Shaking Medicine

Shaking Medicine: A Complete Guide to Therapeutic Tremoring

Last Edited: October 2025

What is Shaking Medicine?

Shaking Medicine is a somatic healing practice that harnesses your body's natural ability to release stress and trauma through therapeutic tremoring. Unlike controlled shaking or voluntary movement, this practice taps into an instinctive mechanism that evolved over hundreds of millions of years in mammals.

When you watch a gazelle escape from a predator, you'll notice something remarkable. Once safe, the animal begins to shake and tremble involuntarily. This isn't weakness. It's the body's brilliant way of discharging the massive surge of stress hormones and muscular tension that helped it survive. You have this same mechanism hardwired into your nervous system.

Shaking Medicine, founded by Dr. Keith Motes, is a somatic practice where practitioners learn to access instinctive therapeutic tremors to reset the nervous system, release stored trauma, and restore balance. Dr. Motes holds a PhD in Quantum Physics and brings extensive training in Yoga, Qi Gong, and Zenthai Shiatsu to this holistic approach.

The practice works by allowing your body to shift from a state of sympathetic activation (the fight, flight, or freeze response) into parasympathetic restoration (rest, digest, and heal). Through gentle exercises and guided exploration, you learn to surrender control and let your body's innate intelligence guide the tremoring process. This isn't something you force. It's something you remember.

The Origins and History of Shaking Medicine

Therapeutic tremoring has roots stretching back thousands of years across diverse cultures. The Kalahari Bushmen have practised ecstatic shaking in sacred healing rituals for over 60,000 years. Indigenous traditions from the Americas to Australia, ancient Taoist practices like Zi Fa Gong, and Indian Yogic traditions incorporating Kundalini energy work all recognised shaking as a pathway to healing.

Yet despite this universal presence in human culture, Shaking Medicine was suppressed in many cultures over millennia by religious and governmental forces, leading to its decline in mainstream awareness. The natural tremoring response came to be seen as weakness or loss of control rather than the profound self-healing mechanism it truly is.

Dr. Keith Motes' Journey

The modern form of Shaking Medicine emerged from Dr. Keith Motes' personal experience during deep meditation when he spontaneously began trembling and making involuntary sounds. His body released childhood trauma he hadn't consciously recognised, a transformative experience that inspired him to develop this unique somatic modality.

Dr. Motes brings a rare combination of scientific rigour and embodied wisdom to this work. His background in quantum physics provides a framework for understanding the body's mechanics, whilst his extensive training in Eastern healing traditions offers a holistic perspective on energy and balance. He's taught tens of thousands of people worldwide and trained around 100 Shaking Medicine teachers.

Modern Resurgence

A modern revival has sparked global interest in therapeutic tremoring, with pioneers including Dr. Bradford Keeney who wrote "Shaking Medicine: The Healing Power of Ecstatic Movement", Dr. David Berceli who developed Trauma Release Exercises, and Dr. Peter Levine who pioneered Somatic Experiencing. Others like Dr. Alexander Lowen with Bioenergetics and Osho with Dynamic Kundalini Meditation have also contributed to making this ancient practice accessible again.

The Shaking Medicine Foundation, based in Australia, serves as a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping people worldwide awaken their innate mechanism of neurogenic therapeutic tremoring.

How Does Shaking Medicine Work?

Your autonomic nervous system controls functions you don't consciously think about: your heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and this therapeutic tremoring mechanism. It operates through two primary branches.

The sympathetic branch mobilises you for danger. Blood rushes to your muscles, your heart pounds, digestion stops, and stress hormones flood your system. This response saves your life when you face an actual threat, but when it becomes chronic, it wreaks havoc on your health.

The parasympathetic branch does the opposite. It slows your heart, deepens your breathing, promotes efficient digestion, and creates the internal environment where healing happens. Most of us spend far too much time in sympathetic dominance and not nearly enough in parasympathetic restoration.

Shaking Medicine facilitates the shift from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic restoration through tremoring. The practice signals safety to the brain and downregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to reduce excess stress hormones.

The Science Behind Therapeutic Tremoring

Neurogenic therapeutic tremoring serves as a survival tool observed across the animal kingdom. Animals instinctively tremble after stressful encounters to discharge adrenaline, cortisol, and trauma, preventing long-term health issues. This process restores homeostasis, the state of internal balance where your body functions optimally.

The tremoring activates a reflexive cycle in your muscles. When tendons become too tight, receptors trigger the spinal cord to relax the muscles. This relaxation then activates the stretch reflex, causing muscles to contract again. The result is an alternating pattern of contraction and relaxation that moves through your body in waves, releasing stored tension layer by layer.

