Ho! Ho! Ho! And happy holidays...

Thought I'd share this great and hopeful article from the Boston Globe I was recently interviewed for....

The favorite thing he wrote about our interview was...

"But today, she contends, skipping can be an act of defiance in the face of geopolitical gloom and doom."

Although I can say with almost complete certainty that the word geopolitical has never come out of my mouth!!! :-) That's definitely the reporter's word, not mine. (It wasn't a direct quote.) I literally couldn't have said it better myself.

I also found this quote from naysayer P.J. O'Rourke interesting...

All this sweetness and light is enough to give a certified curmudgeon like P.J. O’Rourke a toothache. ‘‘I seem to remember we tried all this in the summer of 1967,’’ growls O’Rourke, a humorist and author who lives in New Hampshire. ‘‘My memory is foggy, but somehow I think it all ended in tears.’’

Aaaah! This frustrates me so....Tears and seemingly insurmountable roadblocks are a natural part of birthing any dream! I so wish the disenchanted ex-hippies would re-open their hearts and their minds to the possibility of creating real change on this planet...This time perhaps it would help if it wasn't completely drug induced....The worst thing we can do when we run into a wall with our dreams and good intentions is to become jaded and cynical...Even though it seems to be human nature to do so! All that does is ensure that the dream will never be realized. All I want for Christmas this year is for all of the ex-hippies of the world to believe again....and to help inspire and harness the energy and idealism of the young people to create the positive change on this planet I know is possible.

And, finally, just in case you don't have time in the midst of the holiday hubbub to make it to the very end of the article, here's another "keeper" of a quote..

"Corbin, too, chooses to see silver linings and rosy scenarios. Paradoxically enough, she suggests that nice draws its strength from nasty. ‘‘It is in direct correlation with the amount of fear,’’ she says. ‘‘As the fear gets more intense, there’s this countermovement of rising above it. Because otherwise, it looks pretty dreadful.’’

Here's to skipping on despite terrorism, wars, questionabile polticians, and all of the negative stuff that stands between us and who were were born to be and what we were born to do. Skip on!

At long last, here is the big skipping news I promised....

Super skipper extraordinaire Ashirta Furman recently told me that Guiness has approved his request to establish a 5 K (3.1 mile) skipping category! Ashrita, who skipped an entire marathon a couple years ago, is training to set the record now!

As you might know, Ashrita has set a record number of records....127 in all in his lifetime! Wowsa! Categories include fun things like: Hula hooping with the largest hula hoop - 16 feet in diameter, pushing an orange with his nose for a mile in 24 minutes 36 seconds, somersaulting 12 miles, and pogo stick jumping 11.5 miles up and down the foothills of Mt. Fuji.

It's a real treat to have such a multi-faceted and amazing person representing the skippers of the world! Skip on Ashrita! Here are a few questions from the lengthy interview I did with him that you can read in its entirety on iskip.com

How does skipping make you feel? What does it do for you physically? Spiritually? Mentally?

For me, skipping is pure joy. I just try to abandon all thought and simply glide along without a care in the world, centered within. It becomes a type of meditation, and sometimes I really feel as if I’m floating on air. Unfortunately, since I train on the streets of New York City , this feeling is usually interrupted by an angry motorist trying to bring me back down to Earth so he or she doesn’t run me over!

Besides the tremendous peace and joy I get from skipping, I have also discovered that it is a fantastic workout. It obviously strengthens all of the leg muscles, but it also works the arms, shoulders and neck. And there is another important benefit of it skipping—it is a great core-strengthening exercise (abs and back) as well. What more could you want—a sport that strengthens and tones the entire body and is fun as well!

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who are too embarrassed to skip?

Life is too short to worry about what other people think about you. The opinion of others is not going to add one iota to your happiness. You have to be brave and follow your heart. That is the first step on the path to happiness. As Sri Chinmoy, my meditation teacher, so eloquently says:

“Never allow anyone
To clip the silver wings
Of your golden dreams.”

SKIP ON ASHRITA!

Wow. I can hardly believe an entire month has skipped by since my last entry. So much has happened.

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my beloved Kidder Cat had to be put to sleep. He was 16-years-old and I was lucky enough to adopt him 8 years ago shortly before I started the skipping movement, etc. That cat saw it all....From the joy and zest when my skipping dream was first born to the tears and disillusionment when certain parts of the path didn't end up looking like I had hoped. He was such a bright light and companion in my life and my heart aches for his purr and loving presence.

This was the first time in my life that I have experienced the passing of a pet in this way...I chose not to go when we had to put our childhood dog to sleep...But I am glad I was in the room and holding sweet Kid and looking into his eyes when he drifted off to whatever comes next. Talk about intimacy. It is a moment I will never forget.

My other big news is that I am moving to Marin from San Francisco at the end of the year! (Just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge.) I have been in my same apartment for the 10-years since I moved to California from Indiana....and the time has come for this butterfly to leave her cocoon. Wowsa!

My new place is so close to New World Library that I will easily be able to ride my bike...or possibly even skip to work! There's an amazing lagoon and nature walk that leads all the way to the Bay right outside my new back door. It's defintely going to be a big change going from the heart of downtown San Francisco into the wonders of nature.....But it feels like the right thing for me to do, so I'm going for it!

I also have some exciting skipping news to share and promise not to let another month go by before I do so. Until then, SKIP ON!

I recently received this email from a 40-year-old skipper in San Diego and wanted to share!

I thought I was the only skipper out there! I’m so glad to find others. I started skipping after suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome, which running was exacerbating. I realized that I did not suffer any upper body tension when I skipped. At first I was so embarrassed, but after realizing how much better I was feeling, I came ‘out of the closet’ and now skip in public regularly (hey, after 40, who cares what people think?). I also find it just makes me happy! Thank you for the website and good company!

Yay! Skippers of the world unite.....And also don't forget to skip yourself out to your polling place tomorrow to vote!! Vote as if the fate of our world depended on it...Because it does!

This past weekend I was "Back Home Again in Indiana" to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. It had been eight years since I'd been back during what is hands down my favorite part of the year there.

I watched football, went on a nature hike with my niece and nephew, and skipped on country roads. I also taught my parents how to meditate which was really something! It was a wonderful and relaxing long weekend.

This morning, I found the video from a newscast I did way back in 1999 when I first created iskip.com. It is from a station out of Sacramento and it was so fun to watch that I decided to post it on You Tube! You can watch it for yourself by clicking here.

I can't believe how young I look! And little did I know then that I would still be skipping loud and skipping proud nearly a decade later. :-) What a long, strange skip it continues to be. Skip on!

I receieved an email from a young woman named Rossana who lives in Malta and wanted to share...

Hey, my name is Rosanna, im 16 & i come from Malta..well im sending you an email because ive been constantly complaining about my thighs that arent exactly in good shape..i just have exses fat that i cant really find out how to get rid of it and turn it into muscle. Now i bought a skipping rope and till now im only managing to survive doing 200 skips as im not that fit (though i'm not fat or anything, pretty normal weight.) I'm just asking how much do you think I should do and how many times a week that will help in improving my losing of excess fat from my knee upwards. Hope you will be able to give me an answer that will help. Thank you. Rosanna

And here is my reply....

Hi Rosanna,

First of all, I encourage you to work on loving yourself exactly as you are!! Most women's thighs are "fatter" than we might wish or think they should be (Thanks in large part to the supermodels in women's magazines)....But something tells me you are a beautiful young woman who looks more fantastic than you realize! So instead of obsessing about your thighs, I'd like to encourage you to focus on self-acceptance and appreciation for your youthful, energetic body as much as possible instead!!

My website is actually about non-rope skipping....Skipping down the street instead of walking or running! Kind of like they did on the Wizard of Oz...So I'm not sure what to tell you about the number of rope skip repetitions...What I can tell you is that in my experience, when I am doing the things that involve moving my body because it is FUN and I LOVE to do it on a regular basis...Like skipping or dancing or yoga....I'm always amazed at how weight effortlessly falls off of me....However, when I'm in a place of self-judgement and frustration with my body, even if I am going to the gym on the regular basis, the weight goes nowhere fast! It's funny how that works.

