Creating a new reality: Philip McCluskey on exercise and visualization
We Like It Raw Squad member Philip put's it all out there in his latest video. Check it out here.
I have been asked a thousand times about my exercise routine, how fast I lost the weight, and what exercises I did to lose it all. Well this YouTube Video is the start of a new series that will explain it all. The majority of the credit thus far goes to the raw food diet... but now I am moving into Stage 2. This is a new phase in my life, and I am going to share the whole thing with you.
Philip's Memories from 2008
What a beautiful and glorious journey this life is. I am so glad that I chose be a part of it. ; )
As this year comes to an end I can't help but feel so much gratitude...
Gratitude for this amazing community that I have seen grow, and is so dear to my heart. Gratitude for those that have supported me online on the dozen different sites I update. Gratitude for those that have opened up their homes to me on my travels.
But most importantly, Gratitude for those that have opened up their hearts. Your love is felt and appreciated. Together we are creating heaven on earth.
Please enjoy some of my Memories of 2008:
Jan 15th: WeLikeItRaw Crew hosted Gabriel Cousens in NYC
Jan 19th: Gave my first lecture at Arnold's Way in PA.
Jan 18th: Interview with We Like It Raw
Jan 23rd: Begin my 100-Day Juice Feast (pic above)
March 3rd: Fasting from Speaking
March 13th: Garam Masala We Like It Raw Poconos Retreat (above)
March 13: "A Day in the Life of Philip McCluskey" Article
March 18th: Lovingraw.com 1 yr Anniversary
March 21st: Removed 12 mercury fillings from my mouth
March 29th: Spoke at Successfully Raw with Karen Knowler and WLIR Crew (above)
April 26th: Spoke at Catch a Health Habit in CT
May 1st: 2 yr raw anniversary / Finished 100-Day Juice Feast / Released nearly 200 lbs
May 2nd: Chocolate Party thrown for me by Gnosis Chocolate & WLIR (above)
May 25th: Hanging with Shazzie, Karen Knower, Kate Magic Part 2, 3, 4
June 11th: Hosted a Give It To Me Raw dinner in San Fran. Part 2, 3 (above)
June 23rd: The Cali tour continue to Ojai with Matt Monarch Part 2
June 26th: Hosted a Give It To Me Raw dinner in Los Angeles. Part 2 (above)
July 25th: On staff as food prep for David Wolfe Toronto Retreat
July 26th: Spoke at Conscious Living Festival in Alaska (above)
Aug 13th: Visited Woodstock, NY for a vacation. Look at this treasure! (above)
Aug 23rd: Visited Jenny from Maine for a vacation.
Sept 5th: Spoke at Simply Raw Festival in Ottawa, Canada. Part 2
Sept 12th: Spoke at the Raw Spirit Festival in Sedona (above)
Sept 16th: Back to Santa Monica and dinner at Au Lac with friends.
Oct 14th: My Raw Family Video
Oct 15th: Live on CBS show "The Doctors" in LA. (above)
Oct 18th: San Francisco Dinner Bash.
Oct 24th: San Luis Obispo Dinner
Oct 25th: Los Angeles lecture and dinner party at Au Lac
Oct 29th: Attended Journey's For the Soul Eden Hot Springs Event
Nov 18th: Visiting friends in Florida
Dec 13th: Birthday party for Chocolate Girl at COSM (above)
So... 25 flights and 132 blog posts later, I bid goodbye to 2008.
It was the best year ever - but I got a feeling next year may top that!
The proof is in the pudding. Raw works. My life works.
Everything is perfect. Happy New Years.
All my love,
Philip
Reclaiming Your Power
It’s been almost a month since I returned from the West Coast and I just realized that I hadn’t shared all the beautiful moments I had experienced, with you. I will pick up after the whole CBS adventure, and then travels to LA and San Francisco. During that period I also visited San Luis Obispo, Eden Hot Springs, The Tree of Life, Scottsdale, and finally Florida.
(AmyRuth loading nut mylk into Brandie's bike so she can drive it to the cafe)
San Luis Obispo
I was blessed over a year ago to meet a new friend AmyRuth on MySpace. We chatted for a while, and then little did I know at the time I also met her roommate Brandie. We all met this year in person at Raw Spirit Festival and they invited me to hang out with them for a few days at their place in San Luis Obispo.
Brandie owns Smiling Dog Café, and works there along with AmyRuth. Smiling Dog Café is a branch off of Smiling Dog Yoga Studio, and did I mention it’s raw! How cool is that? You can get your stretch-on during your yoga class, and then get to head out with a green juice or yummy dish in-hand.
One of the reasons I wanted to spotlight them was because they are a shining examples of raw foodists that really walk the talk. From the moment I walked into their house I immediately felt at home. Brandie offered me her bed (cacao colored organic sheets) while she slept in the living room. I tried to protest, but they don’t play games. As I strolled through the house I saw the following:
- Every spice and superfood in giant mason jars taking up multiple shelves on an entire wall of its own.
- Five jars of kombucha fermenting on top of the refrigerator.
- Six jars sprouting upside down in multiple sink strainers
- Refrigerator full of greens, dips, and even a strawberry sauce, yum!
- Every appliance imaginable including 3 dehydrators
- Organic bathroom products
- Outdoor garden
- Mini outdoor greenhouse with sprouts growing
- Clothes drying on a clothes line
But more than their raw prowess in the kitchen and eco-green lifestyle, these ladies open their house every week for a raw food potluck for anyone in the area. Even if you’re not raw, or just down on your luck, you can come by and enjoy a beautiful raw meal with lively souls radiating pure light and energy. I got to experience two of these wonderful parties while there, and had a great time. That is the true Raw Spirit. Thank you both.
Check out more San Luis pictures here.
Tree of Life
I swung through Patagonia for a day to celebrate our birthdays with my good friend Savrah. When scorpios unite, beware! Savrah leases a home in Patagonia that she opens up for raw roommates. Most of the people that live there work for The Tree of Life or Vivapura, both companies that hold it down in Patagonia. You may also be able to rent a room or couch for the day if needed, so contact her ahead of time if you’re in the area.
I had chatted with my friend Courtney Pool during the day and decided that I needed to visit the Tree of Life at least once before heading out. So I drove on over to enjoy a special lunch that they had put together and synchronistically caught my friend Dart (check out his pics and tell me raw doesn't give you muscle) just heading out for his lunch break. He hoped in the car as we drove in, filled our plates, and hung out with Courtney and crew. I didn’t really get a chance to explore the compound this time around, but I did get to enjoy the wonderful scenery and beautiful people. The food was amazing, even the shot glass full of sauerkraut juice I was dared to drink was pretty good.
Check out more Tree of Life pictures here.
As I was finishing my tour, before heading back to the East Coast, I stopped off at the Mandala Tea Room. They offered some yummy raw food snacks but more importantly a nice variety of delicious and soul satisfying selection of teas. The cool thing about it was I got to sit near the window, on the floor, Indian-style. I loved it!
Florida
Not long after I arrived back on the East Coast I quickly decided to visit a friend in Florida. I mainly enjoyed the warmth and vitamins of the much-needed sun, but also made sand castles, went to Universal Studios and saw animals, and rode my first “real” rollercoaster.
That’s right, 32 years old and I finally did it. Why did I wait so long? I could never fit in the seats before. First coaster I was on I closed my eyes the entire ride as the machine climbed, teased, and then dipped with enough G-force to pin my head permanently against the platform behind me. I sent out a Twitter about it and was immediately told by two friends that I wasn’t allowed to leave until I experienced a rollercoaster with my eyes opened. So I did, and it was amazing. I was able to actually meditate through the first one and it felt really good. The second time around I was yelling! Woohoo!
Check out more Florida pictures here.
Eden Hot Springs
My adventures at Eden are a blog on its own – due to come shortly. It will include everything from my first sweat lodge experience, finding inner strength, sun gazing on top of a mountain with new friends, rattlesnakes, swimming in hot springs in the nude, and…. letting go of my iPhone, kind of. This was one of the most memorable growth experiences I have gone through to date. Keep your eyes peeled for this upcoming blog.
Sneak a peek at the pics before the blog by clicking here.
Reclaiming Your Power
More and more these adventures keep bringing up the following lessons for me:
- Be your own guru, doctor, and lover. Self-love and empowerment is key. The only things I focus my attention on arw those that point back to me. When you capture the true essence of loving yourself you will discover magical perfection in every moment.
- The Universe is always conspiring on your behalf. There is nothing that could ever happen that could go “wrong.” Don’t judge events, just be in the moment and recognize them as growth opportunities.
- Be the change you want to see in the world. Anyone can be a raw foodist, but I challenge you to the following: Do you open up your home to others, is your house a sanctuary of love? Do you love and accept everyone, even those pounding down burgers or living lifestyles you don’t agree with? Do you see God in everyone’s eyes you meet, or are you looking for faults or things to compare yourself with?
Its time to reclaim your power, take back your responsibility, and shine!
Enjoy my latest YouTube video on the topic.
Peace and Love,
Philip McCluskey
PS. If you’re in the NYC area I hope to see you at the Sexy Chocolate Dance Party for Chocolate Girl on Dec 13th at Alex Grey’s COSM. Rumor has it David Wolfe will be there too! Sign up today.
Back To The Garden
From Philip's Loving Raw Blog:
Happy Birthday Philip
Above: Suki Zoe, Philip Gabrielle Brick, photo by Jeff
Happy Birthday Philip!
