This past Saturday night I participated in a really inspiring event. More than 35 countries, hundreds of yoga studios and thousands of yoga practitioners worldwide gathered as a part of the Global Mala Project...and I was lucky enough to be at San Francisco's event.

The intention behind the event was to take the positive energy and peace that we gain on the mat in yoga off the mat and out into the world. The Global Mala Website says the project is, "a seed of a world-wide experiment into the power of meditation in action." Yum!

The event included yoga...We did 54 sun salutations (and boy did I feel it the next day), meditation, chanting, and kirtan which is a really inspiring call and response singing practice. Throughout the night, we were reminded of our intention of creating peace in our own hearts so we can share it with the world. It felt great.

I love that there are increasing numbers of things like this to connect with these days! The spirit of Global Mala is very much like the spirit of skipping movement. As individuals, we skip to express our joy and to contribute positive energy to the world...and collectively I truly believe we make a difference.

Even though there is a lot of really scary stuff happening in the world right now, it also is a truly exciting time to be alive with the ever expanding consciousness and awareness of increasing numbers of individuals around the globe. That's what I choose to focus on, instead of all of the fear that the media tries to feed me every day!

Onward and upward! Together we can and are changing the world...

Just read an awesome thing and wanted to share!

Today is the 25th birthday of the digital smiley face.... The symbol that looks like this :-)

It was first posted by Professor Scott Fahlman while taking part in an online debate. He typed it and told everyone to to look at it sideways.

Professor Fahlman says, "I have never run into anyone who claims to have invented it before I did."

You can read the whole story by clicking here.

It's amazing how much time can skip by between my blog entries if I'm not careful. It's hard to believe it has been well over a month since I've written anything here. Better late than never I suppose.

I most certainly haven't been sitting around twiddling my thumbs! The first weekend in August, I went on a cruise to the Bahama's with my family to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary....and the last weekend of the month, I attended my 10th Burning Man. Talk about an action packed month!

Both trips helped me connect with important parts of myself...My family roots on the Cruise...and my creative, expressive independent spirit at Burning Man...So as summer winds to a close, I find myself energized and ready to get my skip on this Fall!

I've been writing my manuscript in progress on a much more regular basis...and organized a fabulous women's circle on the new moon on September 11th to help my friends and I get clear about the things we hope to create in our lives in the coming months.

For centuries, women have gathered on New Moons to set intentions and clarify their heart's desires. So it is a particularly powerful time to articulate the positive changes we hope to create in our lives....and also to let go of old thought patterns, habits, etc. that might be the standing in the way of our reaching them.

We had a fabulous circle with 10 women present...and we are planning to meet again on the next new moon to check-in with each other and to put our intentions out there once again! It felt so good to gather together with positive, like-minded people in order to support each others dreams! I highly recommend organizing a circle like this of your own. There's great power in it.

My main intention for this Fall is to complete the first draft of my manuscript with a sense of enjoyment and ease...I also am going to be watching the moon cycles more closely...and plan on using the powerful collective energy that happens on those days to check in with myself and to restate my personal hopes and goals. That will also give me a great excuse to write on my blog more often...So I'll see you back here on the Full moon which falls on September 26th this month if not before. Until then, skip on!

Here's to being crazy enough to believe it is possible to change the world for the better...



Onward and upward! Together we can and are changing the world!

Here's a lovely skipping story I recently received that I just love....

As I recently walked home through the MIT campus, I had a small skipping adventure that I thought you might enjoy.

As I headed east on Massachusetts Avenue, a father with young son approached holding hands. The boy started to skip, tugging at his dad's arm to join him, but Dad was much too sophisticated and was resisting. So I, a white-haired, 60-year old man, began blithely skipping toward them. Sure enough, dad loosened up a bit and joined in the fun. I didn't turn around to see how long the skipping continued, but am hoping it will be a little easier for the father next time the boy wants to do some skipping.

I love it! Skip on! And be sure to email me whenever you have an interesting skipping encounter of your own!

