Inclusion at BAMBA &
the Inclusion Advisory Board
Working with BAMBA’s core Executive Team and Trustees, the Inclusion Advisory Board supports the organisation in shaping its approach to strategic priorities for Inclusion at BAMBA.
Mission Statement
BAMBA is committed to building a culture of inclusion where every member feels valued, respected, and empowered. Our core values of care, openness, integrity, inclusivity and being responsive guide our journey towards creating a diverse and inclusive environment that improves the lived experience of people as they engage in the field of mindfulness.
We pledge to:
- Foster an atmosphere of open dialogue, encourage diverse perspectives, and promote equal opportunities for all, regardless of background, identity, or belief.
- Broaden access to BAMBA and the field of mindfulness more generally for under-served and under-represented groups by reviewing accessibility to BAMBA membership.
- Promote cultures of inclusion by recognising and celebrating difference and acknowledging the benefits achieved by diversity of thought and experience.
- Not only champion but embody the principles of inclusion with and beyond our organisation through continuous education, community engagement, and transparent policies.
Stephanie Unthank-Latter, CEO BAMBA
Tawny Cortes, Inclusion Partner
October 2026
Inclusion Partner
Tawny Cortes
Tawny is an Integrative Wellbeing Coach and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead, working across mindfulness, yoga, and social impact. With over a decade of experience, she offers supportive, trauma-aware practices that weave together mindfulness, breathwork, and rest.
Alongside her wellbeing work, Tawny contributes to BAMBA’s EDI work, supporting the creation of more inclusive and representative spaces within the mindfulness community, and helping to amplify voices from underrepresented backgrounds.
She has delivered classes, workshops, and retreats across corporate and community settings, creating space for people to slow down, reconnect, and find steadiness in the midst of stress and anxiety
Her perspective is also shaped by her mixed Latin American heritage and lived experience within the BIPOC community, alongside her journey into motherhood, which has deepened her understanding of women’s mental health and the importance of accessible, compassionate support.
At the heart of her work is a belief that wellbeing should be inclusive, embodied, and rooted in the realities of people’s lives.
Inclusion Advisory Board
The Inclusion Advisory Board is a voluntary group of experienced practitioners and community representatives from across the mindfulness field. They share their lived experience, cultural perspectives and professional expertise to help shape BAMBA’s Inclusion work. Their insights guide our initiatives, ensuring they reflect real voices and meet the needs of the wider mindfulness community.
Bridgette O'Neill
Bridgette is a senior lecturer with the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP) at Bangor University. Bridgette has taught mindfulness-based approaches across a range of contexts since 2002. She is committed to inclusive practice and has led a joint EDI working group across the CMRP and the Mindfulness Network since 2022. The work of this group encompassed the delivery of the International Conference on Mindfulness 2024, which foreground the theme of EDI across all aspects of the conference. Bridgette is a co-author of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Our Time: A Curriculum That Is Up to the Task exploring the relevance and potential of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction when taught with social and systemic awareness.
Debbie Geraghty
Debbie is a consultant, facilitator and former Co-Director and Associate Advisor of Look Again, the award winning mindful photography organisation. With a background spanning teaching and international relations in Japan, TV political journalism and a double decade of inclusive creative leadership, she brings rich lived experience and strategic insight to her work. Debbie champions radically inclusive approaches to mindfulness that combine creativity, compassion, joy and social justice – offering creative, accessible ways for people to slow down, reconnect and look again.
John Newton
John brings over 30 years of Youth / Community Development work to the EDI Advisory Board. Alongside his own personal journey of identity as a Black man who identifies as mixed heritage. John’s lived experience of living as a Black man in the UK can be applied in collaboration with EDI colleagues to cultivate courage, connection and community within the world of BAMBA and beyond.
Marcelo Demarzo
Marcelo is a Brazilian Family Physician, Senior Researcher, and Associate Professor at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil (UNIFESP), where he leads Mente Aberta – the Brazilian Centre for Mindfulness and Health Promotion. He is the creator of the internationally certified Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion (MBHP) protocol, developed to integrate mindfulness into public health systems. His work focuses on mindfulness-based interventions, supported self-care for chronic conditions, and implementation science in primary care. He is committed to promoting equity and diversity in the field of mindfulness, with a particular emphasis on cultural adaptation for Brazilian and Latin American populations, and the dissemination of practices among vulnerable groups.
Rehena Harilall
Rehena is a South African-born psychologist, global consultant, Buddhist, and trauma-informed mindfulness teacher with over 25 years of experience across 20 countries. A former anti-apartheid activist, she contributed to South Africa’s post-1994 healing and reconciliation efforts. She holds postgraduate degrees in psychology, social anthropology, sociology, and business administration from institutions in South Africa and the U.S. Her work bridges psychology, mindfulness, racism, trauma, and social transformation, rooted in African and South Asian heritage. She focuses on healing with women of colour through somatic abolitionist and Buddhist practices and is currently supporting a Mindfulness and Trauma Centre in Palestine. Her writing appears in Lion’s Roar and Mindfulness Bell.
BAMBA’s mission is to promote safe, ethical and inclusive practices in mindfulness-based teaching in the UK. Find out more.
BAMBA’s activities are only made possible through membership and voluntary support.
Should you wish to donate, your donation will be used to continue the maintenance of standards and inclusive access to mindfulness-based training in the UK.
We are grateful for your contribution to this vital work.