TRE: Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises

David Berceli's tension and trauma releasing exercises (TRE) are an amazing tool for helping the body let go of deep, chronic patterns. They are remarkably simple and the process of change they facilitate is very easy to self regulate. The goal of the exercises is to start a self directed temoring process. The tremors are completely natural and release tension and trauma held in the body. Once you have learnt the exercises, and can feel and allow the tremors, you just let the body do its own healing and clearing out of overwhelming experiences. It really can be that easy. 

I am currently studying with David Berceli and I am very impressed with both him and the effectiveness of  the TRE process. One of the big draws for me is his huge experience, he has worked in over 30 different countries and with hundreds of thousands of people. He developed the exercises as a way of safely helping groups of people in war zones and natural disasters. I am intrigued by the possibility of working with trauma in groups. His style of teaching, and focus on honouring the responses of the body, are very similar to cranial work. For example, he talks a lot about offering stillness and presence as people tremor. I will be starting to run some groups once a month in London and hopefully some workshops, with Riccardo Cassiani, later in 2011. You can find out more about London groups here: TRE in London and about TRE here: Main TRE website 

The next section is copied from a blog by David Berceli. I like it as I recognise the difficulty of trying to get people to sense their bodies. It can be done, and cranial work has much to offer to support body awareness, but TRE is more radical. Once the tremors are occurring there is not much else to do, for client or practitioner, except, maybe, remembering to breathe.

'Many times clients have come to me telling me that many spiritual books, gurus, guides, coaches, etc., give them mental exercises to try to ‘sense’ their bodies, ‘feel’ the tension inside, ‘imagine’ being calm or ‘focus’ on your tension. This is a true and positive way to guide people to eliminate tension and restore calmness. But for many traumatized people, this cognitive method of directing the brain to observe the body is an impossibility. Their brain’s ability to be this refined in their thinking processes has been disturbed. If they are not able to perform these mental functions, it often leaves the individual feel more helpless and hopeless.