‘Ruminate’ of course comes from what cows do; they are constantly chewing their cud, and belong to the group of animals called The Ruminants.
Apart from fact that this would make a great band name, the word is also a technical term for what happens in depression; an obsessive chewing of the same old cud. It makes hanging out at home in the head unpleasant, which is unfortunate. We have to be at home in our bodies and our heads.
It can be a source of deep creativity, to ruminate on a few things, to toss them around in the tumble dryer until something happens; a new thought. Which is a precious thing, even if it is just a key to unlock the next part of the journey.