Research shows that Shaking Medicine impacts brain wave patterns, shifting from fast, chaotic beta waves associated with stress to slower alpha and theta states linked to relaxation, creativity, and meditation. This transition supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form new neural connections and rewire pathways disrupted by trauma.

Polyvagal Theory and the Vagus Nerve

Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory describes how the vagus nerve regulates physiological states through three hierarchical pathways: the ventral vagal state of safety and connection, the sympathetic fight-or-flight response, and the dorsal vagal shutdown or freeze response.

When you experience chronic stress or trauma, your nervous system can become stuck in defensive states. This manifests as anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional disconnection, or depressive symptoms. Shaking Medicine facilitates climbing the vagal ladder by activating, soothing, and toning the vagus nerve through spontaneous tremoring, helping shift the system from defensive or frozen states toward safety and connection.

The vagus nerve extends from your brainstem through your heart, lungs, and digestive tract, creating continuous dialogue between brain and body. By engaging this nerve through therapeutic tremoring, you enhance emotional resilience, improve organ function, and cultivate a deeper sense of inner peace.

Benefits of Shaking Medicine

The benefits of therapeutic tremoring extend far beyond simple relaxation. Shaking Medicine naturally and easily relieves aches, pains, inflammation, stress, anxiety, suppressed emotions, and trauma in a way humans are designed by nature to do.

Physical benefits include reduced muscular tension, improved mobility and flexibility, decreased chronic pain, enhanced energy levels, and better sleep quality. Many practitioners report feeling sensations of warmth spreading through their body as long-held tension finally releases.

Emotional and psychological benefits are equally profound. The practice cultivates more ease, peace, relaxation, presence, clarity, resilience, mobility, playfulness, creativity, pleasure, and spontaneity. By working directly with your body rather than just your thoughts, you access trauma stored in the timeless realm of your subconscious mind.

Shaking Medicine promotes hormonal balance by upregulating oxytocin and serotonin whilst reducing cortisol and adrenaline. This regulation stabilises the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, mitigating effects of prolonged stress including adrenal fatigue, immune dysfunction, and emotional instability.

The practice also supports nervous system regulation, helping you move more fluidly between states of engagement and rest. This enhanced flexibility means you can respond to life's challenges with greater ease rather than getting stuck in reactive patterns.

Health Concerns Addressed by Shaking Medicine

Shaking Medicine takes a whole-person approach to wellbeing. Whilst it's not a cure for specific diseases, it offers supportive benefits for various concerns:

Stress and Anxiety: By discharging excess activation from your nervous system, therapeutic tremoring provides relief from chronic stress patterns and anxious thoughts that seem to loop endlessly.

Trauma and PTSD: The practice offers a body-based pathway to process traumatic experiences without necessarily having to talk about them in detail, which can be particularly helpful when memories feel overwhelming.

Chronic Pain: Persistent muscular tension often underlies chronic pain conditions. As you release these deep holding patterns through tremoring, many people experience significant pain reduction.

Sleep Disturbances: When your nervous system finally shifts into parasympathetic mode, sleep often improves naturally. The practice helps release the hypervigilance that keeps so many people awake at night.

Emotional Blocks: Suppressed emotions get stored in your body as tension. Therapeutic tremoring provides a safe way to release these without needing to understand or analyse them first.

Digestive Issues: Since your digestive system operates optimally in parasympathetic mode, many practitioners notice improvements in digestion as their nervous system finds better balance.

What to Expect During a Shaking Medicine Session

Your first Shaking Medicine experience typically begins with creating a safe, comfortable environment. You'll want to wear loose, comfortable clothing that doesn't restrict your movement. Most sessions take place on a soft surface like a yoga mat or carpet.

A typical session includes a warm-up with gentle movements to bring the body and mind into presence, deep breathing to calm the nervous system, guided therapeutic tremoring to release control and melt tension, intuitive movement to develop instinctive awareness, and a yin approach that allows natural tremoring.

The facilitator guides you through simple exercises designed to create the conditions where tremoring can emerge. These might involve positions that gently stress certain muscle groups, creating the fatigue that allows the tremor mechanism to activate. You're not forcing anything. You're simply setting the stage and then allowing.

Most people experience therapeutic tremors in their first class, and nearly all access them within a few sessions. Because it's an instinctive mechanism, it often feels like remembering something rather than learning something new.