It's an honor to have you as a friend and a WLIR team member. The work you're doing to raise the health consciousness of the planet is an inspiration. You are a living testimonial for true health, and mentor when it comes to spirituality. You also know a lot of good looking people - naturally it makes hanging out with you easier ; )
Here's to another wonderful year!
Thank you for your friendship brother,
Dhrumil, Anthony, Sarma, Shannon and Crew
Bringing the Raw Food Thunder to San Fran
They just opened another Café Gratitude!
Ok you caught me, I've been playing in San Francisco again. Right now I'm in San Luis Obispo, but I just spent the last two weeks enjoying the Bay Area, and wanted to share the latest report with you.
Café Gratitude Gives It To Me Raw
Ok seriously, Café Gratitude did just open another location in California. Matthew and Terces, owners of Café G, are reppin raw foods in 5 locations now, in just 5 years. That is amazing! From the birth of their “Abounding River” board game came the inspiration to provide a café with nutritious raw food. Now they serve over 1,500 people per day, and are really holding a “space of love” for the transformation and growth of their community.
I also hosted a GI2MR dinner there last Saturday night. We had almost 30 people show up, with some people driving from almost 4 hours away. The night was a blast with conscious conversation, delicious food, as a surprise dance party. That’s right, a dance party! It was the first time the staff ever did it, but they just blasted the music and everyone started dancing for like 10 minutes. All of the staff, and almost every patron got up and started dancing in all the aisles. At one point we even had a giant dance train going throughout the restaurant. It was so much fun and really brought the inner child out in everyone.
There were plenty of old friends there like Kristi, Uti, and Shana, and wonderful new ones like Sara, Elaina Love from Berkeley and Richard the Synergy Chef from Sacramento. Thank you for everyone attending, and for those that went to the afterparty…. the choco with almonds was the bomb.
Party Time
The second party I went to was at a guy named Hunters house. We met briefly that night, but then that was that. I was too mesmerized with the two women fire dancing and the outrageously delicious raw cakes and ormus drinks that were graciously fed to me. They also broke out into an inspirational art creating session, complete with airbrushing… both the canvas and their bodies.
And the third party I hit up was at Melodia and Rebecca’s home. You might have caught these two goddesses at Melodia’s clothing booth at Raw Spirit Festival. She designs beautiful Goddess wear designed to hug the spots you want them to, and be flowy in those spots you don’t.
Elaina Love was the master of the kitchen at this party and we all worked together under her guidance to create an amazing Indian meal, complete with naan non-bread. Also got the pleasure to hug my friend Kenny Sunshine who was there, and also Vatra, the fire spinner that rocked out at the Raw Spirit Festival.
Free Food
Every street I walked there was fresh fig trees, prickly pears, and citrus galore. I got to harvest a couple handfuls of deliciously red figs… but didn’t want to press my lucky with the prickly pear. Oh, and the farmers market and organic market prices are a joke compared to NY. Some things where literally half price!
More Bay Area pics here.
Lovingraw… *naked?
A friend and I drove down to the Esalen Institute on the Big Sur for a soak in the therapeutic hot springs and a full body massage. Esalen was started in the 60’s and was devoted to the exploration of human potential, and was a bit of a hippie stop over for those traveling the Big Sur. Now it is more of a retreat center where people live and work in a communal setting. Guests are welcomed to join programs ranging from meditation to massage, yoga, psychology, ecology, spirituality, art, music, and much more.
Naked? Yep, you heard it here first; I let it all hang out. Bathing at Esalen is outdoors, co-ed, and nude. I have never been nude in public so there was a little trepidation. First walking into a co-ed dressing room with body parts everywhere. Then co-ed showers, and bathing, in the warm sulfur smelling hot springs. But what I found was the fear dissipated rather quickly as I switched from my left hemisphere to my right a bit, and realized we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, and the thought of being shy is almost ridiculous.
After that was released the rest of the time went fantastic. My masseuse met me at the pool and walked me to the massage table. I laid there naked with nothing but a small hand towel over my butt, vertically… but then received the best massage of my life. I don’t know how many times I fell asleep and woke up in my drool during that 90-minute session but let me tell you, being nude was long forgotten and being in the moment was what it was all about.
Oh and no pics this time around.
Dhrumil's Note: Philip, how could you disappoint all the ladies bro! Hah, you know our readership is 75% female. This site isn't called "We Like It Raw" for nothing - we have to live up to our name!
