TRE as an integrative tool for embodiment and healing
In my work as a therapist, embodiment coach, and TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercise) mentor, I often meet people who arrive at my sessions having experienced deeply transformative modalities such as EMDR, breath-work journeys, silent yoga retreats and ayahuasca ceremonies. While these practices can be profoundly opening, they can leave people with lingering sensations or heightened states which they find difficult to integrate. It’s not necessarily because these practices are inherently triggering - many are designed to heal - but because without a sense of safety, or the ability to self-regulate, the nervous system can remain in an overwhelmed state long after the experience ends.
TRE is a gentle yet deeply powerful practice which, once learned, can be a go-to for self-regulation.
The Importance of Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to sense, respond to, and guide our own internal states, be they emotional, mental or physical. It teaches us when to slow down, when to pause, and when to move forward. It is the foundation of feeling safe in our own bodies, especially when navigating intense emotional or physical sensations. From a trauma-informed perspective, self-regulation is an essential skill for each of us as the navigator of our own ship - our body.
Without this awareness, even the most beneficial practices can tip us into anxiety, existential dread, or disembodiment. Self-regulation is what allows us to return to balance, to reclaim agency, and to feel truly grounded.
Why TRE is Gentle and Effective
TRE works by activating a natural, innate reflex in the body: neurogenic tremors. This shaking mechanism is part of our evolutionary design—a way the body naturally discharges tension and resets protective states in the nervous system. Unfortunately, in modern culture, shaking has often been viewed as a sign of weakness or lack of control. Yet in reality, it is one of the body’s most intelligent strategies for release.
Far from being harmful, this tremoring helps the nervous system recalibrate, letting us gently digest the unresolved sensations of anxiety, heightened states, or existential fear. Unlike practices that can push us into intensity, TRE invites us to go slow, to stay mindful of how much we allow at a time, and to respect the pace our body feels ready for. This slowness is key to building trust in our own internal rhythms and learning how to downshift when sensations feel overwhelming.
TRE as an Integrative Practice
What I have witnessed time and again is how TRE supports people not only in releasing stored stress, but in truly integrating and embodying the lessons of other modalities. When combined with EMDR, breathwork, or deep meditative practices, TRE serves as a bridge - helping the nervous system settle so that insights and transformations don’t just remain cognitive, but become lived and embodied.
This is why TRE is such a valuable tool to weave into ANY healing journey. On its own, it reconnects us to the body’s innate intelligence and fosters interoceptive calm; the quiet inner knowing that we are safe, stable, and whole. Combined with other modalities, it deepens well-being, creating a foundation of self-regulation that makes other practices more sustainable and less overwhelming.
Reclaiming the Body, Reclaiming Safety
At its essence, TRE helps us come home to ourselves. It reminds us that shaking is not a sign of brokenness but a natural pathway back to balance. By releasing what the body has been holding, we reclaim trust in ourselves and reestablish protective states in the nervous system that may have been disrupted.
Going slowly, honoring intensity, and fostering self-regulation are not limitations, they are the very qualities that make TRE so transformative. In a culture that often pushes for faster, bigger breakthroughs, TRE quietly invites us back to our own pace, reminding us that healing is not just about catharsis, but about integration.
When we embrace that truth, we no longer just “do” practices - we embody them.