Mick Dodge wants the world to wake up and walk the talk — barefoot, that is.

“There’s 6 million or more years of ancestral memory in our bodies. My feet led me into what is really healthy,” he said.

“The land is messed-up and our bodies are messed-up.”

The 58-year-old former Marine sergeant and body builder is also known as the Barefoot Sensei. He began walking to the beat of his own drum nearly 20 years ago after years of work and training left his feet crippled from modern athletic advancements, he said.

“I quit trusting the fitness industry,” Dodge said, and rid his life of the protein powders and athletic shoes that he’d relied on for years.

The revelation came one day as he sat with both feet propped up and encased in casts. Dodge picked up a National Geographic magazine, flipped it open and saw an article about the ancient practice of Chinese foot binding. Glancing at his own footwear, Dodge saw a striking resemblance between his own shoes and the Chinese foot binding practice. The next morning Dodge used a knife to cut the casts off and his feet have been free ever since.

His recovery began with barefoot runs along mountain trails coupled with stretching and strength training using sticks and stones. Now, Dodge is walking 1,000 miles barefoot across Washington state to share his “exuberant animal” philosophy.

His prescribes: Vigorous physical activity, real food and pure water, outdoor exposure in nature, quality sleep and rest, positive social experience, play and good humor, and meaningful engagement with the world.

When asked how many miles he averages each day, Dodge replied, “I’m not walking miles, I’m walking smiles.”

Curious onlookers often ask Dodge about his lack of shoes and he’s more than happy to share.

James Meek, a Camp Casey staff member, was one of many to take a moment to talk with Dodge.

“I stopped and wanted to see what was going on because you just don’t find people walking barefoot all the time,” he said. “It’s really kind of refreshing.”

Dodge maintains a high fitness and euphoric happiness level through something he calls “primal practical play.”

Aside from a stretching and strengthening routine with sticks and stones, Dodge can be found bouncing, hanging and swinging from any nearby tree with the aid of a bright yellow strap.

Deer also play into his primal training, he said. Often times he’ll track and interact with the animals while on his barefoot journeys.

Modern advancements aren’t all bad, but their applications may be a little off.

“It’s time to take what we learned inside and take it outside,” he said.

Dodge plans to return to Whidbey Island this summer to lead a “footcamp” that will teach participants “foot-consciousness,” practical movements and form.

To learn more about the Barefoot Sensei, or to track Dodge on his 1,000-mile journey, log onto www.exuberantanimal.com.