Here's the most recent skipping video I uploaded to You Tube! This one was from October of 1999 when I was in Los Angeles as part of a big multi-city skip day.

I love hearing from Skippers around the world...So be sure to email me whenever you see a skipper in the media, have a skipping story to share, etc. Skip on!

This just in from the skipper mail bag....

Hi! I just read your website and you said that if anyone knew how to
say skip in languages other than those you've shown there, one should
contact you!! Well, I'm Brazilian, and we speak portuguese here! Skip
here translates do 'bater punheta'!!! Or you can translate 'let's go skipping' as: eu bato punheta com o dedo no cu!' ' cute isn't it? Kewl website, by the way!! Keep skipping!

And in response to the Who's Skippin' section of iskip.com...

Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter movie (and book) always skips when walking.

Just for the sake of completitude ;)

Loved this fun video and thought I'd share...Check out Granny and Grampy's cool skipping moves! Should be called Ghost Skippin' if you ask me. Oh yeah! Skip on!

glumbert.com - Ghost Ridin' Grandma

Hooray! I am finally learning how to convert all of the television interviews I did about iskip.com into digital formats! That means they are up on You Tube...and I can share them with you here.
This one is from the first ever happy hour skip I organized in San Francisco. The SF Chronicle did a big story about it the day before, and much to my amazement 50+ skippers and television crews from CNN and the local NBC station showed up.

Stay tuned for more fun skipping video to come!! Skip on!

Independence Day was really special for me this year.

Several weeks back, I met a guy named Don Foster at Downtown Novato's weekly farmer's market. He was there recruiting volunteers to participate in a group called PeaceNovato's entry in the annual 4th of July parade. I signed up right away!

Whenever an American soldier is killed in Iraq, PeaceNovato volunteers hand fold a paper crane and write the name, rank, and hometown of the deceased on its wing to honor that person. Then they attach the red, white, and blue cranes to portable display stands that are carried along the parade route. They needed over 20 people to carry the cranes this year.

I just love how the intention behind their project is one of honor for fallen soldiers. I also love how it puts a visual reminder of the cost of war in front of our faces so we have to look at it. I'll admit on the day I met Don I didn't know what the casuality count of the Iraqi war was. I'm glad I know now. I'm also glad to be contributing my energy toward raising awareness about the realities of the war in such a positive way. The more angry end of the peace movement spectrum has never really worked for me because I believe we literally must "be the peace we wish to see."

There were about 3,700 cranes in this year's parade, which was 1,000 more than last year. Julie, one of PeaceNovato's organizers, read off the names of soldiers over a megaphone as we walked. Since I was waearing my festive Betsy Ross dress, I also was given the honor of carrying a large sign at the front of cranes that included the number of Iraqi's that have been killed....conservative estimates say 70K....as well as the number of injuries, coalition deaths, etc.

A reporter from the local paper interviewed me at the parade for the story she was writing..and I made the paper. Here's an excerpt from the article...

If you've been to the parade before then you know what happens: Basset hounds dressed up in festive garb lope along Grant Avenue, dancers from Love2Dance perform a festive routine and the crowd soars with respect and adulation as the Pearl Harbor survivors ride by in a military vehicle.

But for Kim Corbin, a recent Novato transplant, this was her first parade. Corbin decided to not just be a passive observer, instead she put on a Betsy Ross costume she purchased in San Francisco and joined PeaceNovato with its crane entry.

“It's really nice seeing what America is all about, which is nice because there's a lot I don't like about America right now,” Corbin said.

“What I like about this entry is that they're honoring soldiers that have died. It's so important to give people a visual representation of the war,” she added.

The cranes were well received by the crowd with applause and genuine appreciation. My heart swelled with emotion in response to the warm reception we received. It was truly a magical day and I am proud to officially be a part of PeaceNovato's efforts.