So I encourage you to find exercises that make your spirit happy....and to do them with a spirit of joy and celebration rather than trying to annihilate your thighs in anyway possible...and see what happens!

Skip on!
Kim Corbin
iskip.com

"Why march to the beat of your own drummer when you can skip?" --Dave May, The Official Skipping Ambassador of Oklahoma

It's been a magical San Francisco skipping kind of day...It started when I was contacting the local media about one of the books I am publicizing right now called A Writer's San Francisco by Eric Maisel. The book offers creative inspiration for writers amidst the backdrop of the city by the bay.

What I love most about the book is how it represents the creative soul of San Francisco I fell in love with when I moved here from the Midwest over a decade ago. Unfortunatley, it feels like a big part of the city's spirit has eroded in recent years...I think due in large part to the dot com days when artists were driven out in droves because they couldn't afford to live here anymore...So it makes me really happy to be spreading the word about a book that celebrates and honors the creative spark that makes San Francisco the magical place that it it is.

After work tonight, I spent some time with a couple of friends along SF's Embarcadero water front. There was an anti-Bush protest going on nearby and my friends told me there was a huge paper mache effigy of President Bush there. It sounded like it might be an interesting protest so we headed over to check it out.

My friends were on bikes and I was skipping between them. There was a woman on the stage screaming about how oppressed we are by the Bush administration and how it is time for us to fight back. She was really angry and the energy she was putting off was anything but peaceful. There were quite a few people standing around and listening...Without even thinking about it, I started skipping throughout the crowd...Weaving throughout clusters of people as I listened to the woman on the microphone tell me how outraged and angry I should be..I consciously made a decision not to let her negativity stop me from being the peaceful, positive energy I want to see in the world.

There was a sharp contrast to my free skipping energy and the mood and intensity of the crowd...The vibe of the event was laden with anger, oppresion, and rebellion...All of which are certainly an important part of the process of waking up from the deep slumber we have collectively been in as a culture... But it also is not where I personally choose to invest my time and energy in my quest to use my life to help create positive change on this planet.

The San Franciscans of the 1960s knew that love was the answer...and I hope and pray and pledge to do my part to help recreate that predominant cultural philosophy here and now! There are so many ways we can use our creative energy to create change on this planet without letting our grievances with the Bush administration become so intense that they drain the creative, positive part of us that is so desperately needed in this city, country, and world right now!

Positive energy people of the world unite. Onward and upward! Together we can and are changing the world.

How cool. I was just visiting the online encyclopedia called Wikipedia and decided to see what came up when I put in "Skipping". Much to my surprise and delight, iskip.com was referenced. Here's what they say about skipping:

Skipping can refer to several things:

* the hippity hoppity gait that comes naturally to children http://www.iskip.com
* a game or form of exercise using a skipping rope
* Stone skipping
* Snowmobile skipping
* Skipping class, otherwise known as truancy
* British slang for the USA term 'Dumpster diving

Woo hoo! Skip on!

Tonight on Dancing with the Stars Willa Ford and her partner went to ride a carousel as a treat after spending hours in the studio learning the waltz. She started skipping as they approached the merry-go-round and said this about the waltz, "It is this beautiful up and this beautiful down. It reminds me of my childhood. Of this beautiful love story I wished would happen to me."

Inspired in large part by that show, not to mention my dearest Dimitri, I recently started taking West Coast Swing dancing lessons. It's something I have wanted to do for a long time and it feels good to finally be doing it. I am reminded of how important and challenging it can be to let ourselves be a beginner. Interesting since as children we were beginners all the time and didn't think anything of it...We fell down and we got back up and it wasn't a big deal. Just like skipping, it seems to me that as adults we lose our natural willingness to learn by trial and error far too often.

When was the last time you tried something completley new? I can't recommend it highly enough...and would love to hear your stories of starting a new hobby if you want to email me and share!

It's been a while since I've heard from Sophie and Emma who are Australia's most vocal advocates of skipping! So I was happy to get the following which they asked me to post on their behalf.

Hey this is Emma and Sophie from Australia and we are 25 years old. We thought we would enter a blog about some of our skipping adventures.

We skipped to the beach and there were slimey things on the sand and crabs so we had to skip really high to avoid them and it felt really good. We now skip really high in the air...Try it! Its the best fun since treadmill skipping. We also had a basketball grand final and decided to skip in the last 5 minutes and we came from behind...AND WE WON!!!!!!!!!! It was vigorous skipping but we got the biggest kick...It was like skipping with no clothes on.

We would like everyone reading this to have a one minute silence for our cat Skipper that died...May he skip in peace. We have also discovered skipping warms your toes on cold winters day. Try it, it will help your feet be toasty warm like marshmallows over the fire... Always remember...If u skip you are hip. Now here is an acronym we made

S urreal
K eeps you entertained
I ncredible
P eter likes to skip to!

So long farewell, skip on dollykins!!!

I love posting the stories of other skippers, so if you have one to share email me! I promise not to share it on my blog unless you tell me it is ok! Or perhaps you have an acronym of your own to share? I'd love to hear from you! Skippers of the world unite! Skip on!

You know how you read certain things and they click with you at a really deep level? Well, that's what just happened to me when I read an email from author James Twyman's mailing list with the subject line "Generation Yes!"

For a long time I've been thinking about how desperately our world needs the idealism and energy of the younger generation to join forces with the wisdom and wealth of the baby boomers to create positive change on this planet....James' email paints a picture of how that is beginning to happen in a beautiful way.

Here is an excerpt from his email....You can visit James' website to join his Beloved Community email list.... He writes...

I'm calling this group "Generation YES!" For the most part they are between the ages of 25 and 32, and are responsible for a mass movement toward spiritual values that millions of young people are responding to. They are artists and visionaries, musicians and filmmakers, and their contributions can be seen everywhere we look.

Here's one example. Last week at the 10th Annual Earthdance celebration in California I had the privilege of meeting a young musician named India Arie. Many of you already know India as the 12-time Grammy nominated musician whose latest album went to number one on the Billboard charts. If you listen to her music you'll also realize that she is part of a new generation of artists using their talent to inspire the world. Her spirit is overwhelming and her message universal. India is just one example of an artist who is using her gifts to change the world. She is without question part of the Generation YES!

You may remember the name given to the generation immediately preceding this one. They were called "Generation X" because they lacked direction and inspiration. Not true of Generation YES! I believe that the current social and political climate has only enhanced their dedication for promoting peace and justice around the world. The universe is conspiring to pull us from the divisive energies of separation into unity and compassion for all beings.

The question then becomes, how does this information apply to you? ...These young men and women have been entrusted with linking and binding all the other groups into a cohesive unit whose influence cannot be stopped. We need each other, and together we will shift the mainstream consciousness in a new and vibrant direction.

These young people have their own unique way of accessing spiritual wisdom and truths, and it's often not through books or seminars. Music, dance and art are the mediums in which they thrive, and they have the ability, as with India Arie, to create the necessary bridge between our spiritual selves and the mainstream population. I believe that this is their role, one that is so important today. That is also why we must find news ways to support their creativity, and, of course, to realize the same within ourselves.

His perspective reminds me a lot of one of the first books I publicized at New World Libray called The Translucent Revolution: How People Just Like You are Waking Up and Changing the World which describes the shift in consciousness that is gradually happening in our world.....Another book and concept that wildly inspire me! :-)

I think it is awesome that Twyman is focusing on empowering the 20-somethings of the world since they are the ones with the lion's share of the idealism and energy our world so desperately needs. I also realized as I read his description that Generation YES is who I am ultimately writing my book about saying YES to my skiping calling for...and that felt great to see! Yes! Yes Yes! Onward and upward together we CAN change the world! Here's to being a YES regardless of our age!

One of the many benefits of skipping is that it awakens the childlike spirit we started life with...Skipping on a regular basis definitely helps me look at my life in a more imaginative, adventerous, and childlike way.

I just read an excerpt from one of the books I am publicizing right now for New World Library that speaks to the idea of looking at life through this kind of lens that I felt inspired to share. The book is Trager for Self-Healing and it is written by Audrey Mairi...

