TRE for Women’s Wellbeing - Health & Wellbeing Magazine by Foyht

Shake Off Stress & Embrace a New Sense of Wellness

Moments of stress and uncertainty are part of our life. Those moments, non only affect our mental health, but they also impact our body. Stress, fear, anxiety create tension in our muscles. A constant state of tension can become so normal that we stop noticing and, as a result, fail to address it. We may even forget how it feels to be truly relaxed….

Think of your shoulders, for example – how do they feel right now?

While both men and women face moments of stress, women undergo additional challenges related to life transitions and hormonal changes. Women’s bodies are in a constant state of fluctuations through monthly menstrual cycles, pregnancy, childbirth, postnatal period, as well as during perimenopause and menopause.

These life transitions can destabilise women – manifesting as low mood, low energy, irritability, difficulty falling asleep, and physical pain such as shoulders/neck pain, lower back pain, and pelvic pain.

Navigating through these challenges requires effective tools to support your wellbeing. Tension, Stress, Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) emerge as a transformative practice, particularly beneficial for women in various stages of their lives. This article explores what TRE is, its numerous benefits, and the profound impact it can have on women.

What is TRE:

TRE is more than just a set of exercises; it’s a journey of reconnecting with your body’s innate wisdom. Developed by David Berceli, the method involves a natural and intentional activation of involuntary shaking or trembling of the body. While shaking might be perceived negatively in our culture, TRE views it as a vital mechanism for releasing built-up tension and stress. It calms down the nervous system, relaxes muscles and hydrates the fascia.

It’s an effortless method; the shaking during TRE is a spontaneous response of the body. In other words, your body moves how it needs to and you don’t have to think about it. With the guidance of a TRE practitioner, like myself, you’ll learn to feel comfortable with the process and in control of it. You’ll learn how to start and stop the tremors whenever you need. The practice is done on the floor while lying in a semisupine position – a very comfortable stance that allows your body to shake freely.

The Science of Shaking:

When faced with threats or dangers, our bodies respond by generating high arousal and tension, preparing for quick physical action. However, whether the threat is physical or emotional, our body’s response remains the same. If this energy isn’t utilised through fighting or fleeing, the tension becomes trapped, contributing to long-term stress symptoms such as insomnia, chronic pain, and mental fog. TRE recognises shaking as the body’s natural process to release this tension, offering a pathway to a more tranquil life.

How TRE can help you:

Reduces Stress, Tension, and Anxiety

TRE gives a practical solution to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety – making it easier for you to navigate everyday challenges. Many conditions are born from prolonged states of stress and anxiety. The more we work with our bodies to alleviate stress symptoms from within, the better and healthier life we can lead.

Supports Pelvic Health

Looking after your pelvic health is important for a good quality of life, as it provides support to all the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues housing the pelvic organs. It’s a proactive measure against bladder problems, reproductive issues, and potential chronic conditions.

While activities such as yoga, pilates, and pelvic floor exercises support pelvic health through external exercises, TRE offers a unique approach without the need for specific mobility knowledge. TRE’s natural tremors engage deep core muscles, like the psoas and quadratus lumborum, from within. It’s an inside-out process, where your body heals itself! This fosters increased movement, fluidity, and space along the spine and pelvis and it offers additional lubrication for the fascia system.

Promotes Hormonal balance

Stress is one of the major contributors to hormonal imbalances in women. Such imbalances can cause a variety of complications, from mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, memory loss, anxiety, depression, and more.

All hormones in your body are interconnected and influence one another, operating as one big system. When one hormone is out of balance, it impacts every other hormone. Discovering tools to naturally restore your hormonal balance can help your body function optimally.

Makes you Feel Good

A regular TRE practice can offer many benefits.

Physiologically the body feels less tense and stiff, more fluid and open, more connected and in balance. TRE holds the potential to alleviate body pain and chronic discomfort, improve flexibility, offer relief from headaches and migraines, and improve sleep quality.

Emotionally and mentally, the practice fosters a deeper connection with oneself. The sessions are like a form of “meditation in movement”, that help you become more present within your body and the overall experience.

This self-care tool can alleviate worries, strengthen emotional resilience, and contribute to an overall sense of wellbeing.

When we feel calm, centred and at peace with ourselves, we can handle challenging situations more positively. In family life, it can reduce arguments and improve relationships with loved ones. In the professional sphere, TRE can help you feel less stressed at work, feel better after tough days, and be able to relax at home after a long workday. It can also boost your energy and stamina for work tasks.

It is a simple, yet effective, tool for building resilience and self-empowerment.

With no external means, just with the power and wisdom of your own body.

If you are taking your first steps into holistic practices, or you have tried everything else, and nothing seems to help you navigate life’s ups and downs, don’t give up – give TRE a try. The beauty of it lies in its short sessions; you can shake for just a few minutes, up to 15 each time. It’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

By learning how to use these spontaneous shakes of TRE at home, whenever you need it, you can experience a profound shift in your physical, emotional, and mental states. Feeling good in yourself will give you more strength and resources for supporting your life. When you feel good, you can positively influence your family, work, and the community in which you live.

References

Main – Photo by Aditya Saxena on Unsplash