Objectives There has been an increasing interest in the use of mindfulness-based practices by people with an intellectual disability (ID); however, research about the perspectives of people with ID is limited. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of people with ID of mindfulness practice. Methods This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 6 participants with ID (4 males and 2 females, aged 18-53, M = 36.17) who had taken part in a mindfulness programme. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Two themes were revealed: BThe impact of mindfulness^and BThe mechanisms of the group^. The results indicated that the participants perceived a number of psychological benefits of attending the programme including improved self-esteem, confidence, self-control, and compassion for oneself and others. A full understanding of what mindfulness is or its purpose was not required in order to lead to therapeutic gains. Conclusions The results suggest that mindfulness may represent an effective psychoeducational approach for some people with ID. Keywords Intellectual disability. Mindfulness. Mental health. Qualitative People with an intellectual disability (ID) experience health inequalities that significantly impact on their life span, quality of life, health, and wellbeing (Brown et al. 2011; Owen and Sayce 2006). While there is some inconsistency in prevalence rates, due to methodological differences between studies, the evidence suggests that approximately 40% of people with ID may develop mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and psychosis, compared to 25% of the general population (e.g. Buckles et al. 2013). There are a number of suggested reasons for this greater prevalence. People with ID are at increased risk of exposure to environmental stressors and traumatic life events, including physical and sexual abuse (Reiter et al. 2007); living in poverty and deprivation (Emerson 2004); injury or illness, unemployment, abuse, and neglect (Hastings et al. 2004); poorer social