Onward and upward! Together we CAN change the world

I hardly consider myself a bible thumper, which is why I found my recent impulse to take the Bible off my shelf somewhat peculiar. But I learned long ago how fun and interesting my life becomes when I honor my spirit-fueled impulses, so I picked the good book up and dusted it off.

I randomly flipped it open to any page could hardly believe the words I read. I had no idea just how closely Jesus' propehecies match what is happening in our world today. Check out these passages from Luke Chapter 21...

"Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name claiming, 'I am he,' and 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."

"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city."

"There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the rearing and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redepemption is drawing near."

All of the above are quotes directly attributed to Jesus! Crazy stuff.

Now, fear not, I'm not about to veer off into an evangelical "Come to Jesus" rant....While I certainly think Jesus is the coolest, I personally believe the "second coming" involves the awakening of Christ's consciousness within our own hearts more than that one man who will somehow magically descend from the clouds one day.

But, regardless of what you do or don't think about Jesus, you have to admit it's pretty eerie reading such an accurate description of some of the scarey stuff that has been going on in our world lately. Man. Just sayin'!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I'm fascinated by medtiation and have been dabbling with it off and on for quite some time.

Recently, I have been meditating on a much more regular basis...At least 10 minutes a day...And it's amazing what a difference it makes for me. It's hard to put into words exactly what it gives me, but I sure am enjoying it.

I recently came across an article that offered the following thoughts on the benefits of meditation and I thought I'd share...

Sonia Choquete writes in her book The Psychic Pathway, "Learning to meditate sharpens your awareness, increases your concentration, and assists in shutting off the mind chatter, the endless drone of voices that run through your brain. You will slowly learn to become more aware of the voice of guidance within."

In an article on Shinzen.org, Shinzen Young writes, "A person with high base-line attentiveness finds, in general, all life activities to be more fulfilling. Intrinsically pleasant experiences (food, music, sexuality, etc.) are vastly more intense and satisfying simply because one is more fully in the moment." Furthermore, ordinary banal experiences (washing dishes, driving to work, social conversation, etc.) take on a quality of extraordinary vibrancy and fascination. Bordeom becomes a thing of the past."

Pretty cool! Skip on! Meditate on! Good stuff. :-)

My world and Paris Hilton's world have been colliding lately!

That's because the book she is reading while she is in the pokey, along with the Holy Bible and The Secret, is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle which is New World Library's bestseller ever. That's the amazing publishing company where I feel truly honored to be a book publicist.

We've been getting all kinds of calls this week from tabloids like OK Magazine and Life & Style to national media like TV Guide to The Early Show wanting to interview the author to learn what his book might help Paris discover while she is behind bars.

Eckhart Tolle is not your every day author, though. While most authors would leap at the chance to talk about their book in the national media, not Eckhart. He truly practices what he preaches and is not swept away by the energetic rush that the media whirlwind so often creates in our culture. Explaining this to producers and editors is its own unique callenge as a publicist.

Whatever he's doing, it's hard to deny it is working! His book is a New York Times Bestseller that week after week tops our weekly sales charts. I personally love his way...How detached from it all he is...and how he really and truly stays deeply in the present moment, even in the face of great success.

Since Eckhart's media appearances are so few and far (especially between compared to the authors of The Secret), I thought I'd share the following excerpts from a companion book we publish also by him called Practicing the Power of Now. It will give you an idea what The Power of Now is all about...Not to mention a glimpse into what is keeping Ms. Hilton busy in her cell.

**The present moment holds the key to liberation. But you cannot find the present moment as long as you are in your mind. Enlightenment means rising above thought.

**Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. Pay particular attention to any repetitive thought patterns, those old audiotapes that have been playing in your head for many years.

**Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the now the primary focus of your life.

**Make it a habit to ask yourself: What's going on inside me at this moment? The question will point you in the right direction.

**Presence is the key to freedom, so you can only be free now.

**Forget about your life situation for a while and pay attention to your life.

**Observe the many ways in which unease, discontent, and tension arise within you through unnecessary judgment, resistance to what is, and the denial of the Now.

