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head2toe
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
 Posted - 05/15/2009 : 09:23:44
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I'm not sure what DVD you are talking about. I had a look on Amazon and there was a DVD on there but one of the reviewers expressed disappointment that the DVD was an interview with David Berceli and did not demonstrate the exercises. Can someone enlighten me please?
I would be interested in talking with other people who are doing the exercises but not just on the forum, I would prefer to talk over the phone or on Skype. If anyone is interested in this, please feel free to contact me.
Andy |
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Paul
134 Posts |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2009 : 10:06:35
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Hi Andy,
The DVD is called "The Revolutionary Trauma Release Exercises - Transcend Your Toughest Times" (a little confusing, because I believe that is the same name as the book, although it is not the *spoken book*). It is fairly new I think, and I ordered it from the publisher. Just do a search on "Namaste Publishing" and then click on "David Berceli" and then when you get to his page with his book, you should see a link which says
"Now on DVD"
The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process™
Demonstrated in Real Time
Hope this helps. I did the exercises again this morning, which I don't think I would have done if I had just had the book (would take WAY too much internal motivation for this, which I just don't have.) I think I heard David say in one of his interviews to do them every day for 30 days to start with, and so I might try that. Not quite sure yet. |
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head2toe
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2009 : 10:35:26
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Thanks both. I live in the UK and can't see what the international shipping costs are going to be unless I pay for it first. Sometimes they whack import duty on at this end too which can really bump the cost up. I'll check and see if it's available in the UK first. I've got the book and can do the exercises already so the DVD is just the icing on the cake!
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2009 : 09:31:09
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I've been doing the exercises consistently for 5 days now (having done them sporadically before that) and I do think they are helpful. I think after 30 days I will know more. Actually after doing the whole "formal" set of exercises just once, five days ago, I found that the "tremoring" just comes by itself if I just do that last exercise by itself. So I'm not sure when/if I will need to go back through all the exercises again.
A couple insights:
1. In one of David's works he says this about anxiety which really rang true for me: "Anxiety is: 'I'm literally generating more energy in my body than I'm actually using up'."
So for me, this explains why/how the energy systems in my body are totally dysregulated. At times I'm hyperaroused/anxious/generating more energy than I'm using up and at other times, I'm fatigued/tired -- so I hardly ever have any balanced, calm energy to use!
2. In one of Berceli's articles he notes: "...traditional stress reduction techniques are designed to release surface level tension and are often insufficient and ineffective in releasing the deep chronic tension created in the body during traumatic episodes, particularly if they are prolonged or repeated experiences of trauma."
This would explain why all the traditional stress reduction techniques just haven't worked for me. It is interesting that when I went to the specialist about my "burning tongue syndrome" she noted that my tongue was tremoring and unable to be still. At the time, (several years ago now), I really thought that was kind of a bogus observation (!) but now it makes me wonder! I'm so stressed in my autonomic system, that even my tongue involuntarily tremors! Hopefully even my tongue will feel better after a month of Berceli's TRE (?!) |
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Paul
134 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2009 : 11:30:00
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| Rage, please keep us posted on your progress in say, two weeks, a month...and two months here. I think it would be neat to see how you feel physically and emotionally while doing this and how your progress. |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2009 : 17:25:20
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Yes, Paul, I will try to report back on my progress!
I just noted this in Sky's original post:
>The exercises can be good, too, for people who are especially averse / incapable of talking about their difficult experiences. I read one review on amazon.com by a father whose two sons used Berceli's tremors after returning from military duty in Eastern Europe. They'd seen and maybe done horrifying things, and didn't want to spend years talking to a stranger psychologist about it. But they saw remarkable success with the tremors. Who knows? With better emotional health from the tremors, they might start to be more willing and able to speak about and consciously process these difficult emotions.
This may be a "coincidence" (!) or not (!!) but I saw my psych this week and he noted that even though I have seen him for a number of years, this session was the first time I started to broach talking about some of my past experiences in terms of expressing what they meant to me, and how I felt (!) I was not really aware of this "new willingness" myself, until he pointed it out. So maybe this IS true: " With better emotional health from the tremors, they might start to be more willing and able to speak about and consciously process these difficult emotions." I am really not sure what to make of this, yet, but my psych thought it was a positive development.
