Move the body, still the mind.
Dan Bartlett
“When I was shaking, my mind was so calm; even calmer than my meditation.”
When a client told me this, I was initially surprised. Here’s someone with a meditation practice—someone already familiar with stillness—who found something deeper through shaking.
It’s a beautiful paradox at the heart of TRE: we move the body to still the mind.
We tend to think of movement and stillness as opposites. That if we want a quiet mind, we need to sit very still and wait for the thoughts to stop. But anyone who’s tried that is painfully aware of the punchline.
Here’s what I think is happening: when we tremor, we give the body something rich and embodied to pay attention to. The vibrations, the warmth, the subtle waves of release—these aren’t distractions from presence. They are presence.
The tremors become an anchor, not unlike the breath in meditation, but one that’s easier to tune into. Your body is doing something genuinely interesting, and your awareness follows with care and curiousity.
This might be why TRE works for people who’ve struggled to meditate. Sitting completely still can feel like too little stimulation—the mind wanders because there’s nothing compelling enough to hold it.
The tremors offer just the right level of sensory input to keep you grounded, without requiring you to do anything. You’re not concentrating. You’re not following instructions. You’re just letting the body lead.
Sometimes changing our relationship with our body can change how we relate to thought entirely. The tremors become a doorway to an embodied fullness. One where the stories and loops that normally run in the background simply have less grip.
If meditation doesn’t work for you, try shaking.
New cards, new bookings
I’m thrilled to have some beautiful new business cards. A big thanks to Ready to Blog for the lovely designs. I’m excited to get the look live across the website soon.
Been meaning to book in again?
There are now separate calendars for Zoom (more availability) and In-Person sessions, so you can go straight to whichever works best for you. Have a look and find a time that suits.
I’ve also added the option of a free 15-minute intro call, if you want to meet and ask some questions before booking in. You can book that here: