Tension and Trauma Release Exercise TRE™
Tension and Trauma Release Exercise (TRE™) is an easy to learn set of movements that can help to slowly release stress, tension and trauma from the body. Devised by Dr David Berceli the exercises safely activate a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension and helps to 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 calm and balance.
TRE™ can be given one-to-one and in groups. I offer 0ne-to-one sessions at Muswell Health and online sessions.
Below are some up and coming group workshops/courses on offer:
3-week course meeting once a week on a Thursday 6.30pm-8.30pm at the North London Buddhist Centre; 24th Sept, 1st & 8th Oct. Open to beginners and those that have TRE experience –
https://www.northlondonyogaspace.com/events/tension-trauma-release-exercise-tre-3-week-course
Monthly Sunday community shake – 2-hour workshop: Starting in January 2026, I will be offering a monthly small group community shake, maximum 8 people. Open to regulars and beginners –
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/last-sunday-community-shake-4755393
“Tremors in humans are a natural response of a shocked or disrupted nervous system attempting to restore the body and mind to a state of balance. Tremors… aid recovery….. they don’t cause us to relive the experience…. they extinguish the trauma … helping turn off our fight, flight or freeze mechanism”. From Dr David Berceli’s book, The Revolutionary Trauma Release process.
The accumulation of stress and trauma and lack of tension release can create a dysregulated nervous system. TRE™ safely activates a natural therapeutic reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating, that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. TRE™ is a body based (somatic) and is designed to be a self-help tool that once learned, can be used as needed, continuously supporting and promoting personal health and wellbeing.
Some reported benefits of TRE™ include; Less worry and anxiety, more energy and endurance, reduced muscular pain, reduces symptoms of PTSD, improved marital relationships, less workplace stress, better sleep, less relationship conflict, reduced muscle and back pain, increased flexibility, greater emotional resiliency, decreases symptoms of vicarious trauma, healing of old injuries, lessened anxiety surrounding serious illness.
It is widely acknowledged that the mind and body are not two separate things that are unaffected by one another and that emotional and psychological stress and trauma can have a negative effect on our body’s wellness. We have all experienced the build-up of tension in our body when we are stressed and can feel that lessen as we are able to relax and let go of the stress. Trauma can have the same affect but on a much deeper level.
In activating the shaking/tremor response, the body’s nervous system is gently and slowly switched from being activated to deal with stress, into a state of relaxation and rest. This has an effect on all systems of the body, allowing for balance and homeostasis throughout and in particular works on deep rooted tension within the muscles, that can build up over time from the stress of everyday life, as well as from either difficult, shocking or traumatic events.
Experiencing the deeper tension in our body in this way and then noticing the release that TRE™ can bring, allows for a letting go, not just of the physical but also the emotional and psychological tension that has built up in our body.
TRE™ is taught as a self-help tool, so once you have learnt the sequence of movements it is easy to use on your own. Having said that, it can be very useful to continue seeing a TRE™ provider to support your practice. Having someone present to witness your experiences and guide you through any difficult emotions and thoughts that may come up is very helpful, as a provider I can also offer insights into new ways to tremor. TRE™ is not a talking therapy and our aim is not to delve deeply into the understanding of our tension or trauma or to re-live past experiences.
TRE™ helps us be in touch with our body in the here and now, experiencing what it is to feel our body both through the tension we experience and how we feel it release too. Brining ourselves into our bodies in this way and experiencing the moment, allows for the nervous system to settle into a deeper state of relaxation and calm, not just when shaking/tremoring but also in our every-day activity, which can allow us to feel more able to deal with what might have felt previously overwhelming or stressful.
As well as being taught to individuals TRE™ can be taught in groups, which can give a sense of connection, which is also beneficial to our sense of well-being.
For one to one session I offer a package of 3 as an initial start point, this is priced at £270. The first session is between 1 hour 30 and 1 hour 45, following sessions are between 1 hour 15 and 1 hour 30. Follow on sessions are priced at £100, or a package of 3 can be paid for again. Each individual will have different needs when it comes to how many sessions to have with a provider and when to space them out and this can be discussed as we work together. My ultimate aim is to get my students to be in a position where they can tremor safely on their own and be in a position to only very occasionally either see me one to one or join a group to have that connection when tremoring.
If you would like to know more about how TRE™ could help you, contact Tom on 07941 178 137 or tomhoyland@protonmail.com
For more on TRE™ visit TREglobal.org