When the tremors begin, they might start small. Perhaps a subtle vibration in your legs or a gentle pulsing in your core. Or they might be quite vigorous, with your whole body shaking noticeably. There's no right way to tremor. Your body knows what it needs.

Some people experience emotional releases during sessions. You might find yourself laughing, crying, or making spontaneous sounds. This is perfectly normal and actually part of the healing process. These emotions aren't new. They've been stored in your body, and now they're finally finding their way out.

Sessions typically last 30 to 60 minutes, though beginners often start with shorter practices. Even minimal shaking, like 10 to 30 seconds, can change the nervous system and affect hormone production. You can build up gradually to longer sessions as your body becomes more familiar with the process.

After a session, many people report feeling deeply relaxed, lighter in their body, more grounded, and surprisingly energised despite having just released so much. Some experience a healing response in the hours or days following, which might include temporary fatigue, emotional sensitivity, or physical sensations as the body continues to integrate the release.

How Shaking Medicine Differs from Other Approaches

What makes Shaking Medicine revolutionary is that it's about learning to let go of control and surrender, so the tremoring can unravel you. You're truly moved by your instinctive tremor mechanism instead of you moving it from your logical thinking mind.

This distinguishes it from practices where you consciously control movement. In yoga, for instance, you direct your body through specific postures. In dance, you choose your movements. In Shaking Medicine, you create the conditions and then allow your body's wisdom to take over.

Whilst Shaking Medicine shares the foundation of therapeutic tremoring with TRE (Trauma Release Exercises), the approaches differ in important ways. TRE uses a specific sequence of seven exercises to activate tremors primarily in the lower body. Shaking Medicine explores trembling throughout the entire body and integrates more creative, intuitive movement along with cultural and spiritual elements from diverse traditions.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, which works primarily with your conscious mind and verbal processing, Shaking Medicine accesses the timeless realm of your subconscious where trauma remains vivid regardless of how long ago it occurred. This bridge into the subconscious layers allows you to tap into and release frozen, numb, or suppressed emotions and traumas without necessarily needing to talk about them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shaking Medicine safe?

For most people, Shaking Medicine is safe and effective. However, contraindications exist for severe physical injuries, recent surgery, broken bones, pregnancy, significant mental health conditions, major medical conditions, extreme or complex trauma, and medical conditions involving non-therapeutic tremoring like epilepsy. If any of these apply to you, consult with a healthcare provider and contact a qualified practitioner before beginning the practice.

The tremoring itself is gentle and self-regulating. Your body won't release more than it's ready to handle. However, as with any somatic practice that works with stored trauma, some people may experience emotional intensity or physical sensations during or after sessions. This is typically part of the healing process rather than a cause for concern, but it's important to work with a qualified facilitator who can help you navigate these experiences safely.

How many sessions will I need?

This varies tremendously based on your individual circumstances, stress levels, and trauma history. Some people notice significant shifts after just one or two sessions. Others benefit from regular practice over weeks or months to address deeper patterns.

You can start with as little as 30 seconds of shaking if you've never practised before, building up to 30 seconds to 2 minutes every morning and night. Many people incorporate Shaking Medicine into their daily self-care routine, using it whenever they feel acute stress or simply as preventative nervous system hygiene.

The beauty of this practice is that once you learn it, you have a tool for life. You can practice independently at home, though many people also enjoy the support and community of regular group sessions or check-ins with a facilitator.

Can children practice Shaking Medicine?

Yes, children often take to therapeutic tremoring very naturally. They're typically less conditioned to suppress their body's instinctive responses and more open to spontaneous movement. However, it's essential to work with a practitioner experienced in working with young people and to ensure the practice remains playful and non-threatening.

What's the difference between therapeutic and non-therapeutic shaking?
This is an important distinction. Some medical conditions involve non-therapeutic tremoring that feels distressing. Part of that shaking could be the body's natural attempt to restore balance, whilst other aspects might be tied to the condition requiring medical attention. The challenge lies in discerning what's happening, which is why working with both medical professionals and qualified Shaking Medicine practitioners is important if you have a neurological condition.

Therapeutic tremors typically feel pleasurable or at least neutral, arise spontaneously when you create the right conditions, and leave you feeling more relaxed and balanced afterward. Non-therapeutic tremors often feel involuntary and distressing, may interfere with daily activities, and don't provide the same sense of release.

How much do Shaking Medicine sessions cost?

In Australia, Shaking Medicine sessions with qualified practitioners typically range from $80 to $150, depending on the practitioner's experience, location, and whether you're attending individual or group sessions. Initial consultations may cost slightly more to allow time for assessment and education about the practice.