Also ... at our local library I found an older (2002) VIDEO (not a DVD) by David Berceli, called "Pathway to Healing - A Trauma Recovery Program." In the video he takes a MUCH more "holistic" approach in that he not only talks about the physical exercises (what became the TRE) but also about breathing exercises, the importance of *educating* one's self about the trauma recovery process (what happens psychologically, neurologically, etc) and he discusses the "Anatomy and Biology of Trauma" (what happens in the body) along with other topics. He references in quite a large way, a trauma recovery model by Judith Herman, author of "Trauma and Recovery." (1977)
Of particular interest to me on this video:
- was Berceli's description of two major responses to emergencies/trauma: (1) the HYPERAROUSED continuum (fight or flight response); and (2) the DISSOCIATIVE continuum (freeze response). (I think I tend to vacillate between the two).
- He said that prolonged stress creates a new baseline, where everyday stressors begin to elicit an exaggerated reaction (VERY true, for me!)
- Not sure I really understood this part, but he did talk about creating a new "semantic narrative" - where the person integrates and makes sense of the trauma eventually. This is definitely opening up new avenues in my journaling (Sarno) work! |
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Garth
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2009 : 11:20:04
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I recently ordered the DVD of this. I got the dvd because I wanted to see the exercises in real time.
I've just had it this week. Everyone has a choice of words to describe it..... and the experience isn't the same for everyone....as noted..... there is no wrong way to experience the "tremors".
I have experienced shaking in the past, most of us may have and not knew what it was. If you have a dog or cat.... you may have seen it or felt them shaking from a altercation with another animal or maybe a storm.... or anything that frightens them or releases a lot of adrenaline. I'd call it more like a vibration really. The frequency changes for different part of the body at different times. Sometimes it's like a long wave on the ocean..... sometimes like a ripple on a lake. Everyone is unique.
Trauma is a limiting word by standard definition. Life itself is traumatic to mind, body and spirit. None of us have been immune.... if someone out there thinks it doesn't pertain to them.
I feel very calm and loose afterwards, like a just got the best massage of my life. I have been sleeping better. Ironically.... for now at least..... some of the pain I experience is a bit worse ..... which does not alarm me...... it may be a "healing crisis", where symptoms get worse for awhile, before they get better.
I consider this as another valuable part of de-stressing myself. It's no a substitute for anything....it is what it is. I have no conceptual words for it.... which is a good thing!(The prejudiced mind just gets in the way) |
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head2toe
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2009 : 17:19:29
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I am really pleased to see all the feedback and comments on the TREs. As I said in a previous post, when I first tried the TREs last year there was no forum available to discuss with others and I felt a bit isolated doing them. It will be great to be able to share experiences when I recommence them. I'm following another process at the moment so am going to wait until I've completed that before embarking on anything else but I will keep checking back to see how you are all getting on.
Thanks a lot.
Andy |
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mseymour88
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2009 : 07:48:51
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This reminds me of Tolle writing of his experience in observing a duck that had been in an altercation. When it was over, the duct did alot of shaking, ruffling of feathers and such. The duck then moves on to the next moment and lets it go.
It seems like the whole animal world is like that, besides us conscience humans. Watch how a dog can be in an altercation and aggresive one moment and then wagging his tail and enjoying his food the next.
In the moment, not carrying resentment from the past and not worried about the future.
I am absolutly positive that my cat does not worry about the mortgage.
Trully the birds of the air and lillies of the field are taken care ofquote:
Originally posted by head2toe
I am really pleased to see all the feedback and comments on the TREs. As I said in a previous post, when I first tried the TREs last year there was no forum available to discuss with others and I felt a bit isolated doing them. It will be great to be able to share experiences when I recommence them. I'm following another process at the moment so am going to wait until I've completed that before embarking on anything else but I will keep checking back to see how you are all getting on.
Thanks a lot.
Andy
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2009 : 08:52:05
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Progress Update: I guess this has been about 2 weeks since the last update, with almost 3 weeks of daily practice (sporadically for a couple weeks before that, though.)
How much /how long I've been practicing each day: AT LEAST twice a day (morning and night) for at least 15 minutes (sometimes for as much as 35 minutes at a time if I have been feeling very stressed!) I also sometimes do the TRE during the day for a few minutes if I am feeling stressed .. so some days I will do TRE 4 times a day, even.
(I think I've noticed in interviews/articles David has suggested to start with once every day for 10 days, or once every day for 30 days, or every 2nd day for 30 days, but I seem to need a lot of Trauma release (!) and I don't seem to be having any negative effects at my current rate of practice.)