**Make it a habit to monitor your mental and emotional state through self-observation.

**Become aware of your breathing.

**Die to the past every moment. You don't need it. Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present.

**To stay present in everyday life, it helps to be deeply rooted within yourself; otherwise, the mind, which has incredible momentum, will drag you along like a wild river.

**Whenever an answer, a solution, or a creative idea is needed, stop thinking for a moment by focusing attention on your inner energy field. Become aware of the stillness.

**Use your senses fully. Be where you are. Look around. Just look, don't interpret. Listen to the sounds; don't judge them. Touch something and feel and acknowledge its being.

Excerpted with permission from Practicing the Power of Now. Copyright © 1999 by Eckhart Tolle. Reprinted with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA.

I've spent the past several hours updating iskip.com for the first time in over a year! I've mostly been using this blog to report any skipping news, and as a result the website itself got put on the backburner.

I've been having a great time rediscovering the stories of all of the amazing skippers I have met on this miraculous skipping journey in the updating process...It's incredible to take a step back and take stock of all of the skipping magic that has filled my life the past 8+ years.

I added a media section to the home page that includes links to interviews I did on the Donny & Marie Show and KOVR out of Sacramento...Amazingly, many of the links to the newspaper articles that were written are still live, so I included those as well! I even found this article that I'm not sure if I've ever seen before. It has to be one of the most in-depth and interesting ones ever done! What a treasure for the skipping archives. I am really excited. :-)

Here's a snippet from it...

"Other people also skip in order to raise money for favorite charities. Alpharetta, Ga. skipper Susan Reineck spent more than a week last April skipping 100 miles from Atlanta all the way to Ellijay in the North Georgia mountains to raise money for a local wildlife rehabilitation refuge. “It’s just fun,” proclaimed Reineck. “It’s about the same pace as a walk, but you’re really using your lungs a lot more. So, I’m able to just sit back and enjoy the scenery while I do it.”

Skipping is an activity appropriate for all ages. Just ask 67 year-old Laura Middleton Downing, a Boulder, Colorado skipper. She and her friends skip through the bustling Pearl Street Mall, and she’s even been spotted skipping through some local road races. She also leads a senior citizen group in skipping routines.

“We got all sorts of strange looks and smirks, but we also got some people to skip with us,” she said. “I’m finding that it does look kind of silly for adults to do it – especially for seniors. But, if people will do it they find it’s a lot of fun and it makes you feel good. “

This activity has to be catching on, if watching Billy Bob Thornton skipping on the screen is any indication. . After all, it’s all about self-expression.

“It’s a great metaphor for the evolution of the male--losing the (inner) child, and losing the freedom to truly express ourselves in all silly ways,” said Jeff Lester, who, along with his wife, actress Susan Anton, produced and directed The Last Real Cowboys. “We (have) become much more rigid and concerned about the way we’re coming off and the way we look. I just thought it was great to take a leap back and ask the question: where in history did that happen?”

Lester says the premise of the comic short film is simple. It’s about a cowboy in the 1800s who poses the question, “Why don’t we skip no more? You know like when we were kids – skipping. I used to love skipping.” The response from his befuddled companion is simply, “Men don’t skip.” Just like they try not to show their feelings, trust a stranger, or believe in love.

You can watch the Last Real Cowboys online by clicking here

I sure have been enjoying my virtual skip down memory lane this evening! What a long strange skip it continues to be. Yee-haw! Skip on!

The section of Positive Thinking Magazine I was recently profiled in is called "Love Your Life"...So they asked me to come up with three tips on how to do what you love and love what you do....Here they are..

**Make it a priority to connect with the still, small voice in your heart. Don't be so concerned about what you think you have to do.

**Create a regular spiritual practice. Do whatever it takes to build the inner strength you need to go where that voice leads.

**Spend less time worrying about what other people think and more time doing the things that make your heart sing!

And so it is! Skip on!

