I’ve been thinking recently about the meaningfulness of consent in regards to living in a conscious way. Consent, as I see it, is an invitation to consciousness. The process of consenting causes us to pause, to engage with ourselves, our internal and external world, to our relating, and to check our orienation and next steps. It is an invitation to check with our inner compass and check alignment. Without a regular practice of consent, it’s easy to slide out of conscious engagement, to slide into other ways of being, to drift from our track and into unconcious patterns and behaviours that can separate and distance us from ourselves.

Engaging with consent is disruptive to sliding out of alignment, it’s a wake up call, an opportunity look inwards and out. Let’s face it – there is plenty out there in life to blow us hither and thither out of our own sense of self and path, whether that’s the messages of the dominant culture, needs of others, low level disorientation that creeps up over time, other people’s/society’s norms, values, expectations etc.

To have that check in/up, to live life awake, aligned and active, think about ways to integrate consent practice into your daily life and relationships – opportunities to ask the questions: is this ok by me or not, do I need to think about it, do I need more information? This can look like checking in with yourself: does this feel good, do I feel on the right track? How aware am I feeling right now of where I am and what I am doing? Do I need to pause for a bit to breathe and tune in to myself again so that I can make sure I’m acting in the right direction? Do I need more, less, or different?

It can look like checking in with others: Is this still ok with you? Are you interested in doing x? How is this feeling to you? Are we still on the right track or do we need to consider something different? Are you still on-board? How are things going so far and what do we need next?

And, it can look like checking in with the bigger picture regulary too: Am I ok with where am I right now? Do I need to make some changes to get things more aligned? Where am I feeling ok and where am I feeling separated or not quite right? How can I move things so that they feel better and more aligned – what next steps do I need take to work towards to heading in the right direction?

Consent is a powerful tool and opportunity that enables us to ask these key questions, to live a conscious, intentional and activated life, aligning us with our greater purpose and (personal) power. Treat consent as a gift, a loving opportunity that cares about and believes in that truth whisper inside of you, and says: here is a chance to check in with your self, to make sure that you have what you want and need, and are in the right place for all that is to come.