TRUSTING IN THE UNKNOWN - Let Go and Let Life Flow

What does it mean to have the innocence of a beginner when doing the same job for 15 years? What does it mean to have innocence when we have been vacuuming the same floor for 20? How about when looking at the same face across the breakfast table for more times than we can remember? And what does it mean to have innocence when looking in the mirror?

It means loosening the reins of what we thought we knew. It means opening up to a world that continues to unfold on all levels. It means trusting ourselves not to know what is going to happen next.

Commitment to an attitude of not knowing encompasses subtle layers of trust that may take time to unwind. It requires, first, that we trust that we are going to receive from spirit something that has validity to our life, and, second that we trust that what we receive will come to us from a place of love and compassion, regardless of whether it’s what we expect.

Unfortunately, what many of us call trust is really based on whether or not the expectations of our ego-self are met. When the result of such pseudo-trust does not fall within this narrow bandwidth, we feel betrayed. “If the life force is so intelligent, why did I have to go through that heartbreak? Why didn’t I get the job I wanted? Why didn’t I get the sale?” Disappointment occurs when our ego-self tries to control the world out there.

The ego-self, unable to relate easily to the nonlinear nature of the life force, rarely considers that there might be a better way. It’s hard for the ego to trust anything outside its box. How can I trust something I can’t understand? It says. How can I put stock in a mystery? The ego wants to understand now. It wants a light bulb to flick on, accompanied by a solid plan and goals it can implement. It wants neat-and-tidy static answers because it believes that’s where safety lies. What the ego needs to remember, however is that it cannot accurately perceive outside of its box. Therefore, attempting to control any situation in order to manifest preconceived expectations becomes an extremely dicey and overwhelming task.

As a result, the ego feels caught between a rock and a hard place. To align itself with the past means living through illusion, but to trust the life force is to jump off a cliff and “boldly go where no one has gone before,” to use the phrase form the Star Trek series. Why would we want to trust something constantly on the move? Because that is life. We change; the world changes. Change is constant. Our knowledge evolves as we evolve. How it is today may not be how it will be tomorrow. Our perceptions continually change as we mold and shape our sculpture, as we paint our painting. Each mark of the chisel, each stroke of the brush alters how we see ourselves and the world around us. Life is multidimensional and never ending. There is never a time when we have “arrived.”

To counter the fear of jumping off the cliff into the unknown, we need to anchor back to the [universal source of energy]. From the past there is only memory to comfort and guide us, but in the present moment there is the blissful feeling of spirit—it’s real, it’s physical, you can feel it. If we focus within, trusting in our tools, the manifestation of our life happens easily and naturally, in line with our authentic self. Stepping out of our box becomes effortless and, above all, safe. When our ego-self follows this flow, it aligns itself with spirit. That is its job.
Choosing to live with out expectation instead of sticking to the tried-and-true from our past is making a choice to not know. This requires trust.

—from Trager for Self-Healing: A Practical Guide to Living in the Present Moment by Audrey Mairi, New World Library (2006). Reprinted with permission. www.newworldlibrary.com

Many thanks to long time skipper and soon to be author Melanie Bowden for sending this quote from the September 2006 issue of Redbook Magazine....It was in an article on what your kids can teach you about happiness...

"When my daughter, Deanna, was 5, she skipped everywhere. It didn't matter what the occasion-holidays, parties, going to the store-she skipped. When I asked her why, she told me skipping made her happy. "You can't be mad and skipping, Mom," she said. And it's true! So we skip-I skip, she skips, even my husband skips." - Daphne Bahamonde, 35, Rochester, NY

Melanie's new book "Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me? True Stories of New Motherhood" will be out next month!

It feels so good to be getting my skip back...Ever since iskip.com was born back in 1999, I have always skipped a little here and a little there...But I haven't been doing it as a regular practice or for long enough distances for it to be physically challenging for quite some time.

When my hopes of finding fame AND fortune ala my skipping dream were dashed and smashed, my skipping spirit definitely felt the impact. Skipping down the street without a care in the world suddenly wasn't as effortless and natural as it once had been. I entered what you might call a skipping slump.

Even though I knew first hand how skipping on a regular basis infuses my body, mind, and spirit with positive energy, a very important part of the puzzle has been missing the past several years...the WILLINGNESS to actually get out there and get my skip on.

Just like it was my childlike exuberance that inspired me to start skipping, it has been my childlike will that has been refusing to play along recently...and my inner critic that thinks I was completely crazy ever to believe in my skipping dream in the first place ceratinly hasn't been helping matters.

That's why it feels wildly fantastic to feel my skipping spirit starting to once again spring to life. I've been doing the things that have helped that part of me awaken in the past for quite some time now...Like my 21-day experiment...going to the gym before work in the mornings and skipping on the treadmill...and praying dangerously...So it feels good to be feeling the fruit of those labors. Slowly, but surely I am getting my skipping groove back.

Tonight I went for a long skip up and down the hills of my neighborhood. The crowded streets of San Francisco have to be one of the ultimate places to skip. I get so lost in the experience that I don't pay very much attention to the people I skip by...But almost without fail when I do glance up, I'm greeted by either a big wide smile or a look of amused bewilderment.

My intention is to start skipping around the city a lot more often and to keep documenting my experiences here...My theory is that the more I skip, the more amazing, magical and fun stuff will happen in my own life and with the skipping movement! And, even if I'm wrong, I'll certainly have fun finding out. Skip on!

Several months ago I heard from a woman in Pennsylvania who was thinking about organizing some group skips...When I didn't hear back from her for a while, I figured she must have decided just to skip it. But then I got this email from her which I felt inspired to share along with my response to her....

I am so so sorry for not communicating with you - you must have thought I skipped off the face of the earth! OK, so here's what happened. At the end of March of this year, I took a class in Kundalini Yoga and was absolutely transformed and hooked - it was exactly what I had been waiting for, as far as a fitness/spiritual type class to get involved with and actually pay money to take. I have since not missed one week of class, and am what one would call a devotee.

Unfortunately, and I am sure this is not what the gurus intended, I have pretty much stopped my daily walks in the park and cemetary, and therefore the desire to skip kind of subsided. Damn! I still believe in skipping and will someday probably "practice" it, but for now, this is where my heart lies. My whole physique has changed, and most importantly, I am really BREATHING now, which I was barely doing before. Kundalini is not for everyone - there is a lot of chanting involved, and I never dreamed I would take to it so devotedly - but when it's for you, you know it. Been there in another life, type of thing.

Ah well, Kim, I still love ya and admire greatly your passion, and fully support what you and other skippers do. Keep me informed and in your thoughts as a someday skipper, and best wishes in all you do! Susan

And here is my reply...

Susan, I loved getting this email!!!!! Your story exemplifies what I hope is the bigger picture message behind iskip.com.....Find the thing that makes YOUR heart sing and do it as often as possible and don't let anything or anyone stand in your way. Even more than I hope people will start a skipping practice, I hope they will find whatever their unique way of connecting with their heart/spirit is. I'm so happy to hear that you have found your thing! Thank you for sharing your passion and enthusiasm. Skip on! Yoga on! Kim

Every year for nine consecutive years, I have attended the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, NV. Burning Man is an experiment in community where 35K people build a temporary city where the only “rule” is radical self-expression and an open mind. The experience is unlike any other. It definitely transformed the way I look at my life and the world in positive ways.

This year, however, I decided not to go. The event has changed a lot. I have changed a lot. And my heart was urging me to look elsewhere for the sense of freedom and adventure I first discovered at Burning Man. So I decided to go on a solo road trip adventure in my Miata to the Grand Canyon and Sedona.

In fact, I am writing this entry from my hotel that sits right on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Wow! This is my first time here and I am amazed. Talk about awesome and glorious. Whooo-weee! The skipping conditions are a bit treacherous...But, of course, I’ve managed to do it a little bit here and a little bit there.

My whole intention for this trip is to connect with spirit and to work on my book project…Everywhere I look I find myself filled with a sense of awe and wonder…and the writing has been flowing. Sometimes it feels a little weird or disconcerting to be traveling alone. But at the same time, I can see how doing so is allowing me to go deeply within in a way that isn’t possible when I’m with other people.

