What is TRE®
Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises
TRE® is an innovative series of exercises that assist the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. The exercises safely activate a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return back to a state of balance.
Who Can Benefit from TRE® ?
Everyone can. Since this shaking mechanism in the muscles is part of our natural behaviour as humans, everyone can benefit from TRE. This shaking of the muscles increases the resiliency of the body because it causes deep relaxation that naturally reduces stress levels. It can release emotions ranging from mild upset to severe anxiety whether it is caused by work stress, excessive worry, conflict in relationships, physical stresses or traumas from accidents.
A TRE® technique, created in the 1990s by Dr David Berceli, is based on the fundamental idea, backed by recent research, that stress, tension and trauma are both psychological and physical.
With a background in both psychotherapy and therapeutic body-work, Berceli was able to develop a sequence of seven simple exercises, that activate the body’s natural urge to shake or vibrate to release stress. When this shaking/vibrating mechanism is triggered – in a safe, controlled environment – it has multiple positive effects on the body.
The benefits of TRE® exercises include:
- calming and balancing the nervous system
- helping the body to release
- muscular tension
- releasing trauma
- bringing the body back into a state of balance.
Over time (usually less than three months) the physiology of the entire body can be returned to balance, and the immune system returned to normal functioning, with benefits including:
- improved sleep
- better focus and concentration
- feeling more relaxed and calm
- relief from long-standing physical pain
- greater emotional resilience.
Other reported benefits include:
- less worry and anxiety
- reduced symptoms of PTSD
- more energy and stamina/endurance
- less relationship conflict/improved relationships
- improved sleep and natural states of rest
- reduced muscle aches and pains, including relief from migraines, headache, back pain
- better circulation
- increased flexibility
- more balanced mood, including reduced feelings of anger, fear, doubt, rage and anxiety increased feelings of love, generosity, openness and caring
- greater emotional resilience
- improved autoimmune conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, arthritis and fibromyalgia
- relief from many inflammatory illnesses, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- release of deeply buried emotional/physical trauma
- a healthier body and mind awareness
- improved sense of feeling focused, confident and grounded.
After initial training, TRE® is designed to be a self-help tool that can be used independently, as and when needed in daily life, to support and promote personal health and wellness.
The exercises can also be adapted to meet the specific needs of each individual, depending on flexibility and physical health – making them accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
How Does TRE® Work?
Stress, tension and trauma are first experienced by our nervous system – and then expressed through our bodies and minds.
They are our body’s automatic response to any action or situation that places extra physical or psychological demands on us, that could disturb our balance, such as:
- new or unexpected events
- things we feel we have no control over
- situations that threaten our feeling of self.
When we experience anything that appears to threaten our wellbeing, this automatic survival mechanism kicks in. It instantly creates physical changes in our body, including the production of stress hormones, triggering the ‘fight or flight’ response. This stress response is the body’s natural reaction to keep us on high alert, motivated and safe, until the ‘danger’ has passed. It’s a healthy reaction that can, at times, be essential for our survival – helping us to push through challenging, intense or scary situations.
Our bodies typically return to a relaxed, resting state after the stress response has done its job, without any lasting negative effects. However, there are times when our stress response is repeatedly activated – or persists over extended periods – and we can get stuck in a permanent state of ‘fight or flight’. When this charge is not released, it is stored in the body in the muscles and fascia – as a body memory. It can become toxic, causing a wide range of physical and mental health issues.
TRE® is an amazing and highly effective tool that can help the body to naturally release this charge – to reset the nervous system and return the body to a state of balance. As a result, it reduces many issues linked to a stressed nervous system, including anxiety, sleep problems, depression, ADHD, and poor emotional regulation.
The technique involves three main steps:
- First, a series of simple exercises are performed as a physical warm-up. These mildly stress and stretch the body’s core muscles and prepare the body to activate its natural shaking/vibrating mechanism. While this is typically a natural process, it is one that we often resist, which is why our bodies have been unable to discharge any built-up stress naturally.
- Once activated, the gentle shaking/vibrating begins deep in the core of the body, moving to the legs, and reverberating up along the spine, releasing tension from the base of the spine to the top of the head. These are called neurogenic muscle tremors and are the body’s natural way of shaking off the effects brought about by stress and trauma. The shaking can trigger physical or emotional release, which (unlike situations of overwhelm) can be self-regulated. Through TRE® training, we have control over the intensity and can moderate when, where and how much we release at any given time.
- Finally, it is important to rest, to allow the mind and body to settle and integrate any emotions that have arisen. This allows the brain to establish a new neural pattern related to relaxation. Endorphins (natural pain relief hormones) are released and restore the natural state of balance.
With practice, the muscle shaking/vibrating can be activated spontaneously without the need to perform the exercises.
Further reading and Information
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TRE 10 Reasons to Release Tension from your Body
Read more about TRE®
Frequently asked Questions about TRE®
