How often should I do these exercises?
If you are not experiencing any adverse reactions to the exercises, you can do the exercises every second day or so for the first 3-4 weeks to gradually release the chronic tension from the body. Those who find them energizing tend to do them in the mornings afternoons or when requiring additional energy, while those who find them relaxing tend to do them at the end of the day to assist with deeper sleep. You can also simply add 15 minutes or so of shaking onto your existing exercise program as the muscles will already be fatigued in place of performing all the lead in exercises to invoke the tremors. After 3-4 weeks you can reduce the exercises to a couple of times a week or whenever you are aware you are feeling stressed or beginning to hold tension in the body again. They are a tool for you to use to continue to process stress and tension throughout your life rather than a once off intervention.
What if I felt overwhelmed in the days following the exercises?
The absolute golden rule of TRE is to never do more tremoring than you are able to comfortably integrate into your life. If you felt overwhelmed in any way after the exercises, firstly, reduce the duration of tremoring as well as possibly doing the exercises less often. If you are unable to successfully self-regulate the process, please contact a TRE instructor. Remember TRE is not a psycho-emotional process and is not intended as a substitute for professional assistance where required. While the tremors do not create emotions or overwhelm in the body, for a small percentage of people they may lead towards unresolved trauma held in the body that may require professional assistance for integration and resolution.
Do I have to do all the standing exercises?
Not necessarily. The exercises are developed to systematically fatigue the large muscle groups of the back and legs so if you have already exercised you can just add the shaking exercises lying on your back to the end of the session. However, if you haven’t yet exercised, doing the full series of exercises will tend to invoke stronger and more sustained tremors to release more deeply held tension from the body.
Will TRE release emotions?
While the tremors only relax the muscle tension from the body, for many people this relaxation allows deep emotions to arise that have been held in the body as chronic tension and holding. While many people experience no emotional content during the exercises, for others emotions can be felt arising either with or without associated thoughts or memories.. As long as you are comfortable with these emotions, simply allow them to arise and release in the same way you allow the tremors. If the emotions are overwhelming or too uncomfortable, you can simply stop the process by laying your legs out flat or lying on your side. In such cases you should do the exercises with a health professional or someone who can support you through the process.
Why do the tremors sometimes change between large and small?
The large tremors tend to break up the gross tension held in chronically tight muscles and can have a balancing or aligning effect on the body especially around the pelvis. Once this deeply held tension in the body is reduced, a finer tremor is often felt like a purring, vibration or movement of heat running through the entire body. Often the tremors will change between these stronger, larger ones and smaller finer ones during the one session. However your body tremors is absolutely fine and appropriate to your body’s need to release it’s tension.
Why do I shake differently from other people?
Just as every person’s life experience, body history and pattern of holding tension is different, the shaking will be individual and specific to your body’s needs. You may even get the shaking in different places or in different positions each time you do the exercises.
Why are the tremors only in my legs and pelvis?
Your body will shake however it needs to in order to release it’s specific pattern of tension and holding. Often the shaking will be felt initially in the legs and pelvis but begin to move further throughout the body as the exercises are regularly practiced and the deep chronic holding preventing the free flow of energy throughout the body is released. Once the body is totally calm and relaxed, many people are able to feel a fine vibrational flow of energy or heat throughout their entire body.