And here’s a little something for your next visit to San Francisco…
7 Ways to “Get Raw” in the Bay Area
- Visit Café Gratitude (Berkeley location is my favorite)
- Shop at Rainbow Grocery (most amazing store ever)
- Visit the Golden Gate Bridge (go ahead, take the picture)
- Rent a scooter and zip around downtown (see pics of Vinit and me)
- Check out the Haight-Ashbury district (indulge your inner hippie)
- Japanese Tea Garden (I missed it this time around)
- If you’re daring, drive south and flash a moon at the Esalen Institute.
Upcoming LA Event
And if you’re a little more south catch me at Au Lac restaurant on Saturday the 25th. I will be giving a lecture there on “Transforming Your Life,” followed by an amazing pre-fix dinner from Chef Ito. Click here for event details and to sign up.
Bringing the Raw Food Thunder,
Philip
Man With A Mission, bringing the GI2MR love to California and beyond
Hey everyone, Philip here! Here's an update from my recent happenings as well as some dates for a few upcoming GI2MR meetups I'll be hosting throughout Cali.
Big thanks for everyone for all the CBS/Doctors love!
Inspire2Act
While in LA I got a chance to meet with GI2MR member Lori Painter, from Inspire2Act. Lori started making inspirational YouTube videos after starting Bunny Berry’s RawFu Challenge. We enjoyed an amazing meal at Au Lac Restaurant in Fountain Valley. Owner, Chef Ito, has now opened up his elixir bar and let me tell you – its amazing!
You can check out some pictures from our past Au Lac meet up here
Lori enjoying Ito's new Love Potion 99 elixir.
Rawkathon Pre-Event
Then Kevin Gianni, one of the biggest names in Raw Food, especially in regards to his amazing interviews and upcoming Rawkathon program, just released a pre-event interview with Daniel Vitalis and myself last Friday. Be sure to check it out, it was an amazing show.
You can listen to the interview here
Elaina Love
After wrapping things up in Hollywood I immediately flew to San Francisco to officially start my travels. Anticipation for returning to the Bay Area again has been bubbling inside me for a while now, and I was honored to share that with my amazing host Elaina Love.
Elaina is a professional Chef and Instructor, Lifestyle Counselor and Owner/Director of the raw food store and Pure Joy Planet. She authored the raw, vegan, living food recipe book Elaina's Pure Joy Kitchen to share her favorite recipe creations, which have also been published internationally.
Elaina has been teaching raw food courses worldwide since 1998. She is a Chef/Instructor at the renowned Living Light Culinary Arts Institute where she has been on staff since 2000. Elaina has taught classes and provided raw food meals at many raw food events and retreats, including those for David Wolfe of Nature’s First Law, Dr. Gabriel Cousens of The Tree of Life, Living Light Internationals Raw World, The International Raw Foods Festival, The Boutenko Family and many more recognized leaders in the raw food community.
Oh, and did I mention that she makes raw naan bread?
Picture of Elaina’s staff prepping for a full day detox class. 20 women and me. : )
The Tour Continues...
Below is a list of locations and GI2MR events in California that I will be hosting:
GI2MR San Francisco Dinner Bash
- What: Dinner with Philip McCluskey
- When: October 18th - 7pm
- Where: Cafe Gratitude - 1730 Shattuck Ave (@ Virginia), Berkeley, CA 94709
- Note: $35 for amazing prefix menu (includes gratuity)
- RSVP
Come and join us for an amazing time!! We have set the intention to pack the place out and put together a great dinner. This is the perfect time to meet other raw foodies in the area.
GI2MR San Luis Obispo Dinner Potluck
- What: Potluck with Philip McCluskey
- When: October 24th - 6pm
- Where: Home of AmyRuth - 640 Caudill Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Note: There is no fee to come but we ask that you bring a raw dish.
- RSVP
This is being held in a wonderful home setting where we can all get together and share and love on one another. There may be music too!
GI2MR Los Angeles Lecture / Dinner Party
- What: Lecture/Dinner with Philip McCluskey
- When: October 25th - 6pm Lecture / 7pm Dinner
- Where: Au Lac Restaurant - 16563 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
- Note: Fee: Lecture and Pre-Fix Dinner $40
- RSVP
We are going to pack out the banquet room at Au Lac. Chef Ito is going to be making us some special treats as we enjoy a lecture and conscious conversation. This is my favorite restaurant, be sure to join us!
Retreats
I'm also hosting a retreat with some amazing people, and serving at another. The first one I am serving at will be held at Eden Hot Springs, Arizona from October 29th – Nov 2nd. There's a special $50 off for WLIR readers who call in using the word “Explore”. Full details here
The second retreat, the "Winter Solstice ReActivation" Retreat, will be held in Costa Rica with none other than Daniel Vitalis from December 16th - 22nd. 7 days and 6 nights of the most potent Elixirs and Magical Superfoods ever experienced. Be prepared to bring your health and consciousness to a new level. Full details here
See you in Cali,
Philip
