We all know the feeling. Your shoulders are up by your ears, your jaw is clenched, and your brain is running a million miles an hour. We try everything to chill out—yoga, meditation, a stiff drink—but what if the secret to releasing all that tension was already built into your body? What if all you had to do was… shake?
It sounds a little wild, but that’s the core idea behind Tension Release Exercises (TRE), a body-based therapy that’s getting a lot of buzz. We heard about a session with London-based practitioner Andy Butterfield and had to know more. Our reporter went in a skeptic and came out a true believer.
Meet the Man Teaching London to Let Go
Andy Butterfield isn’t your average wellness guide. With years of experience in tantra, naked yoga, and somatic therapy, he’s one of the UK’s most respected practitioners in the world of body-conscious healing. His approach is grounded in a simple truth: our bodies hold onto our stress and trauma long after our minds have tried to move on.
“I had total trust in Andy’s expertise, but I was sceptical of my own ability to be open enough to experience the benefits,” our writer admitted. “I figured I was too stuck in my own head for it to work.”
The Primal Shake: How It Actually Works
So, what’s happening when you do TRE? In short, the exercises are designed to trigger your body’s natural shaking mechanism, technically known as neurogenic tremors. It’s the same involuntary shaking you see in animals after a chase or even in young children when they’re scared or overwhelmed. According to experts in somatic therapy, it’s the body’s genius way of burning off excess adrenaline and cortisol—the hormones of our ‘fight-or-flight’ response.
As adults, we’re socialized to suppress this. We clench, we brace, we “power through,” effectively trapping that stress in our muscles. This can lead to everything from chronic pain and anxiety to bigger health problems down the line. TRE, developed by Dr. David Berceli, is about giving your body permission to do what it instinctively knows how to do.
“It’s about letting the body do what it was designed to do—to physically process the after-shocks of activating your fight-or-flight mode.”
The “Aha!” Moment on the Mat
During the one-on-one session, Andy guided our writer through a series of simple exercises on a floor mat. The goal wasn’t a strenuous workout, but to gently fatigue the muscles that hold the most tension, primarily in the legs and pelvis.
And then, it happened.
“Lying on the floor, my legs were soon vibrating with an involuntary motion that felt completely instinctive,” he reported. “It wasn’t scary or weird; it felt incredibly natural, like a system rebooting.” This experience is at the heart of why somatic therapies are exploding in popularity. While talk therapy is invaluable, it doesn’t always address the physical imprint of our experiences. Body-focused practices like TRE bridge that gap, offering a way to heal from the bottom up.
Why Is Everyone Talking About Body-Based Healing?
The wellness world is shifting. More people are realizing that mind and body aren’t separate entities. You can’t just think your way out of trauma that’s physically stored in your nervous system. This has fueled a massive interest in practices that, like TRE, honor the body’s wisdom. It’s a move away from purely intellectual solutions and toward “embodiment”—the practice of being fully present in your physical self.
Ready to Shake It Out Yourself?
For those curious to explore this, Andy Butterfield offers a range of options, from men’s naked yoga classes in London to retreats in the UK and Spain, alongside his private sessions. You can find more details about his work on his Instagram, @bodyconscious.co.uk. While a swim or a session at the gym can help manage daily stress, there’s something profoundly healing about relearning your body’s own innate language for release.
“It’s not about forcing anything. It’s about remembering a language your body already knows and finally giving it a voice.”