Many practitioners offer package deals for multiple sessions or ongoing classes, which can make regular practice more affordable. Some also provide online options, which may be priced differently from in-person sessions.

Whilst Shaking Medicine isn't covered by Medicare, you may be able to claim rebates through private health insurance if your practitioner holds relevant qualifications in related fields such as remedial massage, yoga instruction, or counselling, depending on your specific policy.

How do I find a qualified Shaking Medicine practitioner?

Look for practitioners who have completed recognised training with the Shaking Medicine Foundation or related certifications in somatic trauma work. They should demonstrate a solid understanding of nervous system regulation, trauma-informed care, and the specific principles of therapeutic tremoring.

During an initial conversation or consultation, notice whether the practitioner creates a sense of safety, listens carefully to your concerns, explains the process clearly, and acknowledges contraindications and limitations. They should be willing to work at your pace and respect your boundaries.

Reading reviews and testimonials from previous clients can provide valuable insights into a practitioner's skill and approach. Look for feedback about their professionalism, ability to hold safe space, and effectiveness in supporting clients through the tremoring process.

If you're searching for a qualified Shaking Medicine practitioner in Australia, Bodhi Holistic Hub offers a curated marketplace of verified holistic practitioners who have been through comprehensive vetting. Their platform makes it easier to find and book qualified practitioners who align with your specific needs and location.

Can I practice Shaking Medicine at home?

Once you've learned the basics from a qualified practitioner, absolutely. In fact, one of the greatest gifts of this practice is that it becomes a tool you can use anytime, anywhere. Many people shake for a few minutes each morning to start their day with a clear nervous system or in the evening to release the day's accumulated tension.

However, it's important to first learn proper technique and safety considerations from someone experienced. This ensures you understand how to create the conditions for tremoring, how to regulate the intensity, and how to recognise when you might need additional support.

Can I combine Shaking Medicine with other therapies?

Yes, Shaking Medicine works beautifully alongside other healing modalities. Because it supports your body's natural regulation processes, it often enhances the effectiveness of other treatments you're receiving, whether that's psychotherapy, bodywork, medication, or other holistic practices.

Many people find that Shaking Medicine complements talk therapy particularly well. The somatic release prepares the nervous system to engage more fully in cognitive processing, whilst the insights from therapy can deepen your understanding of what's releasing through tremoring.

Always inform all your healthcare providers about the treatments you're receiving to ensure coordinated care that serves your whole person.

References and Further Reading

Professional Organisations

• Shaking Medicine Foundation 
• TRE Australia
• Australian Counselling Association 
• Somatic Experiencing Australia
• Complementary Medicine Australia (CMA) 

Research and Scientific Foundation

• Australian Trauma and Grief Network
• Black Dog Institute (Australia)
• TRE Global Research
• Journal of Military and Veterans' Health
• Global Advances in Health and Medicine
• Polyvagal Institute

Educational Resources

• "Shaking Medicine: The Healing Power of Ecstatic Movement" by Dr. Bradford Keeney - Explores the spiritual and cultural roots of therapeutic shaking from indigenous perspectives
• "Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma" by Dr. Peter Levine - Foundational text on somatic trauma processing and the body's natural healing responses
• "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk - Comprehensive examination of trauma's physiological impacts and body-based healing
• "Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE): A Revolutionary New Method for Stress/Trauma Recovery" by Dr. David Berceli - Detailed guide to the mechanics of therapeutic tremoring
• "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" by Dr. Robert Sapolsky - Explains the evolutionary biology of stress responses in mammals
• "Bioenergetics: The Revolutionary Therapy That Uses the Language of the Body to Heal the Problems of the Mind" by Dr. Alexander Lowen - Early work on body-mind integration through movement
• Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors - Offers courses on trauma-informed practice and somatic approaches

Related and Complementary modalities

• Somatic Experiencing - Dr. Peter Levine's approach to trauma healing through body awareness and gentle discharge of nervous system activation
• Craniosacral Therapy - Gentle bodywork supporting nervous system regulation and release of stored tension
• Polyvagal-Informed Therapy - Therapeutic approaches based on Dr. Stephen Porges' understanding of nervous system states
• Breathwork - Conscious breathing practices that support nervous system regulation and emotional release
• Yoga Nidra - Deep relaxation practice that accesses subconscious patterns and promotes parasympathetic activation

This guide was written by the Bodhi Holistic Hub team according to their editorial policy and reviewed by Nancy Lovato, a trauma-informed nervous system practitioner specialising in Shaking Medicine, vagus-nerve activation, and breath-led, gentle movement for regulation and homeostasis.