Later this week, I’ll be staying in Sedona which is one of my favorite places on earth…I’ll be sending those of you who are headed out to the desert for Burning Man lots of cool, wet, water energy as I work on my book poolside! Skip on!

I just love it when I get emails from first time skippers like this one....

Hi Kim. Yesterday, while at work I was looking for exercises on the Internet. I came upon your skipping website and decided that my girlfriend and I should start skipping during our nightly walk. So, last night when we turned the corner where there are no houses we started skipping. It was so funny we had to stop and hold our sides. She could not get her knees up to skip. But I could so every time we turned that corner I skipped a little bit farther each time. We had so much fun. She is going to practice today so that we can both skip together tonight. It sure has made my day today because everytime I think of last night I start to laugh....Sheila

Here is my response...

Hi Sheila. Yay! Thank you for taking the time to write and share your personal skipping experience! Isn't it fun and fabulous?!

As you experienced first hand, skipping is such a great way to add fun and variety to your walking workout! It burns twice as many calories which really adds up with every skip you take! I hope you and your friend will keep on skipping on!!

If you are a long time skipper or just starting out, I would love to hear from you! Take a moment to email me and share your skipping experiences. Skip on!!!

This week at the gym I started a fun new skipping practice!

I still love to skip on the treadmill, of course, but this mixes it up a little bit and adds a bit of skipping variety! After all, variety IS the spice of life.

For the past several weeks, I have been doing about 15 minutes worth of yoga in the group exercise room after doing my cardio workout. There isn't a class going on during the time that I am there, so it works out perfectly.

This morning, my spirit said SKIP as I walked into the room. I had my ipod on and was listening to a happy, joyful song... So I started skipping around the exercise floor in big figure eights. There are a couple of big poles in the middle of the room and I weaved in and out of them and had so much fun!

My inspiration for my skip actually came a couple of days ago when there was a guy doing a variety of what looked like boxing footsteps up and down the exercise room floor. One of his drills were extremely high skipping steps....and then skipping backward on the way back!

Skipping before work is a delightful way to start the day. It helps get my energy tuned into a positive vibration that almost always stays with me throughout my day! The next time you are at the gym and there isn't a group exercise class happening, I dare you to use that space for some skipping fun! You won't be sorry! Skip on!

Back when I first started the skipping movement, I most certainly experienced my 15+ minutes of fame. I skipped on CNN, on multiple newscasts, and even won $2,000 as a guest on the TO TELL THE TRUTH SHOW...As in, "Will the REAL Kim Corbin please stand up!?" Still, my ultimate TV skipping experience had to have been when I was a guest on the Donny & Marie Show. Skipping with Donny Osmond! Talk about a childhood dream come true.

Click here to watch my appearance on the Donny & Marie show back in 2000! It was one of the most exciting and wonderful days of my life thus far.

As an update, the skip across the country I mention never did materialize...Looking back I can say I'm really glad about that. I have a feeling if I had to skip all the way across America that I'd probably not want to skip another step for quite some time! The Sunday Skip in Central Park I talk about, on the other hand, was a great success! Skip on!

I just got one of those "pass it on or you will have bad luck" forwarded emails that actually inspired me. Only instead of emailing it to ten people like the email warned I must, I'm sharing it here not because I am afraid of bad luck..but because I love the positive energy these ways of being represent and want to share them with as many people as possible...

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love at first sight.
8. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11. Don't judge people by their relatives.
12. Talk slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..
15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate ste ps to correct it.
20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
21. Spend some time alone.

The article I was recenty interviewed for ran in the Bradenton Herald newspaper in Florida this past weekend on the front of the Well Being section.

You can click on the link above for the full article, but here are some highlights...

MORE AND MORE AWAKENING THEIR INNER CHILD
'Rejuveniles' are childlike, not childish by Tiffany St. Martin

Kim Corbin skips when the spirit moves her.

She skips around her church on Sundays, up and down the halls of her workplace and while shopping at the grocery store. Sometimes she even skips to the loo.

Most often, though, Corbin, 37, of San Francisco, skips on the treadmill while at the gym. "I love skipping to happy songs with serious runners on either side of me," she says.

Call her what you will — a clown, a jokester, a comedienne — but Corbin prefers the term rejuvenile.

It's a relatively new word coined by Christopher Noxon, who defines a rejuvenile as "anyone who has tastes or mindsets traditionally associated with people younger than themselves."

Noxon wrote a 288-page book, "Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up," released in June, about the phenomena.....

...Whatever stigmas used to be attached to adults who were supposed to act their age are no longer, Noxon says.

Yet when Corbin started skipping nine years ago, she was worried about what people would think. But her childlike spirit took over, and she started a national skipping club at www.iskip.com. One of the club's Head Skippers lived in Sarasota before moving to Oregon.

Skipping raises your heart rate and your spirit, Corbin says. "It's also a very innocent and positive way to challenge some of the unspoken rules of our culture that prevent us from enjoying our lives to the fullest and feeling truly free."

Back in June, I was contacted by a woman who lives in Israel who wanted to bring the skipping movement there...

I am an American living in Tel Aviv, Israel. Last year, I worked at a non-profit organization that promotes inner peace and self-awareness. Through my internet research, i came across your website iskip.com and found the concept absolutely delightful!! And here in Israel, amid regional and polticial tensions, I think skipping would be a much-needed and much-appreciated activity!

Friends of mine and myself talked about how to organize such a skipping group up and down the boardwalk at the beach in Tel Aviv. Now, a year later, I am part of a women's empowerment group, which would make it easier to get a base of participants ready for a group skip. but i would like to know how to proceed! Any suggestions to make the iskip.com's debut in the Middle East?

In the midst of our enthusiastic email exchange, of course, tensions have risen and violence has erupted. When I didn't hear back from Rachel for a while, I sent her an email to check in to be sure she was safe. Her response really made the intensity of what is going on in the Middle East real for me so I wanted to share...

Thanks so much for your email and kind thoughts. I really appreciate them! As you can guess, things here are rather somber and tense lately. I'm in Tel Aviv which is about a 1-3 hours drive from the mayhem up north (depending upon which israeli city is being fired upon.) I"m physically safe - so far - espeically compared to what the Israeli citizens of the north and the Lebanese citizens in southern Lebanon are going through.

We here in the center of Israel go on about our daily lives (work, responsibilities, even meeting up with friends) but the news is on in some form everywhere you go and no one talks about anything else. We have been warned to "be alert" for air raid sirens should Hezbullah use their longer range missiles that are said to be able to reach us here in Tel Aviv. So in the back of our heads, wherever we go, we are constantly checking to see where the public bomb shelters are.

The most disconcerting thing is that reserve soldiers are being called up so i'm nervously waiting every day to see if my fiance (he's Israeli) is going to be called up to fight. (I don't know if you know - and forgive my explanation if you do - but the Israeli army is a civilian one not a professional one, so every single Israeli citizen is obligated to serve when they reach 18 (men for 3 years and women for a little less than 2) and then for the men they do reserve duty one month every year until they are 45. This is why Israelis get so emotional when their soldiers get kidnapped - because everyone's brother/son/husband/father/friend/boyfriend/neighbor is or has been or will be a soldier.

As for skipping, I'm sure there would be no better time than now to spread some good cheer and positive energy... but the national mood is quite grim, mostly out of respect for so many deaths (on both sides) than out of fear. So i think the skipping on the boardwalk will unfortunately have to be on hold for now. Also because of safety: Last week alone there were two suicide bombers on the loose in Tel Aviv and another city north of Tel Aviv (they were thankfully found before any damage could be done) so it's been advised to avoid public crowds for now.

I promise that your beautiful skipping therapy and movement will not be forgotten - just postponed. It will make its debut here at some point. I hope sooner rather than later.

Wow. Please join me in taking a moment to send love and positive energy to Rachel and everyone who is living in the Middle East. Let's all visualize and pray for the peace this world of ours so desperately needs every day.

As you'll see a couple of entries down, I was recently written about in a new book called "Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes, and the Reinvention of the American Grown-up"

Some fun publicity opportunities have come up as a result. When a producer that was working on a story for Nightline asked me to get some last minute footage of a group of skippers, I got to see just how supportive, wonderful, and fun loving my coworkers at New World Library are. Tuesday morning practically everyone I work with took a late morning skipping break while the video camera rolled. It was so fun!

