Resilience building & TRE®
For individuals and groups
What is TRE®
TRE® – Tension, Stress and Trauma Releasing Exercises
It is a set of exercises that helps to evoke the psoas muscles – a major set of muscles where we often store physical, emotional, and mental stress in our bodies over the course of our lives – to release neurogenic tremors.
This combination of neurological and physiological involuntary tremors can lead to a release of deep tension, stress and trauma, helping the body to return to a calmer and balanced state.
Video by TRE Star Groups sums up TRE® beautifully
How Might it benefit Me?
Combining the fields of psychology, neurology and physiology. Awakening and dispelling the deep rooted tensions can help with the following reported benefits:
• Greater emotional resiliency
• Less workplace stress
• More energy
• Less relationship conflict
• Less worry and anxiety
• Better sleep
• Reduced muscle and back pain
• Increased body flexibility
• Healing of old injuries
• Less anxiety over serious illness
• Reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
Can I learn and do it on my own?
In general after 3 or 4 sessions, we hope to help people to learn to do TRE® independently as a sustainable way of managing and regulating your stress.
You will learn under the supervision of a certified TRE® provider, who can give you additional insights and help you in the regulatory process.
Can anyone use TRE®? Are there any precautions to take before doing it?
Yes, TRE® has proven to be safe and can be used as a self-administered exercise to relieve stress and reduce tension.
Individuals with a history of physical limitations, injuries or psychological conditions should consult their medical health professionals before doing TRE®.
It is always advisable to seek guidance from an approved TRE® provider if you have any concern or query.
Are there any side effects?
Yes, some people who have used TRE® too much found that they became angsty, anxious and easily restless. With TRE® , “the more is not the better”.
Part of the objective of doing TRE® is learning self-regulation.
Is TRE® used widely?
It is pretty widespread in USA and Europe, though it is still fairly new in Asia.
There are only a limited numbers of certified TRE practitioners in Asia.
However, many experts have spoken of its effectiveness in helping people deal with personal crises and traumas as well as with the trauma of natural disasters, violence, accidents or war.
TRE®: Where it came from
TRE® was created by Dr David Berceli, an expert in trauma intervention who used to work in war-torn places. Over the years, he noticed how people often responded to crisis by curling into a foetal position, which contracts the psoas muscles. Observing that children would shiver (or tremor) and shake, but adults would not, Dr Berceli found that adults stopped themselves from shaking because they were worried that they would frighten the children, or were afraid of embarrassing themselves.
Interestingly, animals in the wild respond to stress or predators in a similar way, collapsing into a frozen position in extreme danger, and getting out of such a position through shaking and tremoring. Wanting to help people tap this natural mechanism to release deep tension and stress, Dr Berceli discovered more about the human anatomy and other body-related therapeutic modalities, and created TRE®.
The Triune Brain and TRE
Neocortex
Our consciousness and executive brain. This part of the brain regulates decision-making, problem- solving and impulse-control. It is located just behind our forehead.
Limbic system
The emotional brain, modulates our moods. It is in the middle of our brain.
Reptilian brain
the brain stem, helps us in unconscious and subconscious activities such as breathing, digestion, and fight/flight and freeze responses. These activities happen automatically. It is located at the lower back of our head, close to our neck, linking to the spine
Understanding TRE® with other practices
In other forms of stress-relieving practices such as mindfulness meditation, we use our neocortex to monitor our bodily function (i.e. breathing). TRE taps on the reptilian brain and reach out to the limbic system and neocortex . TRE is not just a physiological exercise, but also a neurological workout, that taps all three parts of the brain, creating an integrated regulatory experience.
There is no one approach that is better than others; it is about finding the right one that suits the individual. TRE can be used with Somatic Coaching as seen the the video
What to Expect
Release deep tension
It is a neurophysical process. You will lie on a yoga mat in comfortable clothed and do a few easy physical exercises to evoke the psoas muscles to release neurogenic tremors. You will experience tremor or shake or stretches in the process.
Used during Coaching
Some people also find it hard to talk about the events that stressed,shocked or traumatised them. TRE® can help them address the stress without going into the details of their experiences.
Address the stress Physiologically
Some people find it hard to take the stress from the events in their life, TRE® can help them tolerate the uncomfortable sensations better.