I'm very excited to announce that Positive Thinking Magazine did a lovely feature about my skipping dream in their May/June issue. They even sent a professional photographer out to take a photo of me skipping with my New World Library coworkers! We had such a fun time and the picture really captures it.

The article is pretty accurate, except I never actually had a book DEAL...I just had a literary agent that was trying to help me secure one..

It started simply enough: One night in 1997, Kim Corbin was out on the town with friends when someone suggested they all start skipping. "I immediately got the idea that I was going to start a huge national skipping movement and get the whole country to start skipping for recreation," says Kim.

In 1999, she launched the website iskip.com and began organizing public skipping events near her home in San Francisco. The events drew hundreds of participants as well as national media coverage and an offer for a book deal. "I quit my job and took on the role of Head Skipper," she says.

Kim traveled around the country to spread the word about skipping. "As adults, we're conditioned to conform and worry about what other people think," she says. "When you skip, you get in touch with the side of yourself that doesn't care abotu all that."

Groups formed in other cities, and the members seemed to agree with Kim's idea that "skipping is a way for people to connect in a happy way, to feel like kids again." But after a while, Kim started feeling too much like a kid. Being Head Skipper didn't pay much, and her finances slipped. Then the book deal fell through. "I got carried away," she admits, "I put all my eggs in one basket, and things didn't pan out like I thought they would."

Kim learned to balance passion with responsiblity, finding that she could make a living and still living joyfully. Now she works as a publicist for a publisher and organizes large skipping events just a few times a year. She still skips daily and recommends it as a workout for both body and soul. "Skipping is a way to connect with myself," Kim says. "I remind myself that life has its hills and valleys and eventually you come out on the other side."

One of the books I have been working on this season is called The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year by Jennifer Louden. It is absolutely beautiful inside and out...It's all about learning to make time in your life to follow your heart and navigate your dreams.

Well, it just so happens that Jennifer is a skipper too! Check out this excerpt from a recent article she was featured in...

Jennifer Louden, women's lifestyle expert and author of "The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year" and other best-selling books for women, suggests that moms try something different to combat burnout-her personal favorite is skipping around her neighborhood with her daughter and dog for 10-15 minutes. But if you are looking for an activity that won't leave your neighbors questioning your sanity, Louden suggests playing a game.

After describing some of the fun games that are on the market today, the article ends like this...

So listen up, you "supermoms," you've heard it before: It is time to take a "time-out"-today, tomorrow and every day thereafter. Soak in a bubble bath, skip around the yard or sit down to play a casual game. With a little consistency, you'll realize immediate benefits and thank yourself for taking the time to ensure that your mind and body are renewed. You might even be admired by friends and family for being brave enough to actually take care of yourself.

So skip on Jennifer...and Super Mom's everywhere! Life is short let's get out there and have some fun.

I was just reading an article about the Virgina Tech shootings and found this quote by a poetry teacher who once had the killer expelled from her class particularly compelling and inspiring,

"We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid," the 63-year-old poet with the close-cropped, platinum hair told the grieving crowd. "We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness."

Another article I read before the gunman had been identified said they weren't sure if was a terrorist attack and would be investigating the case fully. I'm sorry, but if this wasn't a terrorist act, I don't know what is....If you ask me, terror is terror no matter how you slice it...And violence only begets violence...It doesn't matter if it generates in the middle east or here at home....and while I wholeheartedly support and appreciate the men and women that serve in the military...The fact that we are still in this senseless war that isn't working simply doesn't feel right deep down in my soul.

I know this is usually a happy go lucky blog...But when I let myself think about the state of the world right now, it's easy to slip into a not so happy go lucky place. I think that's why the poetry teachers words above touched me so deeply...She helped me remember that despite all the blood and tears that are being shed in our world at large right now, the possibility of reinventing the future always exists. There is hope. Peace is possible...and it begins with me. And so it is. I think I'll go for a skip now....

I had a great skipping moment at the gym this afternoon.

