TRE stands for Tension and Trauma Release Exercises. It is a set of simple yet innovative exercises that enable the body to release deep-seated stress, pain, tension and trauma. It does this through enabling the body to access a form of tension release characterized as trembling/ tremoring or vibrating. Some have described it as similar to a cat purring!The Benefits of TREI shall split these benefits into 3 three areas: physical, mental and emotional.Physical
TRE enables the physical body to deeply relax in a way that other activities rarely do. You may be the kind of person that fidgets and squirms and experiences a ‘monkey mind’ (feeling restless, unsettled and easily distracted). If so, it may be useful to try out TRE to see how it can enable you to achieve a deeper state of active rest. It may help release those fidgeting tendencies and allow you to deeply rest by shaking the tension out. Our constant modern day state of stimulation means that unless we consciously work on relaxing our sensory responses, we may inadvertently lose the ability to relax. Hence, consciously relaxing is very important and TRE can help get you there.
It can help reset and release the fascia within our bodies. Fascia is a clingfilm-like substance that wraps around all our muscles and organs, offering support, and reducing friction during everyday movement. Fascia is becoming increasingly recognized for the importance it holds in tension and chronic long term stress in our bodies. Here is a useful introduction into fascia.
In a union of the physical with the emotional, TRE works in the deepest parts of the brain structures which promote the integration of physical, emotional and conscious awareness. Our evolutionary heritage is made up of stages of evolutionary developments, which correspond to our brain architecture. This idea is known as the Poly Vagal Theory. For an introduction into the Poly Vagal Theory see Dr Porges here. You can’t go wrong, hearing the theory as expressed by the founder! Essentially, what he is talking about is the evolutionary basis of our nervous system and how that regulates our responses to external events which may stress us.
The vibrations that can occur when tremoring through TRE can also be useful to the internal organs. The tremoring, shaking and vibrations can bring more oxygen and blood into the organs and promote healthy detoxifying and renewal or vitality to those areas.
You may have heard of the microbiome. Recent research has potentially linked the microbes in the gut to numerous health ailments. Consequently, the flourishing of the microbiomes as an aid to a plethora of health conditions is being increasingly recognised. Indeed the gut has always been known as the ‘second mind’ , the ‘gut feeling’ or our intuition. TRE can help build the connection between brain and gut. TRE can also claim to aid gut health through the activation of the psoas muscle.
The psoas is such an important but little discussed muscle that it deserves a heading all its own. Connecting the lower back and torso to the legs, and responsible for the movement of walking and lifting the leg towards the torso, the psoas is a major muscle group which is activated by TRE.
EmotionalThe aforementioned Poly Vagal Theory suggests that the stress released from the psoas muscle can contain emotional and potentially traumatic stored experienced memories. As we get more stressed and anxious our muscles tense and tighten. The psoas is such a deep-seated muscle that frequently we do not stretch it or exercise it specifically. As it can store deep lying stress and anxiety of both the physical and emotional variety, TRE is a very important way to reboot the whole self through activation of this area. Hence, the release of this muscle can have numerous benefits.Any long term pain will have an emotional component to it. The challenge is figuring out what part that emotional component is, and releasing it in a healthy way so it helps to leaves us pain free.TRE is therefore increasingly used by experienced practitioners to work with people who have suffered traumatic experiences. The process of doing TRE and feeling the vibrations through the body can affect people differently. It can be used to heal and release past traumas and hurt, especially if partnered with an experienced practitioner, who can create a safe, nurturing space for the client to work through their emotions.MentalHow does being stressed impact your mental state? How often are you thrown into an unwanted mental state and then hold onto it longer than you expected or wanted to?How you process information is related to how you are feeling about things, but they have distinctions. The distinction to recognise an emotional trigger or feeling and mentally rise above or manage that state in the situation you are in, is a key indicator of a successfully coping being. TRE can help by quickly processing mental and emotional phenomena, transforming them though vibrational shaking to create a productive mental state. Don’t believe me? Come and try it!(I’m defining states as something which are embodied in the mind and body and can be measured – a state of focus or calm, for example. Emotions are not so easily (currently) to measure and can be considered more subjective. States of being can be judged more objectively using neurology and physiology. States recruit the body and mind, whereas emotions may be just a subjective experience in the mind. See Neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman for more on this topic. )It’s not that I want to leave you with an impression that TRE benefits the physical more than the other two areas; all the benefits in one area obviously have a positive beneficial effect on the other areas. For an interesting insight into the importance of the body as well as the brain in the process of thinking, see this New York Times article here .
27th February 2021 – TRE workshop at Yoga Republic, Phuket. Join me to experience first hand the beneficial effects of TRE, from a qualified practitioner.Aims:Attendees…
