VOA慢速英语2014 正念冥想减压

 

Mindfulness Meditation¹ to Reduce Tension 正念冥想减压

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

Have you heard of “mindfulness meditation?”

Meditation, or deep breathing and quiet thinking, used to be found only at spiritual places and yoga centers. 

But these days mindfulness meditation can be found almost everywhere in the United States – from offices to schools, from prisons to the military.  

New Age People

People who meditate², practice yoga and similar exercises are sometimes called “New Age.”  They are usually healthy eaters.  Many New Age people do not eat meat.  They may follow Eastern religions such as Taoism or Buddhism³. 

A New Age person may talk about being “in the moment.”  And that is at the heart of the Mindfulness Meditation Movement – thinking about the present, not the past and not the future.

The mindfulness movement has been around for many years.  But now it is being called a revolution.  Supporters say this revolution may reduce tensions, stress and improve the body, mind and spirit.

For example, think about what can be a sometimes tense situation – a visit to the doctor, especially the dentist.

Sitting in a dentist’s chair can make a person feel worried and tense.  You might be surprised to hear that the dentist can feel this way too. 

Alona Bauer is a dentist in Washington, D.C.  She describes how her working environment can be tense.

“So, there is definitely stress.  You work in a small environment and it’s very exact.  It’s very precise.  Plus you’re managing the patient as a comfort.  So, there’s great stress right there.”

Ms. Bauer practices mindfulness meditation at a yoga center in Washington, D.C. to help to reduce her nervous tension or stress.

Hugh Byrne has been teaching mindfulness meditation since 2000.  He says being mindful is all about thinking about the present.

“So as you sit here or lie here, see if you can open to whatever you're experiencing right now …”

Mr. Byrne says that some forms of meditation are about clearing the mind of all thoughts.  Mindfulness meditation, he says, is not.  It is about being aware of the here-and-now.  

Unplugging Plays An Important Role

Americans work more and have less vacation time than people in most other developed countries.  Daily travel to work and school can be long and difficult. 

The pressures of emails, texts and social media make it harder and harder to unplug or shut off. But shutting off is part of the “Mindful Revolution.”    

Critics, however, say “mindful meditation” is temporary popular interest, what we call a “fad.”  They say it ignores the moral substance of the ancient Buddhist⁴ tradition of meditation.

Mr. Byrne does not agree.  He says mindfulness meditation is a way for anyone to reduce pressure, tension and stress.  He calls it a broad doorway⁵.

 “ … a broad doorway for people to come in … people who might say, ‘I’m not really interested in Buddhism or Eastern spirituality.  But I do want less stress.  I do want less anxiety.’”

Studies show that young Americans increasingly consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.”  Mr. Byrne says mindfulness is for them as it is for Ms. Bauer who grew up in the former Soviet⁶ Union.  She says religion was not part of her childhood.  But now she says she is thinking of trying Buddhism.

And how is the stressed out dentist after half an hour of mindfulness meditation?  Ms. Bauer says the exercise helped stop the noise, or as she puts it, “chatter⁷,” in her head.

“It was just chatter, you know, chatter, chatter.  Energy, very jittery⁸ energy, inside my body (and) tension and now I feel like almost I’m speaking slower, my body’s more relaxed, my heartbeat is slower.                   

And that is the VOA Learning English Health Report.  I’m Anna Matteo.

Do you practice some form of meditation?  How do you live in the present?  Or are you stressed out and need a mindfulness mediation⁹ break?  Let us know in our comment section where you can practice your written English. 

1 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

2 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

3 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

4 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

5 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

6 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

7 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

8 jittery   

adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的

参考例句：

• However, nothing happened though he continued to feel jittery. 可是，自从拉上这辆车，并没有出什么错儿，虽然他心中嘀嘀咕咕的不安。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The thirty-six Enterprise divebombers were being squandered in a jittery shot from the hip. 这三十六架“企业号”上的俯冲轰炸机正被孤注一掷。

9 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。