As usual, after I did the elipical machine, I headed to the group exercise room with my yoga mat and ipod in tow. I set up my mat, cued up a particularly happy song on my ipd, and was about to start skipping when a woman (whose name I would later discover was Ann) walked into the room. She asked if the yoga mat was mine because it was in the spot she normally set up the spinning bike she was about to ride.

I told her I'd be happy to move the mat. That it wasn't a problem. Then I asked her if it would bother her if I skipped around the room a little bit. She said it wouldn't bother her, but I might look a little silly....and I told her I was actually alright with that.

A moment later she said, "You know, there are a group of people out there who are really into skipping." I smiled as I told her that iskip.com was my website and she confirmed that she had heard of it before. She is a physical therapist by trade and mentioned that she wondered how much of the core muscle group skipping works out. I told her about the warm reception my skipping idea received from the fitness community...and she said that as long as something inspires people to keep moving, she was all for it.

She went on to tell me about her personal passion/dream which is the creation of a new website for Buff Babes over 50! She talked about how powerful it can be for older women to truly realize their body's strength and power. I could tell by the way she talked about it, that her project will be a great success!

As she pedaled away and I skipped around the room while listening to that great old song that goes, "I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, and the only explanation I can find..." ...I felt a surge of gratitude and appreciation for having discovered my very unique calling of skipping through life! I also felt excitement for Ann's blossoming dream....and was filled with a sense of hope that ever increasing numbers of people out there are finding and living the unique contribution they are born to make in this lifetime. Yes! And so it is! Skip on!

This will be a quickie post as I'm super busy at work today.

This morning I got this email from one of my professional colleagues and wanted to share...

Just wanted you to know...Saturday I saw a Mom with a stroller and her
friend, skipping in the Presidio! I yelled, "Keep up the good skip!"
Cheers! Shirl

Woo-hoo! Skippers of the world unite!

There are about 1,000 acres of undeveloped land behind where I live that leads to the edge of the bay. I've walked/skipped the path several times now, but today I was inspired to take my bike out for my first spin. I'm not much of a biker and I have certainly never gone off roading in wilderness, so the adventure was especially fun.

My heart couldn't have been more full of joy as I glided down the dirt path with my ipod blasting, "Ooooh, child, things are gonna get easier. Oooh child, things'll get brighter." When I came up on a happy couple who stepped to the side so I could pass. They said somethnig I couldn't hear, but I took note of their big smiles and positive energy as I went by.

I wasn't more than ten feet ahead of them when it happened. My wheel got stuck in some loose dirt and my bike slid out from under me. It felt like I was moving in slow motion as I flew over the handle bars. As time stood still, something told me I was going to be alright. I landed as softly as could be expected with my hands outstretched out in front of me.

I didn't realize the couple had witnessed the whole thing until I saw their smiling faces rushing toward me. I laughed outloud as I removed my headphones. The man congratulated me on a beautiful and dramatic fall! He said it was very smooth and that he too could tell as it happened that I wouldn't be hurt. The three of us spent several laughter filled minutes and I marveled at what funny moment with a thankfully happy ending we had shared.

Further along my happy jaunt towards the bay, I couldn't help but recognize the energetic similarity in my bicycle tumble and the fall I experienced when I quit my job to follow my skipping dream. Something that was also witnessed - online by all of the positive energy people who made the national skipping movement and my dream what it was. Even though it certainly wasn't pretty, it feels good to be able to recognize and acknowledge the grace that has been with me all the way through. And so it is! Onward and upward!

A while back, I was contacted by the web mistress of a great site called the Quote Garden. She said, "My site has been around for nearly a decade and has many tens of thousands of quotations spanning hundreds of subjects. Skipping happens to be one of those subjects, not to mention an activity that I love very much."

She wrote to ask if she could incorporate some quotes from iskip.com on her site and to also share the quotes about skipping that she had already collected over the years.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the skipping quotes here...