Unfortunately, I learned shortly after that the story was bumped due to the Middle East crisis...Which was a little bit disappointing...But it doesn't really matter. The most important part of the whole process for me was the magical time I had skipping with my coworkers.

I also recently was interviewed by a reporter from a newspaper in Florida for a story she is doing on rejuveniles. I thought it would be fun to share my responses to those questions here...

First of all, where do you live? I moved to San Francisco from Indiana 10 years ago.

How long have you been a skipper, and how did you get into it? I first skipped as an adult 9 years ago when I was 28. I was out with a spirited friend who started skipping and invited me to join him. As soon as I did, I couldn't believe how fun and exhilirating it was. I thought, "This could be a new exercise trend!"

When did you start Iskip.com? I created iskip.com two years later in May of 1999 when I decided to get serious about my own skipping practice and invited others to help me rewrite the unspoken rule that says adults don't skip. Along the way I have met an amazing assortment of positive energy people who love bringing joy to the world by skipping. At one point there were head skippers in 65+ cities who were helping to spread the word about the happy movement. I also used to lead regular group skipping events through San Francisco as did many of the head skippers in their hometowns.

How does skipping make you feel? At first skipping is a little confronting... Especially when I first started skipping as an adult there was a part of me that was very nervous about what people might think....But another, stronger part of me (my childlike spirit) finds so much joy in skipping that it doesn't matter whether other people understand why I am doing it or not. The more I honor that childlike part of me by skipping on despite my fears about what other people might think, the stronger the adventerous, creative, part of me becomes. Life becomes a lot more fun and meaningful when your spirit feels alive. At first my Dad in Indiana said he thought I had surely lost my marbles when I told him my vision of starting a national skipping movement. But then he skipped himself and really enjoyed it! Life is a lot better when you lose a few marbles! It's short...and it is supposed to be fun!

What do you like about skipping? It raises your heart rate and your spirit....and goodness knows in today's world our spirits need all the help they can get. Skipping is also a very innocent and positive way to challenge some of the unspoken rules of our culture that prevent us from enjoying our lives to the fullest and feeling truly free.

How often do you skip, and where do you do it? Lately I have mostly been skipping on the treadmill at the gym...and occasionally in my neighborhood. I love skipping to happy songs with serious runners on either side of me. I also skip spontaneously whenever the spirit moves me. I have been known to skip around my church on Sundays...To skip while on hikes...To skip up the hall at work....To skip at the grocery store...and occasionally I even skip to the loo, :-)

This weekend I watched a lovely independent film called Junebug I got from Netflix. It tells the story of a big city art dealer who makes a trip to North Carolina where her new husband's family lives. His relatives consist of a bristly mother, a reticent father, a crabby brother, and a wide eyed optimistic sister-in-law who all live in the same house. The movie shows there is always more to family than meets the eye.

One scene in the movie made me instantly think of skipping. The preacher of the small town North Carolina church is giving a sermon and asks the congregation, "When was the last time you were so filled up with the holy spirit that people mocked you? They said that person must be drunk. That person must be filled with new wine. I have to confess that I think that time for me may have been never."

It makes me happy to be able to say that I have been so full of the holy spirit (through skipping) that some have mocked me! Skipping infuses my spirit with lightness and joy! It makes me feel happy to be alive! What a blessing. Skip on!

I saw Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" last night and WOW! It was even more inspiring and important than I imagined it would be. It raises important morality issues about being an American and inhabiting planet earth. It explains global warming and offers strong scientific evidence that ain't all that pretty.

Thank God someone in Al Gore's position is finally willing to stand up and tell the truth in this way (even though it is really hard to hear and accept). The movie actually made me really happy that Gore wasn't appointed president. He is a man on a very important mission. He undoubtedly wlll create much more positive change in this country and world doing what he is doing than he could have from within our very screwed up political system.

I pray that Al Gore's movie will open many eyes and awaken many hearts around the world! There are scientific reasons why there have been so many natural disasters and it is only going to get consistently more intense unless we wake up and do our part to create change on this planet. If we don't start planning for the future now, the consequences of our inaction will fall on the shoulders of future generations...and that feels completely unacceptable to me. I agree with Al Gore that we have a moral obligation to take the issue of global warming and our enviornment very seriously! I can't encourage you enough to go out and see this movie.

Skip on Al Gore! And skip on all do gooders of the world who know it is possible for us to make a difference. Onward and upward! Together we can (and are) changing the world!

About a year and a half ago, I got a call from a guy named Chris Noxon who was writing a book called Rejuvenile. At the time, I was working at the Learning Annex and trying to rebuild after my catastrophic leap into skipping fame and self-employment.

Well, his book was recently published and Chris is getting an uncanny amount of PR! He was on the Today Show, Talk of the Nation, Comedy Central, USA Today, and more! Here's what Publisher's Weekly said about the book, "According to journalist Noxon, rejuveniles-adults who use childhood past-times as "a way of maintaining wonder, trust, and silliness in a world where these qualities are often in short supply"-are proliferating, and unlike other books on the topic of "kidults", his book says this is largely good."

He did an amazing job telling my story in the book in a section entitled, "The Brief But Thrilling Career of Kim Corbin Professional Skipper!" I am hoping to get permissoin from the publisher to excerpt the entire thing on my website, but for now I thought I'd share the very last part...

"But even in the midst of what she calls an "acute post-skip hangover," Kim is still wildly effusive about the power of childhood play. "Skipping reveals the true authrentic self," she says. "I may be on the sidewalk on the way to the grocery store, but when I skip I'm a kid at play. It activates the part of yourself that your adult self ignores." Yes, her experience as a skipping ambassador led to some hardship and disappoingments. But something unexpected came from promoting the virtues of childhood: Kim became a better adult. "Before skipping, everything was pretty easy for me," she says, "Skipping was a big leap. It taught me to follow my heart, no matter what happens. It was through that childlike spirit that I was forced to grow up. I thought when I started this that it was all going to be fun and easy, but of course that's not what life is. I had to learn about humility and patience and doubt and all this stuff that's not as much fun as riding the high."

It really is true that the skipping movement experience has taught me a lot about following my heart! I believe we all have a unique contribution we are born to make. I consider myself lucky to have discovered mine...Even if it seems strange to much of the rest of the world. Through an often painful process of trial and error, I'm learning to balance my childlike wonder with the realities of adult life...and it's a journey I wouldn't trade for anything...Not even the REALLY hard parts! Skip on!

As I've mentioned here before, I am excited to be working with Reverend Karen Junker on a new project called "Housechurch: A Ministry of Peace" in San Francisco. We meet on Sundays and are exploring powerful ways we can be the peace we hope to see in the world.

Rather than being anti-war (which feels decidedly unpeaceful), we choose to be pro-peace. We choose to pray for the Bush Administration rather than inwardly raging against them. Our mission is to be the peace we wish to see in the world. We know that peace begins with us.

Karen shared this message from the Hope Elders in Oraibi, Arizona at Housechurch today and I felt moved to share it here...

We have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people this is the Hour.

And there are things to be considered.
Were are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.

It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look out side yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!
There is a river now flowing very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold onto the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, and push off and into the river.
Keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
See who is there with you and Celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.
Least of all ourselves.
For the moment that we do,
Our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.
All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner
And in celebration.

We are the one's we've been waiting for...

I believe with all of my heart that skipping has the power to transform people's lives in profound and permanent ways. It most definitely has had that effect on me and I know I am not alone from the thousands of emails I have received from fellow skippers. For years now, I have been hoping that a researcher would become inspired to study these benefits and articulate them in a credible and cohesive way. This week I heard from a grad student with a vision for skipping research.....

Hi. My name is Madison and I am first of all a skipper! I am also a graduate student pursuing my PhD in Clinical Psychology and am quite interested in the psychological benefits of skipping. My theory is that it is impossible to remain in a negative space while skipping and my plan is to put the pharmaceutical companies out of business. To do this though, I must follow the "medical model" of research design and I am looking for any formal research that has been done that you are aware of that has studied this phenomenon. Any leads, or info would be greatly appreciated. Also in a year or so I will be conducting a formal research project and would certainly love to have some "skippers" as a part of my study. thanks for your help and of course for skipping.

