TRE can accomplish amazing results and is an excellent form of self-care. There are things to consider as you develop your personal practice.
An important concept to understand when re-establishing Neurogenic Motion is self-regulation. If we had not overridden this very natural way for the body to clear itself it would have taken place at the appropriate time after a traumatic event so the body would clear itself. Since we have stopped this process for most of our life we have accumulated tensions and stresses in our bodies over decades. It would not be healthy to release a lifetime of these holding patterns in one session. Although the idea of getting rid of everything, and getting it out of the way has a certain attraction, it could cause another form of overload. If someone has gone through extreme experiences, even releasing one experience in a single session could be too much to handle at once.
The idea of self-regulation is to release the right amount of these tensions in a session. It is important to remember that we have complete control over the amount of release that happens every time. We can stop at any time, and go back at any time. There is no advantage to going faster. Life is not a race and there is no advantage to try to speed through the process of releasing a lifetime’s worth of trauma, tension and stress.
Many of us are used to rushing towards a goal. This is a goal that is better addressed with good timing. Be sure to check in with yourself as you proceed with these releases. If you experience a sense of overwhelm, slow down the process. If emotions surface and it feels like too much, nibble at them. What that means is be in charge of your own process. If you are comfortable, continue, if you feel any hesitation respect that and allow that to help you determine the rate of release that is correct for you. This process is very individualized. Listen to yourself. Be in charge. It took more than a day to accumulate the tensions in your body. Be kind to yourself and allow the amount of time it takes to release them. Let this be an opportunity to get to know yourself better.
The perfect length of time for some sessions may be 10 minutes when others could be an hour and be perfect. As the integration that takes place, you will understand your body’s needs better and better. Use that knowledge to determine when and how long you are involved with your body’s neurogenic motion. Don’t use your will to override your best interests.
In time you will get better and better at determining the perfect length for each session. In the meantime, error on the side of prudence. It is much better to take a little more time with the process than to be overwhelmed or uncomfortable with the experience. Remember, safety first, then comfort, then release will help you know just how much to do in any one session.