Lets use the example of rumination to illustrate the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination.
1. Ignorance (avijja): The person lacks understanding of the true nature of reality and the nature of the mind, including the impermanence of thoughts and emotions.
2. Mental formations (sankhara): Due to ignorance, the person has formed habitual patterns of ruminating, or constantly replaying past thoughts and events in their mind.
3. Consciousness (viññana): The persons consciousness is conditioned by these mental formations, making them prone to ruminating.
4. Name and form (nama-rupa): The persons psychophysical constituents manifest in a way that is susceptible to rumination.
5. The six sense bases (salayatana): The persons sense organs interact with the external world through different forms of sensory stimuli, such as sight or sound, that can trigger ruminative thoughts.
6. Contact (phassa): The person encounters a situation or stimulus (e.g., a comment or event) that triggers the mental image of a past event or thought.
7. Feeling (vedana): The person experiences an unpleasant feeling triggered by the thought of the past event, such as guilt, shame, or regret.
8. Craving (tanha): The person develops a craving to change or control the past, to alleviate the unpleasant feeling.
9. Clinging (upadana): The person clings to the rumination as a way of dealing with the unpleasant feeling and reinforcing the cycle of rumination.
10. Becoming (bhava): This clinging to rumination reinforces the persons habitual patterns and karmic tendencies, perpetuating the cycle of rumination.
11. Birth (jati): The persons rumination manifests in the form of repetitive, unresolved thoughts and feelings about the past, leading to further mental and emotional distress.
12. Old age and death (jara-marana): Unaddressed rumination can lead to physical, mental, and emotional suffering and perpetuate negative consequences in future situations or even future lives.
In this example, we can see the Twelve Nidanas at work in the arising and perpetuation of rumination. By understanding the nature of dependent origination, a person can begin to identify the causes and conditions that give rise to rumination and work towards developing techniques to free themselves from the cycle of mental distress.

How to break cycle at each point:

To break the cycle of rumination in the context of the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination, one can cultivate awareness and employ various mindfulness-based practices at different stages of the cycle, which can help to loosen the grip of rumination and reduce mental distress. Here are some examples:

- Ignorance (avijja): To address ignorance, one can cultivate insight and wisdom through meditation, contemplation, and study. Mindfulness practices like body scan and breathing meditation can help to develop awareness of the impermanence of thoughts and emotions, and reduce the belief that rumination is a useful strategy to deal with negative feelings.

- Mental formations (sankhara): To break the habitual patterns of ruminating, one can practice cognitive restructuring, self-compassion, and acceptance. Mindfulness practices like labeling thoughts and emotions, observing them without judgment, and focusing on the present moment can help to reduce the urge to ruminate and instead engage in more adaptive coping strategies.

- Consciousness (viññana): Mindfulness practices like acknowledging thoughts and emotions as they arise, rather than pushing them away or dwelling on them, can help to reduce the conditioned mind that is more prone to ruminating. These practices can help to create a more flexible and responsive way of experiencing the world, reducing the potential for rumination.

- Name and form (nama-rupa): To reduce the manifestation of rumination in the name and form, one can practice self-compassion and acceptance for the body and mind. Mindfulness practices like body scan meditation, yoga, and mindful movement can help to develop awareness and acceptance of the body, reducing the potential for negative self-talk or self-criticism that can perpetuate rumination.

- The six sense bases (salayatana): To break the cycle of rumination at the sense bases, one can practice sensory awareness and grounding techniques. Mindfulness practices like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, which involves paying attention to the senses and what can be seen, heard, felt, and smelled, can help to reorient attention away from rumination triggers and towards the present moment.

- Contact (phassa): Mindfulness practices like breath awareness and sensory grounding can help to reduce the impact of external stimuli that can trigger rumination. These practices can help to create a more balanced and accepting relationship with the present moment, reducing the potential for rumination.

- Feeling (vedana): To reduce the negative feelings generated by rumination, one can practice self-compassion, acceptance, and cognitive reappraisal. Mindfulness practices like loving-kindness meditation and cognitive reappraisal can help to cultivate positive feelings towards oneself and others, reducing the potential for negative emotions that fuel the cycle of rumination.

- Craving (tanha): To break the cycle of craving, one can practice self-compassion and acceptance, and cultivate a sense of inner calm and peace. Mindfulness practices like the body scan meditation and breath awareness can help to cultivate present moment awareness and reduce the tendency to crave or desire change in the past.

- Clinging (upadana): To reduce clinging to rumination, one can practice letting go and acceptance, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and calmness. Mindfulness practices like letting go meditation and gentle yoga poses can help to develop acceptance of the present moment and reduce the tendency to cling to rumination.

- Becoming (bhava): Mindfulness practices like mindful movement and metta meditation can help to cultivate positivity and reduce the formation of karmic tendencies that perpetuate rumination.

- Birth (jati): To reduce the physical, mental, and emotional manifestations of rumination, one can practice self-care and self-compassion, and engage in activities that promote relaxation and wellness. Mindfulness practices like progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises can help to reduce the physical manifestations of rumination, while activities like socializing and engaging in hobbies can help to reduce emotional distress and promote overall wellness.

- Old age and death (jara-marana): To reduce the potential consequences of unaddressed rumination, one can practice self-care, engage in activities that promote overall well-being, and seek support when needed. Mindfulness practices like compassionate listening and engaging with a therapist or support group can help to reduce the potential for long-term negative consequences that perpetuate rumination.