Here's my response to her...

It's awesome to hear from you. You have definitely come to the right place. I would love to help you with your skipping research efforts however possible....and have a feeling this info will...

A professor named Allen Burton from the School of Kinesiology and Leisure Studies from the University of Minnesota emailed me back in June of 2000. He had done research into the affective aspects of skipping and published a paper called "Skipping and hopping of undergraduates: Recollections of when and why". Here's a brief excerpt from the paper he sent to me...

"Izard (1993), in her multisystem model of emotion activation, explained that particular movement behaviors may be manifestations of cognitive-mediated affect. This certainly appears to be the case for skipping: people feel happy or funny and so they skip. Izard also argued that emotion may be generated by particular movement behaviors, such as skipping, but this concept is beyond the scope of this study. A hypothesis that needs to be addressed in future research is that most persons who skip will immediately experience an increase in positive affect. Such work may have some interesting clinical applications."

Sounds right up your alley, don't you think!? I definitely have a theory or two about the psychological and spiritual benefits of skipping....I've been studying and trying to skip through life for over seven years now. Unfortunately, I do think it is possible for people to remain angry and skip....Although it isn't likely they'd actually do it.....I do, however, believe that skipping DOES raise the spirit of even the most angry person just a little bit despite even the most willful determination to stay angry...and anyone who would do it on a consistent basis for an extended period of time would experience undeniable psychological results. I'd bet the barn on it. (As we used to say in Indiana.)

And her reply...

My approach is multidimensional. I believe that skipping works on physical, psychological, social and spiritual levels. I think that skipping could lead to world peace. As you can see I have big dreams but until someone tells me differently I will continue on this path. I am also interested in looking at the cultural inclusion of skipping - ie, native americans include a lot of skipping in their ceremonies as do many native tribes in Africa. So I will also be looking systematically culture by culture to see who does it and when and why....there is so little research done to date on skipping - I am quite surprised at how something so obvious and I think somewhat universal could have been overlooked by all the sciences....including movement therapy. So whatever little tidbits you have I'll definitely take them and I'll keep you updated. When do people learn to skip? How do they learn it and mostimportantly when and why do they stop? these are some of the questions I am thinking about right now.

I am also wondering how the grassroots work is being done. You have been involved in making skipping known for years now and I am wondering how you frame things, how you attract "followers" and have spread the word. I am seriously thinking that this can be used for a new social movement. Again thank you. Madison

If you are reading this and know of any existing research or studies that have been done on skipping, please email me and let me know! I'll gladly pass your information on to Madison to help her in her research efforts. Thanks and skip on!

I'm having another fun day skipping down memory lane doing research for my book project. I just found a list of "Thoughts on Skipping" I wrote way back in 1999 when I first started the skipping movement. I thought it would be fun to share...

***It's about much more than skipping. It's about a state of mind. It's about people remembering what it feels like to let go and truly enjoy the moment whether by skipping, blowing bubbles, riding a bike with no hands, rolling down a hill, or singing a silly song. It really can make a difference in leading a happy life.

***It looks a lot less stupid than power walking and is a lot more fun.

***Someone recently asked me how I can possibly skip around when there is so much tragedy in the world. My response? That's exactly why we so desperately need to infuse positive energy into our livs. We are so bogged down by the negativity in this world that when we hear an innocent and happy story, many question if it should even exist. I'm in no way trivalizing the negative forces that are infiltrating our society. I'm merely trying to counteract them by spreading the word about something positive that truly makes people happy.

***When I tried running, I felt like unless I could go for at least a half a mile, it wasn't worth it. That's one of the great things about skipping. There are no rules. You can walk a block, skip a block, run a block. You can skip long distances. Or you can skip just for the heck of it in places like the grocery store. Skipping preferences are a very personal thing.

***When I rediscovered skipping as an adult and built my website, I had no idea how many "closet" skippers there were out there. I receive email after email from people thanking me for having the courage to speak my skipping truth! They help keep my passion alive day after day!

It's amazing to stop and realize that my passion for skipping is still alive over seven years later! Wow. What a long strange skip it continues to be! Skip on!

This weekend I started volunteering at Laguna Honda Hospital. Laguna Honda provides nursing care to adult residents of San Francisco who are disabled or chronically ill. They are in the process of building a new hospital campus but for the time being the patients live in open wards in a huge old building. When many of the homeless people in the city become too ill to care for themselves, Laguna Honda becomes their home.

I was assigned one patient I will visit with on an ongoing basis. Just walking through the halls on the way to meet her was an adventure outside my comfort zone. Patients in wheel chairs lined the halls and I smiled at them as I walked by. Inside I was nervous about meeting my patient. I hoped we would have a good connection and that I would know what to say and do.

My hopes became a reality. She is from Somoa where most of her family live and has been at Laguna Honda since February. She had a curtain pulled tightly around her bed and small living space. I pulled up a chair while she sat on the bed. She talked and I listened. She told me about the colorful history of Somoa. She told me how she followed her heart to become a teacher. Her eyes danced and sparkled as she spoke and my heart couldn't help but open.

When our time was up and I told her I had to go, she couldn't believe she had talked the whole time. She asked me to please tell her something about me before I left. So I told her all about the skipping movement and left her with one of my SKIP ON! postcards. I reminded her that even when we can't physically skip, it is always possible to skip in our hearts.

I left Laguna Honda skipping on air. Just a couple of hours there really puts things in perspective. I have no doubt my visit uplifted my new friend's spirit and it most certainly did the same for mine! I love being a do gooder! Nothing feeds my spirit more than feeling like I am making a difference for someone else. Onward and upward!

I got this fantastic email from skippers Emma and Sophie who live in Australia and wanted to share! They are so right that a skipping session can immediately put you in a more positive head space! Skip on Emma and Sophie!

Just thought I'd send you an email... Cuz i'm happy!!!

The other day i realized something. Skipping actually improves your mood and removes everyday stresses. One day for example, I was totally weighed down with everything. Work was getting me down. The weather was horrible. I had a cold and I had just had a fight with one of my friends, plus my parents were on my back. i was ready to give up, crawl into bed and stay there until summer. But then i had an revelation. i decided to turn to skipping.

I channelled all of my anger and frustration into skipping. I held back at first, skipping quite lightly as one would do in a happy mood on a summer day, but i found that that technique wasn't making me feel any better. So i decided to put some anger into it. I skipped fast and hard. i skipped up and down the beach, the wind on my back and the feeling was FANTASTIC!!!

When I got home, I was exhausted. but i felt great. While I was skipping I completely forgot about everything and when I got home I felt fully refreshed. I patched things over with my parents, my friend, popped a flu tablet and decided that working at a corner store for 8 hours straight wasn't that bad. I realized that my life could be worse and that I was glad to have what I have.

So to all out there who think skipping is stupid and for losers who are caught in their childhood, I say start skipping ASAP for a totally fresh outlook on life. You will thank us for it... Love from Emma and Sophie

Wow. For the past hour or so I've been reading through the archives of my "As the World Skips Newsletter" on topica.com. When the skipping movement was at its peak, I sent it out every month like clock work to report on the miraculous skipping happenings around the world. I'm re-reading them as research for my book project! It's great fun.

One of the sections of the newsletter included quotes from skippers across the country. I thought it would be fun to share some of them here...

