TRE® or Trauma and Tension Release Exercises, is a somatic body-based practice for people suffering from stress, anxiety, trauma, PTSD or cPTSD.

 

Developed by Dr David Berceli, TRE® is an innovative series of self-help exercises that safely and deliberately activates the body's instinctive mechanism of shaking or tremoring to release muscular tension and calm 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.

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Trembling fulfills an important function in our bodies – it is our body’s natural way of restoring calm and balance to our central nervous system.

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Session by session, these tremors help to release the build-up of muscular tension patterns that have been stored in the body during stressful and traumatic life experiences.  As we begin to release our defensive habits we can start to return to a state of peace, calm, curiosity, and joy that many of us have not experienced since we were children.

TRE® is designed to be a self-help tool that, once learned, can be used independently as needed throughout one’s life, thereby continuously supporting and promoting personal health and wellness.

What happens in a TRE® session?

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TRE® exercises are designed to activate muscle groups from the ankle upward to the center of gravity of the body, which is protected by the psoas muscles. When shaking is activated in these powerful core muscles, it slowly but surely pulsates throughout the entire body traveling along the spine, releasing deep chronic tension.

When tension is released anywhere in the body, the brain registers a reduction in stress signals and lowers the output of stress hormones.

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Regular TRE practice helps with:

• stress-related headaches and migraine

• more energy and stamina / endurance

• quality of sleep

• general anxiety

• chronic pain, especially back and neck pain

• the tendency to ‘space out’ or ‘go blank’ under stress

• avoidance habits (such as being fearful of certain activities or places due to negative past experiences)

• unhealthy habits of self-soothing and self-medication (such as emotional eating, using drugs or alcohol etc.)

 

Why TRE®?

TRE® is a physical way to release tension and does not require you to talk about your experiences.  The body knows what to do and the shaking mechanism is a natural form of stress release.

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Slight trembling occurs naturally in life when our nervous system is over-activated.  Nearly everyone who has been in a crisis has experienced tremoring or trembling.  This phenomenon has been so misunderstood, and society has come to associate shaking with weakness and yet in many cultures, shaking has been used as a healthy recovery mechanism. 

 

My Experience so far.

I have been so amazed by my personal experience since I began training in January 2023.  I feel much more relaxed, less anxious and more embodied.  My sleep has improved, and I have more energy.  I am also more focused; less brain fog and my digestion has improved. 

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Every TRE® Provider in training uses TRE® for themselves as part of their personal development which supports them in being able to hold space for their clients in a grounded and safe way.  The training is deep and empowering and includes one-on-one sessions under supervision. I decided to train in TRE® because of my positive personal experiences.