TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises)

Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises, known as TRE, is a body-based self-care method that uses a short series of simple exercises to tire the large muscles of the legs and hips so the body begins to shake or tremble gently. Practitioners describe this natural tremor as a way for the body to release built-up tension and stress.

TRE is usually taught by a certified provider in a first session, or in small groups or online classes. You learn seven exercises, such as stretches and wall sits, that fatigue the muscles, and then lie down and allow the tremors to arise while your provider helps you stay in control. You can pause or stop them at any time, and there is no need to talk about past events. Once learned, most people practice alone a few times a week.

People use it for stress relief, muscular tension, sleep, anxiety, and a greater sense of calm and resilience, and some use it as a self-care tool alongside trauma-informed support, including for pain or fatigue.

The evidence is emerging. It consists mainly of pilot studies, a small number of trials, and practitioner reports. For example, one study with college students found less anxiety with regular practice, and a small pilot in people with multiple sclerosis reported improvements in fatigue and stress. The research is small, and the proposed mechanism has not been firmly established.

It is generally gentle and low risk, but strong emotions or unfamiliar sensations can arise. Learn it from a certified TRE provider, and go slowly. If you have a trauma history, PTSD, a seizure disorder, an injury, a serious health condition, or are pregnant, check with a clinician first. It complements medical and mental health care, not replaces it.

TRE was developed by David Berceli, a trauma specialist with a doctorate who worked with communities affected by war and disaster in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Accounts differ on dates. Some place his first observations of trembling in people sheltering from bombing as far back as 1979 in Lebanon, while others describe the exercise series taking shape over later decades. He founded Trauma Recovery Services in 1998 and has said he looked for a method that could be taught to groups without a shared language.

Berceli trained in bioenergetic analysis, a body-oriented approach founded by Alexander Lowen, in which stress positions that produce shaking were already used. TRE differs in that it uses a short sequence of exercises to tire the large muscles of the legs and hips so that a tremor begins on its own, and it is taught as a self-care skill without requiring talk about past events. Berceli calls this response neurogenic tremor, a term used in his own writing.

Today TRE is taught by certified providers who complete training through the organization Berceli established, and the nonprofit TRE FOR ALL holds distribution rights and supports its use in community settings. Berceli holds the copyright and trademarks for the training materials. The research base is still emerging, and the method is not a substitute for care from a licensed mental health professional.