"You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." ~James M. Barrie, Peter Pan

"It's only a matter of inches, but skipping gets me just that much closer to heaven." ~Jessi Lane Adams

"I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind." ~Leo F. Buscaglia

"I don't think it's possible to skip with a frown on your face.... I'd like to see the world's governing and terrorist leaders on a skipping tour through the Middle East and across the subcontinent and China to Korea." ~Sue Irwin

"If I had time for only two exercises, I would choose yoga and skipping." ~Astrid Alauda

If you have one to share, email it to me and I'll be sure to share it with Terri at The Quote Garden!

I absolutely love hearing from skippers around the world..Here are two examples...The first from a skipper who is 50+...

I'm working up to going skipping down our road regularly, but I think I need a t-shirt first. I was thinking of asking my son to make me one for my upcoming 55 year birthday that said, "Skippers over 50" to give me some "legitimacy" but your website tells the story so well, I want it to say iskip.com. Would you mind? My best skipping story:

In the 80's, I was in Yosemite camping and had just climbed to the top of Glacier Point disappointed after the long trail of switchbacks, that a tour bus had arrived at the same time, and that storm clouds were gathering. Not wanting to get wet, I found that skipping was the fastest way down, and got into a rhythm, had a fun time, and beat the rain. A little while later at the bottom, a man remarked, "There's the wood nymph that was skipping down the trail." He was smiling and so was I.

For the record, iskip.com belongs to all of the skippers of the world...So you can feel free to use the logo on tshirts, etc. for your own use (but not for resale!)

Here's another email from a young skipper who is already getting some slack from her peers who have lost their skipping spirit far too soon. I love her sense of humor!

I am 12 years old. I live in Knoxville, TN. All of my friends at school make fun of me, because apperantly I was left off of the mailing list that sent out the memo that you are supposed to stop skipping in first grade. I don't know. But for me, skipping is a little like flying. Now, ever since I saw Peter Pan I have wanted to fly. And skipping seems like an OK comprimise for the time being. I don't really mind that I was left off of the mailing list, or the phone chain, or the chain letter or whatever. Because I like to skip. And I probabally would have lost the memo anyway.

Skip on! Skip on! Skip on!

I am psyched to announce what what has to be the most unique, unusual skipping news I've ever had to report in the 8-year history of iskip.com!

As I shared in December, Ashrita Furman got approval from Guinness to establish a 5K skipping record. Ashrita has set a record number of Guinness records....127 in all in his lifetime!

I'm excited to report that he set the record this past Sunday. He skipped the 5K in 35 minutes and 19 seconds...and he did it in a MOST unusual way. Perhaps the best way to tell the story is to let you read Ashrita's email yourself....

Well, it's been a wild journey! I broke the 5K skipping record on Sunday by skipping the distance in 35 minutes and 19 seconds. The time was disappointing but I lost at least 4 or 5 minutes because of a tiger!

i did the record at a place called the Tiger Temple in Thailand where monks allow people to walk with a tiger. So i decided to skip with one! The monastery people were a little worried because they thought the skipping might remind the tiger of an injured animal and provoke him to attack me. But I skipped the first 100 meters with the tiger (on a leash) with no problems, then speeded up by myself and finally tried to do the last 100 meters with the tiger. Unfortunately, the big fellow thought he was going to be put back in his cage and he was moving really slowly. After 75 meters I got impatient, handed the leash to one of the handlers, and skipped to the finish line. That was a foolish thing to do! The tiger saw me rushing away and instinctively went into his attack mode. It took 4 handlers to restrain him!

Overall, it was a great adventure and sInce Reuters Press Agency was there, the story went worldwide. Later in the year, I plan to try again (with no animals) and do a better time. I just love the skipping! Thanks for all your encouragement.

All the best, Ashrita

Wow! Amazing! This one seriously belongs in the , "You couldn't even begin to make this stuff up" file! Sfgate.com even wrote about it! What can I say but SKIP ON ASHRITA! SKIP ON!