How the practice is going: The tremoring seems to be as strong as in the beginning ... no change really, there, and I have *definitely* not reached the "very fine tremor / pleasant purring-like vibration running throughout my entire body" stage yet ! I continue to just do the last TRE exercise and haven't needed to go back and do the formal exercises at all, since my last update. I have started lowering my legs in increments in the last exercise and that seems to have changed the "angle" of some of my tremors ... seems to be releasing tension in my sacrum (which has been a little sore at times, but nothing major at all .. just a kind of slightly noticeable soreness which seems to go away.)
PROGRESS REPORT / IMPROVEMENTS !! - This has definitely been the most beneficial and helpful thing I have done re my hyperarousal / anxiety !! I would say my hyperarousal is generally about 50% improved, which is very significant for me. It really makes sense that all the "relaxing" in the world could not really "release" deep-seated tension in the deep muscles, the way the TRE seems to. Also, this would explain why a cognitive approach hasn't worked for me (I found Claire Weekes' work reassuring, but it didn't really CHANGE my hyperaroused state ... I just 'lived with it' better.) TRE really does seem to have affected my autonomic system in a positive way.
However, I still feel I have a LONG way to go, in resolving all my hyperarousal issues (still not sleeping very well for example, and still feel a moderate level of hyperarousal at times). I wonder how much more progress is possible for me ... sometimes I think the TRE is just keeping up with my everyday stress, but hopefully it is also resolving some of the past stress too. I do wonder if I need to do MORE TRE ... but not sure I *would* do more, at this point. I am keeping an open mind at this stage, and just keeping with the practice. I do find it soothing / calming / helpful in the moment, so it is not really a "discipline" for me to do the TRE exercises now ... more like something I "reach for" like I would reach for an aspirin or something!
In terms of "emotional release" so far the TRE has seemed to be much more about releasing the physical, for me. (However, a little hard to tease apart as I am also doing Solution Method right now and sporadically continuing with my "Sarno journalling".) I think it is becoming increasingly clear to me that the anxiety / hyperarousal IS also a "distraction" a la Dr Sarno. Working on the TRE just seems to be allowing me to approach it from a different angle, somehow. Or maybe it is just that issues are easier to face with the deep internal muscle stress being more relieved (?)
In summary, I would say re the TRE: so far so good (!!)
I am very pleased and gratified about my progress so far !!
And I am extremely grateful to Sky for taking the time to initially post about Berceli's work. THANKS again, Sky !! :o)
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Paul
134 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2009 : 08:27:55
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Thanks for the update...keep it up! :)
I've also been doing the tremors for a few weeks. At first it was only in the pelvis, and it took a bit to get them going. Now they start easy, and the move throughout my whole body, esp. my chest. Sometimes it can be very violent. It is just crazy. I will also try and keep you posted as well. I'm going to do them daily or at least every other day for 15-30 minutes a session. |
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Sky
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2009 : 19:52:55
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Hey Paul,
you had them go into your chest?
Amazing. I only had them in my legs and pelvis, and it felt nice afterward. Do you feel more calmed afterward if you get the tremors into your chest as well?
I do them every few weeks or so, now.
---
A site I'm building: Pass it on for anyone who might benefit from a brief and clear introduction to Sarno!
themindbodyspot . wordpress . com |
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Paul
134 Posts |
Posted - 06/16/2009 : 15:09:11
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Oh yeah, for the first week or so, just in my pelvis. Then one night (I do them before bed for about 30 minutes)...I could feel it move into my low back and then my chest just starting shaking like crazy. Even my neck a bit. Now, it does this every time.
I would recommend doing it every other day for a few weeks and see what happens. And yes, I feel calmer afterward and relaxed..sort of like a after-a-massage feeling. |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2009 : 22:08:48
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Progress Update: About three weeks since the last update, so about 6 weeks in total of pretty consistent TRE.
Not sure there is much to update on ... the tremoring continues as before. I've not done the whole series of TRE exercises; I continue just to do the last exercise. Usually do the TRE once or twice a day. Have been keeping better track of the times (obviously some days a lot more than other days):
June 13: 110 minutes
June 14: 82 minutes
June 15: 51 minutes
June 16: 68 minutes
June 17: 20 minutes
June 18: 3 minutes only (lower back hurt)
June 19: 28 minutes
June 20: 19 minutes
June 22: 27 minutes
June 23: 10 minutes
June 24: 10 minutes
June 25: 30 minutes
June 26: 31 minutes
June 27: 20 minutes
June 28: 44 minutes
June 29: 10 minutes
June 30: 15 minutes
July 1 & 2: NONE
July 3: 22 minutes
July 4: 41 minutes
July 5: 20+ minutes? wasn't keeping track today! may have been 40 or more minutes... (a hugely stressful day)
Have a very high amount of current-day stress so maybe the TRE is just managing to keep things at a certain level. Still not sleeping any better than before. Some moments my hyperarousal can still be pretty bad, but maybe I am more able to tease out the current stressors which is creating it.
