The very nature of rumination,
which implies an expansive, self-evaluative, ineffective
problem-solving orientation, is antithetical to mindfulness.
Rumination can be considered as an attentional process
which ultimately cultivates experiential avoidance. Shapiro
et al. (2006) propose that the attitudinal qualities of
acceptance, compassion and openness to the present
moment which are cultivated in mindfulness practice may
hold a particular benefit such that reactive self-judgments
and criticisms are mitigated. As a result, the self-evaluative
judgments which occur during rumination—in which an
individual endlessly contemplates difficult questions such
as ‘‘Why am I feeling this way?’’ and ‘‘What does this
mean about me?’’ may loose their potency.