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!
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
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!
Monday, September 11, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
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
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
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