How to Honour Your Body’s Yes and No Through Somatic Consent
Introduction: Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Body
In a world that often rewards people-pleasing and politeness over embodied truth, many of us have lost touch with our most sacred compass — the body. Somatic consent is a revolutionary practice that brings us home to ourselves. It teaches us how to feel and honour the body’s “yes” and “no” — not from the mind, but from the soma, our living, breathing experience.
At Glow Somatics, we believe that the ability to truly listen to your body is not just a wellness trend — it's a path to empowerment, nervous system safety, and radiant authenticity. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to recognise your embodied yes and no, why it matters, and how somatic consent can support deeper relationships, inner healing, and freedom from old patterns of override and obligation.
What Is Somatic Consent?
Somatic consent is the practice of tuning into your body’s internal cues to guide decision-making, boundaries, and connection. Unlike cognitive or verbal consent (which happens in the mind), somatic consent happens in the body. It's about learning how to sense what feels good, nourishing, or aligned — and what feels off, uncomfortable, or like a “no.”
This approach supports trauma-informed boundaries and promotes self-trust by encouraging you to prioritise what your body is telling you, moment by moment.
Why We Struggle to Feel Our Yes and No
Many of us were raised in environments that rewarded compliance and discouraged self-awareness. As children, we were often praised for being “good” when we ignored discomfort, stayed quiet, or said yes when we wanted to say no. Over time, this disconnects us from our body’s natural signals of safety, joy, or resistance.
This internalised override becomes the norm:
We say yes to touch we don’t want.
We endure stress when rest is needed.
We agree to plans when we crave solitude.
When we disconnect from our somatic truth, our bodies may start to speak louder — through chronic tension, anxiety, burnout, or shutdown. The good news? We can relearn how to listen.
How to Recognise Your Body’s Yes
Your body’s “yes” may feel like:
A sense of expansion or openness in the chest
Warmth, tingles, or a rising energy
A deep breath or sigh of relief
A sensation of leaning in
Aliveness or curiosity
A somatic yes is not always loud — sometimes it’s soft and subtle. It’s important to create space in your day to slow down and feel. Practices like somatic journaling, breathwork, and body scans can help illuminate your embodied yes.
Try this:
Pause right now. Take a breath. Think of something you love (a pet, a place, a song). Notice how your body responds. What sensations arise? That’s your yes.
How to Recognise Your Body’s No
Your body’s “no” often feels like:
Contraction, tension, or tightness (especially in the gut or throat)
A holding of the breath or shallow breathing
A pulling away or desire to move back
Numbness or disconnect
A sense of dread, irritation, or confusion
These signals are just as sacred as your yes. Your no is not something to be ashamed of — it is your protector, your truth-teller, your boundary. Learning to honour your no without guilt is a radical act of self-respect.
Try this:
Think of something you don’t enjoy or feel resistance toward. What do you notice in your body? Observe with curiosity, not judgment.
How to Practise Somatic Consent in Daily Life
Honouring your body’s cues begins with awareness — and then action. Here’s how to integrate somatic consent into your life:
1. Create a Pause Before Saying Yes
Before agreeing to anything, pause. Tune in. Ask your body, “Do I have a yes for this?” If it’s not a full yes, it might be a no — and that’s okay.
2. Build Sensory Awareness
Use daily check-ins to notice what’s happening in your body. Are you feeling light and relaxed, or tight and tense? Your body holds the answer long before your mind catches up.
3. Practice Saying No with Kindness
Saying no doesn’t need to be aggressive. “No, thank you,” or “That doesn’t feel right for me right now,” is enough. The more you practise, the easier it gets.
4. Notice Over-Giving or Pleasing Tendencies
If you’re often the one to say yes out of obligation, explore what that costs your body. Where do you abandon yourself to keep the peace? Let your no be your compass.
5. Use Movement to Process Sensations
Sometimes words aren’t enough. Use gentle shaking, dancing, or stretching to move energy through your body and come back to clarity.
Somatic Consent in Relationships
Whether romantic, platonic, or professional, relationships thrive when both parties feel safe and respected. Practising somatic consent allows you to:
Be clear in your boundaries without guilt
Ask for what you truly desire
Say no without fear of rejection
Receive touch or care on your own terms
Foster mutual respect and authenticity
It’s not just about what’s okay or not okay — it’s about finding what feels good and mutually desired. Consent becomes a living dialogue, not a static agreement.
The Healing Power of Yes and No
When you start to trust your body’s wisdom, something magical happens. You stop outsourcing your power. You stop leaking your energy. You begin to live in alignment with your truth.
At Glow Somatics, we believe that every woman deserves to feel safe in her body, to speak her truth, and to trust her yes and no — without shame, fear, or second-guessing.
This is how we reclaim our radiance.
Final Thoughts: Coming Home to Yourself
Somatic consent is more than a practice — it’s a path back to self. A way of remembering that your body is not a battleground, but a sacred vessel. Every sensation is a signal. Every no is valid. Every yes is holy.
The more you listen, the more life will begin to feel like something you are truly choosing — not something that’s happening to you.
🌿 Ready to reconnect with your body’s wisdom?
Download our free somatic self-check-in guide or book a 1:1 Glow Somatics session to begin honouring your yes and no today.