An introduction to TRE- Tension and Trauma Release Exercises
TRE is the body’s voice of what’s happening on a deeper level in response to the world.
TRE (Tension and Trauma Release Exercises®) are a set of 7 movements that evoke a natural involuntary movement reflex in the brainstem via the Vagus Nerve which triggers deep unwinding in the body at every tissue level. This “tremor" helps to release and discharge chronic myofascial tension patterns commonly experienced as held stress patterns and/or trauma in the body. Anyone (and everyone!) can benefit from TRE, as it is ultimately a tool for reclaiming the authentic self through deep embodiment. Every mammal has this reflex available to them as a part of their deepest neuro-physiology. It's helpful for down-regulating and retraining the nervous system to get unstuck out of habitual fight/flight/freeze/overwhelm responses which in turn frees up the immune system to reclaim energy that was otherwise being used to hold onto chronic tension patterns underlying emotional blockages. This process is excellent for people with chronic fatigue, mood instability, chronic pain, stubborn pain patterns, or people with trauma histories that wish to work with the impact of that trauma in a non-verbal way. In general, TRE is an awesome tool for the prevention of accumulation of stress, anxiety, burn out, and a myriad of health concerns related to a chronically dysregulated nervous system (IBS, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, digestive difficulties, infertility, sleep problems, headaches, TMJ, poor healing time, etc). It helps release tension and trauma from our bodies while training the nervous system to down-regulate to a place of safety, recovery, and wellness. What people can learn about themselves from being in connection and present with sensation in their bodies is truly limitless.People who try TRE for the first time call it many things from wild, to oddly familiar, to deeply unburdening, to super weird, and delightful. The goal of this work is ultimately about freedom and the opportunity to re-engage the part of the nervous system that keeps us in a place of resilience, wellness, recovery, connection, and safety. It’s also about alleviating the burden of a highly aroused nervous system which promotes chronic tension patterns that tend to exacerbate fatigue, burnout, mood disorders, and disconnection from self and the world. By increasing the capacity to identify and track sensation, the body can become a profound teacher and friend by opening the way for us to discover who we really are, not just how we've learned to survive. What we can uncover is a level of compassion for the body we’ve never experienced before- for all the body does for us, in every moment, and how it has always been there for us pointing us back toward health and alignment with our most authentic human experience. It can show us who we are, who we aren’t, and who we’ve been, so we find greater freedom to choose ourselves in every present moment. It expands our capacity to know ourselves so we can tend and nurture our lives.
TRE is a practice, just like meditation and going to the gym are a practice that you do consistently over time to deepen your relationship with your body. It is meant to be practiced 2-3x a week to prevent the accumulation of emotional and physical stress, and can be modified to be gentle enough for any body at any stage of life.This a great (short) video illustrating the physiological process of stress and why shaking is important as a means of discharge:Here’s an interview with David Bercelli, founder of TRE, which answers a lot of questions about the process:Here is a video demonstrating what the TRE process is and what it looks like for those of us who like a little more visual orientation.
Interested to learn even more? Reach out to heartbridgemedicinalarts@gmail.com
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