What is TRE™? The story of Dr David Berceli

TRE™ stands for Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises. It's a quick and powerful tool to release stored tension, so that stress can move through the body and discharge instead of staying stuck.

The man behind it

TRE™ was created by Dr David Berceli, PhD, an expert in trauma intervention and conflict resolution. He spent more than two decades living and working in places shaped by war and upheaval, including Israel and Palestine, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Yemen, Egypt and Lebanon.

What he noticed

In those war-torn places, Dr Berceli saw something that stayed with him. During moments of fear, the children would shake and shiver. The adults didn't.

When he asked them about it, the adults explained that they held it in. Some didn't want to frighten the children. Others had learned to look strong so they could keep going and keep fighting.

That contrast led him to an idea at the heart of TRE™: the body has an innate wisdom for discharging stress. Shaking is a natural mechanism, and somewhere along the way, many of us taught ourselves to shut it down.

Shaking isn't the problem. It's the body's way of finishing what the stress started.

You already know this feeling

Think about the first time you sang in front of a crowd, gave a big presentation, or had a near-miss on the road. Maybe your voice quivered, your hands trembled, or your knees went a little wobbly afterwards. That's the same family of response. Your body was mobilising energy, and then it was trying to let it go.

Most of the time we tense up, push through, and carry on. Over weeks and years, that held tension can settle into the body as tight hips, a sore back, a clenched jaw, restless sleep or a nervous system that never quite switches off.

The exercises

TRE™ is a short sequence of simple exercises that gently stretch and tire the body section by section. The deep hip muscles, which tighten whenever we brace against danger, are a big part of the story.

Then you lie down, and with a little guidance, a soft, involuntary shaking begins on its own. These are neurogenic tremors: shaking that comes from the nervous system rather than from you deliberately moving.

Why it feels safe

• It's self-regulated. You can pause or stop the tremor at any time by going into the stop position.
• It doesn't require talking. You don't need to revisit or explain your past for TRE™ to work.
• It's adaptable. The exercises can be modified for different bodies, ages and fitness levels.

Over time, with guidance, many people learn to use TRE™ as part of their own self-care.

Curious what actually happens when the shaking starts? Read What happens in a shake.