ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the first area of learning, one effect of becoming mindful of the detail of physical sensations is that the fuel needed to maintain negative thoughts is withdrawn. A further effect of interrupting the habitual focus on negative thinking patterns is a movement towards a fresh mode of mind. The specific intention of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is to provide participants with a means to work effectively with these processes at times of potential depressive relapse. The practice of mindfulness and the other curriculum elements of the MBCT programme have four broad learning intentions in relation to the processes leading to depressive relapse: step out of ruminative thinking patterns; recognise and be more aware of potential relapse-related modes of processing; access new ways to relate to both depression-related and other experiences; turn towards, befriend and compassionately hold all aspects of experience.
