Compelling Evidence that TLS Works!

October 2012

Download the report: Results of Transformative Life Skills (TLS) Evaluation (PDF)
Jennifer L. Frank, PhD Pennsylvania State University Prevention Research Center
Niroga Institute Press Release (PDF)

An independent Research Report summarized the results of a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) of Transformative Life Skills (TLS: yoga, breathing techniques and meditation) in challenging Bay Area urban schools. The findings and implications are compelling, and span three interconnected domains of social function: education, mental health and violence prevention. This is what the researchers have found: "Students showed lower levels of perceived stress and greater levels of self-control, school engagement, emotional awareness, distress tolerance and altered attitude towards violence."

The skills that students are demonstrably developing, enhance and enable learning readiness, emotional intelligence, and social and emotional learning, helping them stay in school and out of trouble. This has direct multi-dimensional impact on the school-to-prison pipeline, education equity and the academic achievement gap.
Niroga is not only bringing TLS into schools all over the Bay Area, but we are also building community capacity around the country by conducting day-long TLS Trainings for school teachers and administrators, school-based behavioral health professionals and social workers, as well as half-day TLS trainings for thought leaders and influencers. TLS is providing them with optimal tools for stress management, self-care and healing from vicarious or secondary trauma, even as they learn how to incorporate TLS into professional practice and develop optimal leadership. Our recent TLS trainings in Pennsylvania and Florida received an overwhelmingly positive response, and in October we will be conducting TLS trainings in Washington DC, Delaware and Maryland. In November, we will be conducting TLS trainings as well as presenting TLS in conferences and symposia in Los Angeles and New York. If your organization is interested in learning more about TLS, please email us at .

In addition to conducting TLS trainings nationally, we are now getting requests internationally, most recently from a group in Palestine (Nablus, Zatarah, Ramallah), who are trying to bring mindful yoga into schools to help the kids heal from their trauma, and the adults around them heal from vicarious trauma. Upon seeing the research report, they said, "This study is really useful. Especially when dealing with health and education professionals, this will come in handy quantifying the positive impact yoga can have on health, mental health, and positive development." Just imagine the possibilities if children from Israel and Palestine, and other war-torn lands, learned to BREATHE again!

-BK Bose