BAM! Boxing and Mindfulness’ is an innovative approach created by  Luke Doherty.
We are enthused that Luke has agreed to join the eamba Community to share his approach, especially his work on delivering mindfulness to young carers with mental health issues and in danger of being drawn into criminal circuits in inner London.

This project was the winner of the Innovation in Mindfulness Awards 2022, run by the Mindfulness Initiative with the Hart Knowe Trust.

Get a first impression: A video showcasing the project BAM! Boxing and Mindfulness.

Innovations in Mindfulness Awards: BAM! A project by Mindful Peak Performance

BACKGROUND

BAM! is a fusion of boxing and mindfulness, a new way to get physically & mentally fit, running sessions for young carers across London.
Luke Doherty is a mindfulness teacher and athlete himself. Bio Luke & etc
He is offering mindfulness in boxing clubs and combining it with physical-strength training seemed the perfect answer. One in three young carers has a mental health problem, and many are inactive and experience loneliness because of their caring role.

BAM!’s high-energy sessions are conducted in a safe environment and help students release and channel any pent-up energy and emotion they’re carrying in their bodies through boxing training and explore the sensations in their bodies through somatic meditation.
The programme’s mindfulness component is adapted from an MBSR model. BAM! engages students by using language from the world of sports and explaining that top athletes also practise mindfulness.
The program is an inspiring example of a user-led innovation designed with the needs of its target audience clearly in mind. The physical dimension of the approach—based on energetic movement and not just body scans and calming exercises— is unconventional and represents a departure from traditional mindfulness training.
Also, the business model of working with organisations and athletes can inspired to create solutions in other contexts.