Tremoring to release tension
I've discovered TRE!
Hey guys, I’m starting a new thing. It’s called wellness at the weekend - we might change that at a later date, so let me know if it sounds a bit daggy!
As some of you know, I’ve been on a bit of a well-being journey this year, as I seemed to hit a type of burnout, or at the least an early warning of it (body, thank you)
Either way, I certainly know I’m more aware of looking after myself now. So, whilst desperately trying not to be Edina from Absolutely Fabulous, I’ve been trying out a few different therapies here and there.
I’ve been very fascinated between the connection between body and mind, and anyone who knows me will have had my lecture about ‘fascia’ recently. This is the connective tissue just below the surface of the skin, it surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, muscle, bone and nerve fibre in place. It’s like a honeycomb, and fascia also has nerves, which mean it can be almost as sensitive as skin. It needs to be nice and smooth, stretchy and flexible, so we can feel good in our bodies - but it can also hold trauma, a mental type of tension you might call it. read ‘The Body Keeps Score’ for the full lowdown. So, I’ve been having lots of massages, getting into yoga, just simple stretches at the least, and trying to roll out my fascia myself as well.
Recently, I was having one of the best massages in East London - you can hit me up for his number later if you like - and my masseur was giving me a bit of a stretch out (I do a lot of squatting at the moment, so my legs do need a little bit of work here and there). There was a point where he pulled my leg out, bent it, and pushed it back towards my body (hard too explain), whilst reassuring me everything would be okay! At some point, the leg started to tremor, which was a strange but not awful feeling.
He told me this tremor is a natural response in the body. The fight or flight response, which sits in the hips and the legs, and which makes sure we can run away in event of any drama, can mean a lot of tension sits in this specific area. So, by getting in there and massaging, you can help to get release from that tension again.