tension & trauma release
what is TRE?
TRE stands for Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises. These are an innovative sequence of movements and poses designed to activate a healing reflex mechanism in the body, called shaking or tremoring. These neuro-muscular tremors naturally and organically release stress, tension and trauma that is held in our body’s muscular tissue and fascia.
Through the process of listening, learning and exploring, you can build a relationship with your body that’s based in feeling and sensation. This is a really bottom-up and organic approach to meeting ourselves. Overtime, when used safely, TRE can assist the body in letting go of deeper patterns of muscular tension (e.g. past trauma) as well as provide you with the tools and resources to be able integrate these releases.
TRE can be learnt in either individual sessions or in groups. It’s a wonderful way to slow down, be curious, and safely let your body heal itself.
what happens during a session?
Each TRE session is tailored to your individual needs and how you and your body are feeling on the day. This work is all by invitation which means everything is optional!
In general, sessions will begin with a conversation and lead into learning the exercises and how to start and stop tremors as well explore them. It’s a very interactive and open process. When the TRE process is complete, you will have time to rest and integrate your experience. We round up the session by coming back together to reflect, share and discuss how you can use TRE in your personal practice and if you need ongoing support.
TRE is taught as a self-regulation tool so the process gives you the knowledge and skills to begin practicing nervous system regulation. Once learnt, you have a tool you can use throughout your life to continuously support your personal health and wellbeing. After practicing TRE, many report feelings of peace, connection and a deep sense of relaxation.
how many sessions will I need?
As with any practice, it can take a little time to learn and feel confident. I recommend attending a minimum of 5 classes or private sessions with the intention of working towards building a strong home practice. Working with a TRE Provider has the added benefit of creating safety through co-regulation to support your process.
Many regular shakers choose to maintain sessions with a TRE Provider as and when they need, coming back to a class or session to work on specific patterns, blockages or emotions that may be arising.
what is trauma?
“The psychology of trauma is complex, the physiology is relatively simple”
~Steve Haines
The word ‘trauma’ itself can feel like a big, scary word to many people. A common misconception is to only see trauma as significant events, such as a car crash. However, trauma is actually our response to overwhelming situations or people. When we are faced with a real or perceived danger, our bodies automatically go into primitive defense responses in order to promote survival. When we do not complete a survival stress response, the old parts of our brain can get fixed in fight, flight or freeze modes.
Depending on our resources for recovery at the time, we may become ‘stuck’ in one of these survival responses. This means you could spend months or years ‘running on adrenaline’ or perhaps feeling ‘numb’ or not completely in your body.
Trauma is stored in our tissues as patterns of muscular tension. Once we start to understand that we hold all our experiences in our bodies, we can also utilise our internal, natural mechanisms for recovery.
what are the limits of TRE?
TRE® is simple and powerful. For many this body-based approach where you do not have to talk is life-changing. Others may benefit from finding a community, social justice measures, appropriate medication, ongoing one-to-one talking therapeutic support. In these cases TRE works best as part of a package of care. TRE is not a replacement for medical or psychiatric care.
No one knows how to treat trauma successfully for all clients. We do not claim TRE is cure for all people. No intervention works all the time for everybody. Treating trauma is complex and evidence is unclear.
TRE has some limited research, very good theory, and lots of anecdotal evidence and passionate advocates around the world.
DISCLAIMER
TRE® has not been evaluated by the US Food & Drug Administration or the American Medical Association or NICE in the UK.
There are no guarantees, expressed, or implied.