Teaching Transformative Life Skills to Students: A Comprehensive Dynamic Mindfulness Curriculum, Dec/2016

A classroom-ready program of evidence-based lessons in (1) stress resilience, (2) self-awareness, (3) emotion regulation, and (4) healthy relationships.

Transform school and classroom climate, increase teacher sustainability, and build invaluable life skills in students with four ready-to-implement units incorporating mindful movement, yoga postures, breathing techniques, and more. The evidence-based and trauma-informed Transformative Life Skills (TLS) curriculum offers educators 48 scripted, 15-minute lessons designed to require minimal preparation and fit neatly within the busy school days of a single academic semester. Recommended by CASEL, it benefits all five core competencies of Social and Emotional Learning.

Reviews:

“Well-designed lessons to teach students important life skills and habits that will help them succeed in school, in relationships, and in life . . . A valuable resource.” — Roger P. Weissberg, PhD, Chief Knowledge Officer, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL); Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Education, U of Illinois at Chicago

“A wonderfully simple roadmap . . . As educator’s grapple with the best way to create and sustain rich environments for social and emotional learning. TLS offers an accessible, thoughtfully designed, and research-based approach. There's little doubt that the time spent implementing TLS will pay dividends across the board for students, teachers, and the broader school-community.” — S. Kwesi Rollins, Director of Leadership Programs, Institute for Educational Leadership

“Bidyut Bose's program, laid out here in exquisite detail, meets every student with great compassion and respect. Its goal, as the title suggests, is transformation, helping young people transform not only their thoughts and emotions, but also their relationship to their own lives and the lives of others. Readers will discover how beautifully and skillfully this can be accomplished through the use of yoga postures. A revolutionary book.” — Richard Brady, MS, Co-Founder of the Mindfulness in Education Network

“This wonderful book offers teachers a clear and useful guide to "dynamic mindfulness" and how to create a foundation of knowledge for students that will enhance their well-being and executive functions. Bravo to the brilliant pioneers who have courageously created such an important contribution to the field of education!” — Daniel J. Siegel, MD, author of Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human; Executive Director, Mindsight Institute, Founding Co-Director, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

“In a morass of school reform efforts that offer the same thing and expect different results, Teaching Transformative Life Skills is an effective curricular rejoinder. Its ABC approach honors the best in all of us, bringing students into the fold of caring and compassionate adults who breathe joy and justice into our schools. TLS strengthens the assets of children and youth and prepares them to fully engage in learning.” — Lynda Tredway, Founding Coordinator, Principal Leadership Institute, UC Berkeley; Senior Associate, Institute for Educational Leadership

“Combining gentle didacticism with easy-to-follow practices, this unique manual teaches education for life—skills for the internal life of the student as he or she experiences stress, overwhelming emotions, and bodily strain.” — Gabor Maté, MD, author of When The Body Says No: Exploring The Stress-Disease Connection

About The Authors:

Bidyut Bose, PhD, is founder and director of the Niroga Institute, fostering student and community health with mindfulness-based programs.

Danielle Ancin, RYT, is a program manager at the Niroga Institute and teaches regular yoga classes to at-risk children and adolescents.

Jennifer Frank, PhD, is a researcher interested in programs designed to promote the development of key socialemotional learning skills in at-risk youth.

Annika Malik has been teaching dance and yoga to youths and adults for more than twelve years.