明亮的光线划过我紧闭的双眼,借着我深吸了一口气,一股沁人心脾的柑橘香味飘进了我的鼻腔。

But far from lounging under a Mediterranean sun, surrounded by lemon trees, I’m in a medispa in London’s Belgravia, trying out the latest 15-minute therapy for stressed-out execs who want a quick reboot.

但我可不是悠闲地躺在地中海的日光下,身边是成群的柠檬树,而只是在伦敦贝尔格莱威亚的一家温泉会所里尝试最新的15分钟放松舒缓疗法而已,希冀能够让自己重新振作起来。

It combines the sort of light stimulation used by lamps shown to alleviate SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder — seasonal depression, thought to be caused by lack of exposure to sunlight) with aromas scientifically proven to have an effect on the mind and body — a cross between light therapy and clinical aromatherapy.

这种疗法将用来减缓“季节性情感障碍”(可能是忧郁缺少光照而引起的季节性的忧郁)的灯发出的光线刺激与芳香科学结合,且确实被证实有益身心——光线疗法与临床芳香疗法的相遇。

Research established that three smells seem to have a measurable impact on how people feel and behave. ‘Lavender contains a natural anaesthetic called linalool, which is why it has a reputation for being relaxing,’ he says. ‘Citrus scents have anti-depressive effects and mint has been shown to enhance sports performance.’

研究表明有三种气味能够在很大程度上影响人的感受以及行为。“薰衣草含有一种名为芳樟醇天然麻醉成分,这也就是其能够以使人放松而闻名的原因。柑橘类的芳香能够起到抗抑郁的作用。而薄荷则被证实能够提升运动表现。”

Tests showed that a combination of light and smell was more effective at boosting mood than light or smell on its own — and best of all, it only took 15 minutes to create that change.

测试表明比起单独的光线或是气味,将光线与气味结合在提升情绪方面更为有效——最重要的是,这一转变仅需15分钟。

You simply sit back, relax, allow the therapist to position the lamp correctly and load up your chosen capsule. Then breathe for 15 minutes.

你要做的只是静坐、放松,让理疗师来调整灯光位置并装上你选择的胶囊。然后就深呼吸15分钟吧。