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!