Wow. It's hard for me to believe it's already the end of January! It's been quite a month...a wonderful, magical, start to 2007. I am very excited to see what all this year will hold.

On the 17th of this month, I turned 38....and am full of gratitude that my life is going so great. I moved out of my studio apartment in the city where I lived for the 10 years I have been in California and am now living in beautiful Marin County. I LOVE IT! It feels so great to be out of the madness of the city and to have nature all around me.

There is a lovely lagoon right behind my condo and I must say that skipping alone in nature seems to suit me much better than skipping in public places these days. Not that I don't look back at my big city skipping days complete with mega-phone, cape, and crown and smile a big happy smile! It's just that my skipping is increasingly becoming more about my own personal spiritual practice and less about an evangelical mission. Nothing energizes my spirit like skipping does! Of course, I still plan on organizing group skipping outings in San Francisco from time to time, but for now my heart is here in Marin and loving every minute of it.

I also joined the local YMCA and have been doing some skipping there. In fact, I discovered a whole new way to skip this week! Skipping laps in the swimming pool! I got the inspiration as I watched some older people slowly bobbing from one end of the pool to the other...and when I started skipping, I couldn't stop! I felt like Forest Gump when he couldn't stop running. I skipped about 10 laps before the pool closed...and could have done 10 more! I highly recommend under water skipping. It's a ton of fun! Skip on!

I am having so much fun meeting like-minded skippers on zaadz.com. Several people have posted skipping stories already!

Here's an example of the skipping perspectives zaadsters are bringing to the table. This is from a woman named Romana...

"Skipping really challenges the 'boundary conditions' of consciousness…that is to say, it shakes up your box, and the box of those who see you doing it….in that way, it shifts the internal state both for the skipper and the skipper-watcher….and opens the field of potential and possibility….the odd thing is that it is so completely easy to do….and it leaves you with this question…why in the world did I ever STOP skipping? Of course, I am reminded there of a comment made to me by an lovely elderly woman a few days ago, where (upon my discoursing upon enthusiasm and going for it at 100%) she remarked, 'yes, but what about dignity?' Which of course, brings to mind the question, 'what have we sacrificed upon the altar of our dignity?' WHY would someone think it undignified to express enthusiasm?

Skipping is a fun, easy, simple, and free way to shift your state, to raise your energy, and to bring the walls of your box tumbling down….if you ever feel stuck, try this as an experiment and see what happens….you may never know what will fly in the face of your dignity….perhaps the inspiration of a lifetime? perhaps the answer to your stuckness? perhaps a moment to feel good and take care of yourself? perhaps the answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything?"

Well said, Romana! Skip on!

Happy New Year! I hope your year is off to a great start...Something tells me this is going to be a great one...After all 2007 rhymes with heaven!

A couple of months ago, I joined a fabulous online community called Zaadz. It's like an intentional My Space....Everyone who joins shares the desire of wanting to use their lives to change the world for the better. It's VERY cool! Check it out...Espeically if you are someone who believes we must be the change we wish to see in the world.

You can start what they call pods about certain subjects...So of course, I just started a skipping pod. It would be great if skippers all over the world would join. (That means you!) Here's the description I wrote:

This pod is for positive energy people who love to skip! Yes, skip, as in leaping happily down the street...whether spontaneously in the moment or intentionally for joy, fitness, or to change the world!

Every time we skip, we add joy and positive energy to the world....All the while challenging well-entrenched, unspoken cultural rules about self- expressoin and personal freedom. Seeing adults consumed by the joy of skipping sends a compelling message about the power of the spirit over fear.

Let's experirment with skipping more intentionally and more often as a social experiment! Let's celebrate the small energetic contribution we make to the collective consciousness with each skip we take.

Let's get our skip on and share our magical experiences (skipping and otherwise) here!

If you join Zaadz or already a member please be sure to add me as a friend! My nickname on there is SKIPPER. Skip on!

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!