Come join our Saturday morning session of Tension/Trauma Release-Exercise (TRE) at Meguro Community Center! This is guided by certified TRE trainer Akiko in both English and Japanese. There are a couple of spots left.
What is TRE?
TRE® (Trauma and Tension Releasing Exercise) is the body-based method which can release your tension and stress by creating safe natural tremoring induced by a set of simple exercise in your body. It can be practiced at home on your own after a few practice sessions.
What is the science?
Humans have a built-in biological mechanism to release stress through shaking. This is called neurogenic tremoring, and is the basis behind TRE. You might have seen animals in the wild shake of stress - humans do the same thing! Here is a great blog post about TRE and how it works.
Some small-scale studies and case reports have indicated that TRE may help reduce symptoms related to trauma and chronic stress (e.g., improvements in anxiety, sleep, and overall well-being).
What to expect
In this workshop led by a certified TRE provider Akiko Matsuda, you will learn how to literally “shake it off.” We start with an explanation of how it works, a few basic warm-up movements, and then the tremors will happen naturally and involuntarily.
You will be in a comfortable lying-down position on the ground for most of the time. There is no dancing involved, just lying on the floor and doing these sequence of exercises.
Example Video
This is what it looks like. When I tried on my own the first time it didn’t really work. With the support of a trained teacher, I was able to get it. There are some subtle movements so it can be helpful to get guidance — afterwards, you can do it on your own.
How does it feel?
I’ve done TRE many times. Often I feel extremely relaxed, light and calm — like a huge weight has been lifted. The first time I tried this I was bouncing around town with a big smile on my face. It really lifted a big load off my shoulders.
It’s also common to have strange dreams the night after as you are ‘processing’ things from the past. Sometimes you feel a bit tired the next day as your body releases stuff from the past. Everyone’s experience is different. Come try it for yourself with guidance and in a safe space.