rather than reflexively, MBT can effectively counter experiential avoidance strategies, which are attempts to alter the intensity or frequency of unwanted internal experiences (Hayes, Luoma, Bond, Masuda, & Lillis, 2006). These maladaptive strategies are believed to contribute to the maintenance of many, if not all emotional disorders (Bishop et al., 2004; Hayes, 2004). In addition, the slow and deep breathing involved in mindfulness meditation may alleviate bodily symptoms of distress by balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic responses (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). For example, in the case of MBSR (Kabat-Zinn, 1982), the three key components are sitting meditation, Hatha Yoga, and body scan, which is a sustained mindfulness practice in which attention is sequentially directed throughout the body (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
