Send Us A Message or Ask Us A Question?

TRE and the Power of Spontaneous Shaking: Richmond Heath on Somatic Stress Recovery

Savia Rocks welcomes physiotherapist and TRE Australia founder Richmond Heath to season seven of The Us People Podcast to discuss spontaneous shaking/trembling as an overlooked, positive human recovery reflex. Richmond shares growing up on a farm in Victoria, later developing chronic pain and stress, and experiencing spontaneous movement during Vipassana meditation that shifted his understanding of tension and healing. 

He explains TRE (Tension/Trauma Release Exercises) as a trauma-informed method that uses simple muscle fatigue to deliberately evoke and regulate tremors, reframing shaking from a symptom of anxiety, shock, or weakness into a mechanism that discharges stress and adrenaline. 

The conversation covers somatics, polyvagal theory, trauma as immobilization, cultural suppression of shaking, examples from animals and traditional societies, and practical supports like breathwork, mindfulness, exercise, community, and purpose, plus Richmond’s TRE online course (trecourse.com) and its global reach.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
02:27 Richmond Heath’s Backstory
03:35 Pain to Breakthrough
10:01 Discovering TRE Purpose
14:06 What Is TRE
22:26 Shaking and Anxiety
31:38 Somatic Explained
39:10 Trauma Origins and Inheritance
41:34 Practical Stress Tools
44:39 Happiness Through Service
46:47 Why TRE Calms Fast
48:18 Beyond Mindfulness Limits
49:40 COVID Shift to Online
54:05 Polyvagal Science Basics
56:22 Freeze Response Explained
01:01:25 Everyday Trauma Example
01:04:33 Why Adults Suppress Shaking
01:06:54 Authenticity and Reawakening
01:14:12 Key Takeaways and Utero Movement
01:19:11 How to Learn TRE
01:23:14 Closing Thanks and Outro
01:25:51 End Credits and Final Reflection

Thank you so much Richmond for teaching us that Trauma show be shown freely in order to heal ourselves - Savia Rocks

Website: https://www.treaustralia.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/TRE-Australia/100057615902736/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tre_australia/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richmond-heath-08719326/

Support the show