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!

Becki in Florida is totally inspiring me with her commitment to skip every day! As those of you who are regular readers know, i did my own 21-day experiment a few weeks ago....But I ended up doing very little actual skipping. My intention (as soon as it stops raining here in San Francisco) is to get out there and start skipping at least a couple times a week. It is soooo good for my soul. I don't know why I don't do it all the time!

Here's the latest update I received from Becki..... Her atittude about getting people to join her skipping club is perfect! Group skips are all about quality and not quantity....It is simply too confronting for most adults to skip down the street! I find that reality incredibly sad....which is why my life mission is inspiring more and more people to start skipping...and to invite as many people as possible to join them! If you are a skipping spirit, SKIP ON and don't let yourself be deterred by people who don't get it! The world needs your positive skipping energy now more than ever!! Now, here's Becky.....

By the way, I'm 13 days I think into my experiment. Cutting out the coffee was no problem, Skipping is a little different. I think I'm over the hump. I'm finding that my inner skip is the little voice in my head that says, "You can do it! Go for it! Get out there!" I'm not afraid of what people think for the most part. Once in a while I cringe when I see someone that I deem "important". Then a few seconds later I say, "C'mon! Skip with me!" Some join in, some say, "not for me". I'm able to skip longer distances now. I get a lot of ribbing from my circle of my hubby's friends. I think they want to skip, they're just timid. I always leave an open invitation anywhere I go and I leave a little skipping card (business card) that has the time and date of the next group skip. I'm not worried about people joining the club, I just want them to skip or come skip with me. SOme one told me this weekend that he thinks I'm like an alcoholic that doesn't want to drink alone, he wants people to drink with him. I'm like a skipper that doesn't want to skip alone. I don't know if I agree with that. Some days I like to skip alone. It's cleansing to my soul. I do want people to experience what I'm experiencing with my skipping journey. I feel like I have found something fun, healthy and therapeutic and of course I want to share it with everyone.