I think it has definitely helped and I'm glad I have this, but I wish it had helped MORE by this time! (especially with my sleep issues.) I will continue to carry on, though ... |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2009 : 20:26:39
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Another update: A little more than 2 weeks since the last update, so a total of just over 8 weeks now of pretty consistent TRE.
I seem to be doing the TRE less ... (some days not at all, and some days just once a day) .... and is it coincidental (?!) but the hyperarousal seems to be less / lessening! It seems to be quite improved, actually. Hard to know whether it is the TRE (I am inclined to give it a lot of the credit I think) or something else (also currently doing The Solution program aka The Pathway aka Developmental Skills Training). Sometimes I have not done the TRE because my lower back has been sore, but it's not really a problem and I think of it more like my back is just "loosening" up ... so it feels like a kind of "loosening up" soreness if that makes any sense. My sleep issues haven't really improved, but I have definitely been having better times in general and some hyperarousal-FREE times, too!! :o)
I still just continue to do that last TRE exercise without ever having gone back to doing the whole series.
July 6: 40 minutes
July 7: 1 minute
July 8: 25 minutes
July 9: 12 minutes
July 10: 12 minutes
July 11: 46 minutes
July 12: 26 minutes
July 13: none
July 14: 18 minutes
July 15: none
July 16: 11 minutes
July 18: 6.5 minutes
July 19: 1 minute
July 20: none
July 21: 14 minutes
I wouldn't particularly say the tremoring itself has gotten less, yet.
I am very pleased still, that I have the TRE and will continue on !! Definitely out of all the things I've tried, I do think this has helped my hyperarousal symptoms the most. |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 14:56:30
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Another update: About 3 weeks since the last update, so a total of about 11 weeks of TRE now.
I would say that at this point, in general my hyperarousal problem is 80-95% better than it was when I first started... I know it is possible I might experience some downswings in the future, but I would definitely not count this previously vexing issue as among my major problems in life, this month. I even started sleeping better, finally!
Not completely sure whether my improvement is due to the TRE or not, but I would be inclined to give it the bulk of the credit.
Just for the record:
July 21: 36 minutes (by the end of the day I had done 36 minutes, compared to the 21 minutes I had posted in a previous update)
July 22: 38 minutes
July 23: 30 minutes
July 24: none
July 25: 19 minutes
July 26: 50 minutes
July 27: 3 minutes
July 28: 20 minutes
July 29, 30, 31: none
August 1: 43 minutes
August 2: 17 minutes
August 3: 35 minutes
August 4: 10 minutes
August 5: 17 minutes
August 6: none
August 7: 32 minutes
August 8: 10 minutes
August 9: none
I do the TRE when I feel like it, not trying to do it according to any set schedule. Also, the tremoring doesn't really seem to have changed that much; I still just do that last tremoring exercise and haven't gone back to doing the whole "set".
I still sometimes have some hyperarousal symptoms from time to time, but nothing like before, and am fairly confident things will just continue to improve with my use of the TRE. I do hope my sleep continues to improve and that the last vestiges of my hyperarousal symptoms also fade away over the weeks. Sure hope so, anyway !! It does make me feel more secure knowing that I have something I can turn to when I get really stressed though !! |
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Paul
134 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2009 : 22:21:03
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Thank you for these updates, I'm glad you are posting! :) I need to get back to doing the TRE because after a few weeks, I felt better overall as well. It was very relaxing.
Keep us posted! |
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PRCalDude
49 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 11:21:34
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| Van Winkle's redirecting self-therapy has helped me a bunch as well with my anxiety. It works WAAAY better than Weekes' IMO. |
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ZiB
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2009 : 18:43:10
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| I've been doing the TRE exercises for two weeks now and have found them to be very helpful in dealing with my TMS symptoms and it feels like some of my underlying emotional/physical issues are healing. I was just wondering if anyone else who is doing this is experiencing some of the same after effects. I find I sleep very deeply and dream very intensely after doing the TRE. The next day it feels like my brain chemistry has changed. I'm very spacey - this can last for a whole day. And my psoas muscle (on my bad side) is noticeably sore. This all feels like healing, but as I'm just working off a book and have no real guidance I feel a little out on a limb. Any thoughts? |
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Berceli - The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process
