Transformative Life Skills (TLS)
are trauma-informed tools based on the fundamentals of movement, breathing and centering. TLS tools have been shown to enhance focus and attention, regulate emotions, increase coping skills, and build empathy for oneself and others. Schools that use TLS report significant increases in student emotion regulation, positive thinking, resilience to stress, self-control and school engagement. TLS tools can easily be integrated into the classroom and can be done anytime, anywhere, and by any age group.
Organizational and teaching staff who have incorporated the regular practice of TLS in the classroom report that students:
- Are better at managing stress, anger and anxiety
- Are better at focusing or concentrating
- Are more in control of their actions
- Are better at making choices for themselves
- Have better relationships with one another
- Have better relationships with teachers and staff
- Try harder at schoolwork
- Contribute to a better classroom climate
TLS Nunavik
is a non-profit organization that has been offering customized mental health, self-care, and suicide prevention content since 2016.
For more information, connect with us at: info@tlsnunavik.org
Dynamic Mindfulness (DMind)
consists of breathing, movements, relaxation and focus techniques that can be implemented during classroom transitions and in real-life moments. The exercises are designed to integrate seamlessly into the classroom culture and allow teachers and students to cultivate a more mindful school climate, fostering attitudes of respect and kindness in only a few minutes each day.
Exercises take from 3 to 30-45 minutes and can accommodate most learning styles and physical abilities. They are intended to be facilitated by teachers, school counsellors, SSPs or behaviour technicians after the visit of a DMind facilitator. It is recommended that exercises be practiced initially from one to three times per week in the classroom. We encourage teachers and staff to discover the schedules that work best for their classroom. If time constraints exist, we offer different booklet formats.
It is important to recognize and accommodate the needs of individual students during practices since some dynamic mindfulness exercises can also be triggers for students who have experienced trauma. Dynamic mindfulness scenarios invite students to choose movements and non-movements that feel comfortable for them so they will feel more comfortable participating in future exercises. As students become accustomed to the DMind approach with regular practice, their level of comfort should grow accordingly.
Developing the ability to be aware of the present moment has the power to deactivate harmful impulses we may direct toward ourselves and others. Mindfulness brings a gentle and compassionate way of being with ourselves. It’s also a self-care technique.
