AUGUST SECOND SATURDAY: Saying YES!

INTERPLAY ATLANTA "SECOND SATURDAY": Saying Yes (photo by InterPlayer Ann Connor)

by Ruth Schowalter, leader-in-training
The second Saturday of each month rocks in HOTlanta! Why? Because InterPlay Atlanta (Like us on Facebook at InterPlay Atlanta) meets to play for 90 minutes!

WALK, RUN, STOP. Play allows us to make choices that are affirming. Here Atlanta InterPlayers make choices about what feels good--walking, running, stopping--we can do it all at the speed of our own bodies! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

This month, Jennifer Denning, director of InterPlay Atlanta, was away and invited leaders-in-training Christine Gautreaux and me, Ruth Schowalter, to lead the August Second Saturday. Since many play sessions have a theme, Christine and I decided to choose something decidedly affirmative to play with--the theme of YES!

Using Alice Teeter's poem, "Say Yes," from her book, When It Happens to You, as a foundation for our play, we moved forming shapes and stillness around her poetic words:
 

Say Yes

Step off into this unknown

Into this marvelous and terrible Yes

Yes to unknowing, Yes

Fling your arms wide to Yes

Be light and say Yes

Say Yes softly in a whisper

Float on Yes

Carry Yes like a feather you find floating

That the wind will take away

Blow Yes like a dandelion seed

Scatter it to the winds

And me, I say Yes waiting for your Yes

Leaning in and watching for it floating down

A maple seed on the breeze spiraling

Wisps of white floating across my field of vision

My ears are listening for that whisper

You are standing on the sweet spot of the stage

Your voice will carry for eons and leagues

In your softest song say Yes to me

I hear you from this thousand miles away

We babbled on the theme of YES...

(photo by Ruth Schowalter)

 We made hand dances on behalf of YES...

(photo by Ruth Schowalter)

We sang one and three breath songs expressing YES...

(photo by Christine Nichols Gautreaux)

We collaborated in trios saying YES...

When YES happens to you! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

We concluded our 90-minute session feeling energized, playful, and embodying YES. Think about how you might embody YES in your life. And think about attending one of our Second Saturdays.

YES! (photo by Ruth Schowalter)

We have a special Second Saturday happening in September.  Phil Porter, one of InterPlay's co-founders will be facilitating and offering some other playshops while visiting Atlanta! InterPlay Atlanta keeps building momentum!