"I love the spirit skipping represents: inner joy, community, and gentle rebellion. May the skipping movement continue!!" --Eric in New York, NY

"I've learned that it's really hard to remain in a bad mood when you are skipping. It instantly lightens things up and chases the blues away! In these serious and stressful times, I know few people who couldn't use a dose of silliness in their life. Iskip's message is important, and an idea vital to our survival in the 21st century." --Venus in Austin, TX

"Well, inspiration abounds when I skip and I do feel like a kid again. It frees the cobwebs, stimulates the soul, and enlightens the spirit." --Nancy in Beaverton Oregon

"When I skip, I can go back to sitting on my grandmother's front porch, waiting for the ice cream churn to stop. When I skip, I am taken back from the Internet, my cell phone, having to remember zip codes, area codes, my kids' social security numbers, my email address. When I skip I can think about all of the fun I still have with my sister, giggling and dancing just like we did 40 years ago." --Sharon in Dallas, Texas

"We all know you can't do it without smiling and the most satisfaction I get out of life is making others smile. Try just telling someone you go skipping and watch their reaction. I bet they smile. Actually get them to skip or skip in front of them and I guarantee a smile." --Tammy Wilson, Alexandria, Virginia

"Before I read about iskip.com, I would only skip when I went out really early in the morning and I used to pretty much stop if I saw anyone coming. But now I have the courage to skip whenever I feel like it. I like to skip because I can't help but smile when I'm skipping (either I'm too uncoordinated to frown and skip at the same time or else it's a physical impossibility!) I know people would feel better if they took the time to skip when they need to perk up." --Nancy in Thousand Oaks, CA

I still send out "As the World Skips" when the spirit moves me, usually about once every few months or so. If you'd like to subscribe all you have to do is send an email to iskip-subscribe@topica.com

A while back I went to a great massage therapist named Kae whose business is called The Blue Hand in Novato, CA. She is a gifted and talented healer, so if you're in this neck of the woods and your body needs some attention give her a call.

As I often do when I meet new people, I told her about iskip.com and my passion for skipping. My skipping enthusiasm must have been contagious because I received this email from her yesterday...

Since your visit, I've been breaking up my walking mornings with skipping every other block. This was at first a whole lot harder than I thought but also A LOT more fun. The cardio benefits are amazing and this is so much more energizing than windsprints. Thanks so much for passing your message on - keep it up!

Yay! I love it when people start skipping and discover its joyful benefits for themselves. And the benefits of skipping are tremendous. When Prevention Magazine did an article about skipping in September of 2001, they reported that skipping burns twice as many calories as walking does. They also reported that it increases agility, strengthens bones, beats boredom and invites family fun!

In the article, Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D. who is the fitness research director for the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA said, "Skipping is cool. Football players do it. Runners do it. It really works your legs, provides a good cardio workout, and is fun for variety."

The Prevention article goes on to offer the following tips for skipping safely:

1. Stay low and slow. Start with just a few easy, low-to-the-ground skips, pushing off your back foot and swinging your arms. When you feel up to it, skip a little longer or with more gusto.

2. Work it into walks. No need to skip for miles. Walk a block, then skip a quarter block. Continue mixing the two throughout your workout.

3. Soften your landing. Wear good aerobic sneakers to absorb impact. Skip on dirt or cindred paths rather than concrete.

4. Watch your back. Too much impact can aggravate lower-back injuries. Stick to easy, low-impact skips if you have a history of back problems

So get out there and start skipping! And if you are worried about what the neighbors think, start by pulling down the blinds, playing a happy song, and skipping around your house! Then read through this blog and iskip.com to hopefully help you stop worrying so much about what other people think so your joyous childlike spirit can shine through! Skip on!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I am working on a book about finding and living your unique life calling, which of course, my skipping adventure is a perfect example of. You never know what your heart might beckon you to do....or what is possible until you say YES to it!

Right now I am writing about the importance of letting ourselves be a beginner and trying new things as we get older. For instance, my Grandmother started taking piano lessons in her late 70s and got her college degree in her 50s! I'm looking for a compelling story or two about people who took up a hobby, sport, or passion late in life and became wildly successful at it! So I thought I'd post something here. If you know of such a story, I'd really appreciate it if you would email me and share it! You also could leave your story as a comment here on my blog. Skip on!

When I was a little girl and my family moved to a new neighborhood, my Grandmother took me door-to-door in search of new friends. We knocked on every door and she would say, "This is Kim. She just moved to the neighborhood. Do you have any kids that can be her friend?" I was three or four at the most. What a gift my Grandmother gave me by doing that!

I've been hearing so much about My Space recently I decided to check it out for myself. I thought it might be a cool way for skippers to connect. So I built my own page at www.myspace.com/kimskips. So far, all it has helped me do is feel like the new kid on the block! I only have three friends...(1) The founder of My Space who is the first friend of everyone (2) Someone who saw a posting I put on the exercise board about skipping (3) Extreme Gene of Extreme Skipping fame who has a myspace page.

If you are a skipper with a myspace page....I'd love it if we could be friends! Or perhaps you aren't a skipper, but are one of the following. Here's what I wrote in the "Who I'd Like to Meet" section of my My Space page.

***Awake individuals who can hear their hearts and dare to follow them. People who say YES to their dreams.

***Kindred spirits with a clear intention of contributing as much positive energy to our world as possible.

***Do gooders. Free spirits. Yogis. Dancers. Skippers. Bubble blowers. Meditators. Burners. Prayers. Anyone who wants to make the world a more positive, loving place.

If any of the above describes you, come see me on mypace...or send me an email and tell me where I can find you there! Skip on!

This weekend was the annual Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco. I skipped the actual race (as in I slept in vs. actually skipping the 7 miles that winds from Bay to Ocean throughout the city.)

I did manage to get myself to Golden Gate Park at the very end of the race. As soon as I arrived, my friends put these bright colorful balloons on my back and I got my skip on!

After about an hour, it started pouring down rain, but those of us who were playing in the park were undettered. We skipped and danced and splashed in puddles! It was the first time in a long time I've fully enjoyed a torrential downpour. It's good for the soul!

Skip on!

I got this letter from a doctor in England and wanted to share....

Dear Kim, I'm a doctor in Paediatrics in the uk and i'm writing an article on why adults don't skip? like kids, any comments? quotes? opinions? Many Thanks, Dr. Devadas

Here's my response...

Dr. Devadas, Many people I have talked to have memories from Junior High School of their teachers telling them to stop skipping because it is for little kids.... As we get older, we forget about how important it is to be joyfully present in the moment and spontaneous. We become so focused on "being adults" that we lose touch with our childlike spirit that skips gleefully down the street without a care in the world.

It's fascinating to me how many adults are unable to let go of worrying about what other people think of them enough to skip down the street! As we get older, we want so much to fit in and to be respected that we learn conform. In the process, we lose touch with our innocence, our creativity, and our zest for life. We lose touch with who we realy are in our hearts and at our core.

Every time I skip down the street, an inner dialogue occurs. The kid in me says, "I love skipping down the street! It makes me feel free and joyful and happy!" The rational adult in me says, "You can't skip down the street. People will think you are crazy. Adults don't skip." Every time I choose to listen to my childlike spirit, it gets stronger.....and the part of me that is so worried how others will react loses power. Life is MUCH more enjoyable when your spirit is soaring and you aren't afraid to boldly express yourself!! Skip on!

Last week, I got an email from two skippers named Sophie and Emma who sent in their answers to some of the profile questions from iskip.com. These two skippers say they are boppy and merry skippers whose motto is, "If you skip, you are hip." They are 25-years-old, live in Perth Australia, and have been skipping as adults for three years.

Emma and Sophie say skipping is a tantalizing experience that makes them feel special and in the groove. They even have a cat named SKIPPER! Here are a few of their answers to my questions..

Where do you skip? We like to skip on the beach, in the park, or just around the neighborhood. We skip down random streets because we are explorers!!! We get a kick out of skipping everyday!

What kinds of reactions do you get from people when you skip? Sometimes people look at us strangely. but we just say, "Wassup skippers" and skip on!

Do you have any words of advice for someone who is hesitant to start skipping? Just keep skipping skipping skipping! Become a skipper today!:)

Any favorite skipping stories to share? Well we were skipping and this dude came up to us and said, "Hey sexy skipparooooooos, wanna skip with me back to my place?" So we did and now he's Emma's boyfriend and we have been close with him ever since. So get skipping skippers!

If you are a skipper who would like to be profiled on this blog just email me the answers to the same questions Emma and Sophie answered above...If you also send a photo of you skipping, I'll gladly put you on the skipper profile page on iskip.com too!

I just got back from working at the LA Times Book Festival down in Los Angeles. My boss Monique and I drove a mini-van packed with books down from SF on Friday. It was fun to get out of the office for a road trip.

I got to see an advanced screening of an upcoming new movie called Peaceful Warrior that is based on one of the books the company I work for publishes. You can watch a trailer for this amazing film by clicking here.

