天然馨香紓解考試焦慮 Natural incense relieves the anxiety arising from exams.

七月酷暑，一群莘莘學子即將面臨人生的重要關卡---升學考試！

考試制度是中國自古以來，用來擢拔人才的方式之一。即使到了現代，依然有政府舉辦的各種考試，從眾多應試者中，選取符合資格與專業知能的人才。

但你可能有所不知，古代科舉考試也設有香案，為應試的舉子焚香，以表示對先賢聖人、文化和應試者的尊重，因此科舉焚香也成了古代科舉一種特別的禮俗文化。

在考場中焚香起於中國古代的唐代和宋代。考場焚香就是在考場設香案，營造出寧靜、莊嚴的殊勝氛圍。歐陽修曾以「紫案焚香暖吹輕，廣庭春曉席群英」來描寫考場焚香的情景，說明香被廣泛用於生活中各個層面，因此科舉焚香也成了古代特別的禮俗文化。

天然熏香具有寧心安神的作用，在七月的「烤」季中，可減輕考試的緊張焦慮，提高專注、增強記憶，使學習更有效率。在酷暑的應試前的衝刺，縷縷清香，是安定心神的天然良方！

Natural incense relieves the anxiety arising from exams.

Every scorching July, throngs of students face a vital turning point in their life-----entrance exams!

Since ancient times, the testing system has been used to promote and screen the mighty. Nowadays, our government still holds exams of all sorts in order to recruit the qualified and professional new blood.

Yet, there may be something you do not know. In ancient times, an incense table was set to express the respect for the holy predecessors, testing culture, and also the participants in the exams. As a result, burning incense was regarded as a special ritual long time ago.

Chinese started to burn incense in the Tang dynasty and Song dynasty. With the burning incense in the exam venue, people could feel a serene and solemn atmosphere. A well-known literate and officer, OuyangXiu, once stated that as burning incense permeated the whole exam venue, all the students were so engrossed and lost in the fragrance. It implicated that incense was widely used in ancient times and considered to a special ritual.

Natural incense can calm down our nerves. During exam season, incense can be used to relieve the students of their tension, enhance their attention, boost their memory, and make their learning even more efficient. Thus, you are advised to burn some natural incense to enjoy its fragrance and to calm yourself down before taking exams!