的在你的面前清晰地展開。

這種清晰就叫領悟。領悟的意思是你知道你心里所想但不為雜念纏繞。冥想需要練習，不過隨著時間的推移，你就不會再畏懼考試了。學會了冥想，你會了解恐懼只是沒有集中精神的結果。