The book is Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. It is a novel that is based on actual events from his life. It is the story of a young gymnast who meets a wise older man he calls Socrates who offers him important life wisdom in a really cool way. I just found this totally cool interview with Dan about the book and movie from Vision Magazine's website.

I can't recommend this movie highly enough and am really excited to watch how it does at the box office!

I love my job as a book publicist at New World Library because it connects me with so many like-minded people who are changing our world for the better. It feels really good to help my authors get their work out into the world via radio, tv, newspaper, and magazines.

One of my authors this season is a nationally recognized psychic named Darrin Owens whose book Reader of Hearts: The Life and Teachings of a Reluctant Psychic is releasing this week!

Darrin believes there are thousands upon thousands of Americans with untapped psychic and spiritual abilities. That's why his psychic readings are designed not only to give his clients a vision for their future, but also to help them develop their own psychic and spiritual gifts.

Darrin knows all too well how challenging living with misunderstood psychic and spiritual abilities can be having grown up in the bible belt of Arkansas. In addition to telling his inspiring story, Reader of Hearts offers all of us the insight and encouragement we need to deepen our own spiritual connection and to realize our psychic gifts.

Not only is Darrin a psychic, he's also a skipper as evidenced by this excerpt from a blog entry he did this week...

On Sunday I took my darling pup Tobey out for a hike in the woods. It was beautiful! As I was walking down the wooded path, the breeze flowing gently through the trees, birds singing me their songs, I suddenly, out of nowhere, was hit with a skipping fit! I acted as if Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz possessed me and Tobey became Toto and of we both skipped down the imaginary yellow brick road. I loved it!!!

Skip on Darrin! I love it too! Darrin will be doing quite a bit of traveling in the coming months to promote his book...Including a trip to San Francisco to skip with me! Check out his website for his travel schedule and/or to learn more about the readings he does both on the phone and in-person.

Skipping on the treadmill has to be one of the most fun things you can possibly do at the gym.

I feel like I am finally over the hump as far as getting myself to workout before work. I've gone the past two mornings and that is all it takes for me to remember how great it makes me feel. I've been thinking and talking a good talk about getting back into a regular exercise routine for a few weeks now...So it feels good to finally be in action around those intentions.

The thing I love most about skipping on the treadmill is the sharp energetic contrast between my skipping and that of the runners next to me. I feel so playful and free. At first, I worried my skipping rhythm might throw the runners off, but most of them are so in the zone they hardly seem to notice I'm skipping. I play a happy song on my ipod and completely get lost in my joy. This morning the song of choice was Cool Change by the Little River Band.

Why not give skipping a try the next time you are on a treadmill? I usually start by setting the speed to a brisk walking pace... Try 4.2...I walk for a couple of minutes then warm up by mixing about 10 skipping steps in every so often. Eventually I work up to skipping for several minutes at a time with a minute walking breaks in between sets.

Of course, it's good to practice skipping a lot on solid ground before moving to the treadmill! It's much more challenging to skip on a moving object. So skip safely and skip on!

The skipping movement has felt Divinely inspired from the very start. I believe there is a unique way each of us is called to contribute our gifts to the world and promoting the joy and freedom of skipping (as unusual as I know that sounds) is a big part of what I was born to do.

Since it is Easter, it seems like the perfect time to tell you about a skipper namd Peter in Florida who started skipping after researching references to exercise in the bible. He found numerous references to skipping and became so inspired he started doing it himself. He also wrote and self-published a book called King Solomon Skipped. When Peter found iskip.com and wrote to tell me about his skipping findings, it strengthened my Faith in the skipping movement in a fun and powerful way.

Here are a few of the references that inspired him to start skipping:

**In the Songs of Solomon, chapter 2, verse 8 says, "Behold he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills".

**In the book of Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament), in the
last chapter referring to the last days it says, "But for you who fear
my name, there will arise the sun of justice with healing in his
wings; and you will gambol like calves out of the stall." (Webster's
new international dictionary defines gambol as a skipping or leaping
about in play: a frolicking movement.

***Luke 1:41....When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby skipped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

**In Acts 3:1-8 is speaks of how Peter and John went up to the temple
to pray. They met a man begging for alms who had been lame since birth.
Peter said to him, "silver and gold have I none; but such as I have
give I to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and
walk. .and leaping up he stood and walked, and entered with them into
the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

** Luke 6:22,23 speaks of leaping for joy. The first definition for
this word leaping in the Greek- English dictionary is to skip.

Of all of the people who have written to share their moments of skipping inspiration, I must say Peter's story ranks right up there as one of the most unique! Amen Peter! Blessed be! Skip on!

I had what had to be one of the most fun commutes to work in the history of the world today!

It has been raining here for weeks on end. This morning the sun was shining bright as I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge with my ears flapping in the wind. People waved and honked and smiled and laughed. What a wonderful way to start the day. Happy Easter! Skip on!

Tonight I skipped down to Citizen Cupcake inside Virgin Records to hear my friend Zanne Mack play an unplugged set. Another long time friend of mine Andrea manages the cafe and brings in live music every Wednesday night!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the poster for Jack Black's new movie at the store. Is it me, or is Jack striking a super skipper pose!? Skip on Jack Black!

The SKIP ON! image on my postcard was taken by the amazingly talented Margot Duane back in 2000 in the early skipping days. She took me up to the Marin Headlands and said, "You are the skipping Queen and you can do anything! Now let me see you skip girlfriend!"

I bring SKIP ON postcards everywhere I go so it has become quite the skipping calling card! I also love to send them to kindred spirits I meet through iskip.com. If you email me and share a skipping story and your mailing address, I'd be happy to send you one too.

If it's a Jack Black poster you are after instead, I found one for sale on a website called Poster World. Skip on!

I went for an amazing skip on Monday night! I live near a very steep hill in San Francisco where the cable car runs. I started at the top and skipped all the way down through the financial district. I skipped for quite a distance before walking the rest of the way home.

It's amazing to realize it has been exactly seven years since I started skipping and created iskip.com. While the 15+ minutes of fame I experienced were great, I must say I have been enjoying my skipping anonymity even more. Instead of a media whirlwind, skipping has become more of a spiritual practice for me. My love affair with it continues.

My intention for this spring is to get out and about and skip like that a lot more often. It's such a great way to see the city and to connect with life. Otherwise I spend way too much time curled up on my new couch. :-)

Yet another inspired skipper found iskip.com this week. I am sharing her email and my response to hopefully paint a clearer picture of how you too might be able to get involved in the skipping movement! Email me if you are interested in starting a skipping club in your area!

I love the idea of skipping. I used to do it all the time. My best friend and I still do on occasion when we are being silly. Just thinking about it makes me smile. Thanks for starting this movement. I am going to start the movement in my area! --Amy in Anchorage, Alaska

Amy, I would love to support your local skipping efforts on iskip.com! If you organize a group skip or a skipping club, etc. we can work together to create an Anchorage page on the website.

Tell me more about what you want to create! There are so many different ways to get people together to skip. Are you looking for people to skip for serious fitness? For fun? To raise awareness about something positive? To spread positive energy?

Skipping Clubs have taken many forms...A fundraising skip for a cause where you get kids and parents involved... A one time group skipping event in a public place... Regular walking/skipping groups that meet in the mornings....Individuals who skip long distances for a cause....One or two people who go out with the simple intention of promoting skipping...Etc!

Getting people to do group skips can be more challenging than you might think! But it sure is fun trying! The quality of people that come to the skip is amazing. Almost by definition, people have to be willing to tap into their free spirited, positive energy side in order to participate! Don't know about you, but I want as many people like that in my life as possible right now.

My best advice if you want to start a local skipping club/movement is (1) get out there and start skipping as much as you can yourself and talk to as many people about your skipping plans as you can (2) work with me to create an iskip.com/anchorage page on the website that introduces you as the skipping club president and shares your vision for a local "movement" (3) prepare for magic to happen, enjoy the ride, and see what happens!!

Let me know if you want to create your own skipping chapter webpage and I'll send you some profile questions to get you started. I'd also need at least one picture of you skipping. Skip on Soul Sister!