TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercise)
Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercise (TRE) is a therapeutic type of movement that can have a positive impact on mental wellness. Developed by Dr. David Bercelli, it is based on the idea that stress, tension, and trauma are both psychological and physiological. TRE is the safe activation of one of our body’s autonomic responses to stress: the tremor reflex. This natural shaking reflex releases muscle tension and calms down the nervous system. TRE adds a controlled environment to this reflexive response, which encourages the body to return to a state of balance.
How TRE Works
Participants induce the tremor response by shaking their legs while lying on the floor and allowing these vibrations to course through their bodies. This releases stress, tension, and trauma. As this occurs, the brain registers a reduction in pain signals that triggers the formation of healing hormones that help restore the body. But TRE works on the mind, as well!
It is a well-known fact that moving the body can engage healing in the mind, and trauma and tension go hand-in-hand. For trauma survivors, the stress of hypervigilance and physical symptoms like a frequently racing heartbeat can cause physical tension. If that sounds familiar, you might benefit from the guidance of a TRE instructor!
Benefits Of TRE
TRE engages muscles that we don’t often think about using, and can accumulate tension without us even noticing. Think about it: when was the last time you actually thought about stretching your psoas muscle? This strong muscle, which connects our lower back to our pelvis, carries a ton of tension that is rarely released through active engagement. Practicing TRE releases this muscle and many others to return them to homeostasis.
Additionally, clinical research on TRE shows that nearly all participants feel peace and relaxed after their sessions, and symptoms of trauma such as hyper-arousal were diminished after the exercise. Participants in a 10-week TRE trial reported lower levels of overall stress and an increase in their quality of life. One major advantage of TRE is how low-impact it is; there’s very little physical exertion or risk. Simply start the tremor response and your body does the rest of the work!
TRE is just one of many ways to safely and holistically process trauma. If you think that you might recognize signs of trauma in your own life, and want to work through it with a compassionate, trauma-informed therapist, please visit us at Whole Self Therapy to learn more.