One way I am rewilding myself is to use Tension and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE).
Or, more accurately, by inviting my body to release tension and trauma through spontaneously shaking, stretching, yawning, laughing, crying, and so on.
SPONTANEOUS AND DIRECTED
It is spontaneous in that it’s directed by the body, or rather a part of the mind that’s connected to the body and not to the conscious content of worldviews, shoulds, and so on.
It’s also not entirely spontaneous in that I consciously invite and allow it to happen. After having done TRE for many years, it’s typically easy to intentionally invite my body to start the process. For instance, whether I sit, stand, or lie down, I can consciously initiate shaking and the body then takes over.
Although I mostly allow it to unfold guided by its own processes, I have noticed I can, to some extent, direct the shaking to different parts of the body, depending on where I sense it’s needed.
It’s also not only directed by the body since I can intentionally stop it at any time.
HOW TRE HELPS ME REWILD MYSELF
How does it help me to rewild?
It brings me in contact with deep evolutionary processes and dynamics in me.
It’s guided by something in me that’s from far before civilization.
It helps me notice and trust the inherent wisdom in my bodymind. The wisdom that’s there from before civilization and our worldviews and shoulds.
It helps find some resilience to deal with the stress of living in general, and the stress of living in this civilization.
It helps release stress and trauma from civilization and from living in a culture that’s on the domination side of the domination-partnership spectrum.
MORE INFO
After writing this, I asked ChatGPT 4o for input on this topic. See below.
How TRE Helps Us Rewild Ourselves
Tension and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) offer a unique pathway to “rewild” ourselves, reconnecting us with the body’s natural wisdom and instinctual mechanisms. In many ways, TRE taps into our primal ability to process stress and trauma through natural shaking or tremors, a capability observed in wild animals but often suppressed in humans due to social conditioning. By engaging in TRE, we can release deep-seated stress and tension, helping us return to a more natural, unconditioned state of being—a process that mirrors the essence of rewilding.
Understanding Rewilding in the Human Context
When we speak about rewilding, we often think about restoring ecosystems or allowing natural processes to flourish. In human terms, rewilding involves reconnecting with our innate physiological and psychological responses, embracing a lifestyle that values authenticity, presence, and alignment with our environment. This includes honoring our bodies as living systems, designed to process and release tension in ways that modern life often suppresses.
Over centuries of domestication—through social norms, technological advances, and changes in lifestyle—we have moved away from our natural ability to release stress through body-based processes like shaking and movement. TRE provides a method for reclaiming this essential function, allowing us to return to our body’s “wild” intelligence and encouraging an organic, embodied release of stress and trauma.
How TRE Facilitates Rewilding
- Activating the Body’s Innate Mechanisms: In a natural, undomesticated state, animals instinctively release stress through tremors or shaking. For example, after a chase, a gazelle might tremble to shake off excess adrenaline before returning to a calm state. Similarly, TRE activates neurogenic tremors, allowing us to discharge built-up tension and recalibrate the nervous system. By letting our bodies respond in a way they were naturally designed to, we re-engage with an essential, unconditioned process for emotional and physical regulation.
- Releasing Conditioned Responses: Society often teaches us to suppress natural responses to stress, like shaking or crying, in favor of maintaining control or composure. TRE offers a safe space to undo this conditioning, inviting us to experience the body’s authentic response to trauma and tension. By releasing these physical responses, we break away from the “domesticated” norms that discourage embodied self-expression, returning to a state of presence and aliveness that feels more genuine and connected.
- Restoring Nervous System Health: Our modern lives expose us to constant stimuli and stress, keeping our nervous systems in an unnatural, heightened state. TRE helps reset the nervous system, promoting a state of relaxation and balance that is closer to the rhythms of nature. In doing so, we become more in tune with our surroundings, able to respond to life’s challenges from a place of calmness rather than chronic stress.
- Cultivating Body Awareness and Intuition: As TRE reawakens natural tremors, it helps us become more attuned to bodily sensations, reconnecting us to the body’s language of sensations and signals. This awareness strengthens our intuition, which can be thought of as an internal guidance system rooted in physical sensations. By returning to these signals, we cultivate a heightened sensitivity to our needs, feelings, and environment—qualities intrinsic to a rewilded way of being.
- Enhancing Resilience and Adaptability: Just as a rewilded ecosystem becomes more resilient and adaptive, TRE enhances our physical and emotional resilience. By regularly releasing tension, we become less burdened by accumulated stress, allowing us to respond to life’s challenges with greater flexibility. This adaptability mirrors how animals respond naturally to stress, addressing it in the moment and moving on without lingering effects.
- Experiencing a Deeper Connection to Self and Others: By engaging in TRE, we not only reconnect with our natural stress release mechanisms but also foster a sense of embodiment that can enhance relationships. When we let go of tension, we become more present, compassionate, and empathetic, less hindered by subconscious stress responses. This relational harmony is a vital part of rewilding, as it deepens our connection to ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.
Embracing a Rewilded Life through TRE
By integrating TRE into our lives, we honor the body’s primal capacity for self-regulation and healing. As we release conditioned stress responses and cultivate deeper awareness, we become more in sync with the rhythms of life, better equipped to live authentically and responsively.
In this sense, TRE is not just a therapeutic practice but a way to “rewild” our bodies and minds, restoring the natural harmony that underpins a balanced, vibrant life. This journey back to our wild, embodied wisdom encourages us to live in tune with our inner and outer environments, aligning us more closely with the natural world from which we come.