Stephen Russell is london born (1954), based in Ibiza, and has been travelling the world since 2011. During which time he has travelled 350,000 miles and promoted on his Taoist “inner technology” system through a series of talks, residential retreats, “conscious clubbing” events and electronic dance projects.

Stephen Russell has written sixteen books, including Barefoot Doctor’s Handbook for the Urban Warrior, A Spiritual Survival Guide and Pure: A Path to Peace, Power and Prosperity, Manifesto, as well as numerous spoken word CDs and DVDs including Meditate and Tai Chi Short Form. Russell was a weekly columnist for The Observer for five years.

Stephen Russell The Barefoot Doctor
Manifesto – The Barefoot Doctor. Click to order!

“I call myself a supercharged Taoist because for more than 35 years I’ve been training in Taoist martial arts, chi gung, and meditation. Just as it promised in the instruction leaflets. These practices have generated an accumulation of supercharged energy. That courses through me and everything I do. This makes my life exciting, endlessly varied, and full of adventure.

The Middle Way

Using the ancient Taoist wu-wei manifesting methods—focusing on being, not doing, and intending things into existence rather than trying to force them—I’m able to create reality as I wish it to be almost instantaneously. I say this humbly. Also, by letting the Taoist philosophy underscore everything I think, do, and say, I’ve learned to be flexible in my thinking. Flexibility lets me enjoy all aspects of the ride to the fullest. Whether in an up phase or a down one. I feel blessed by all this and want to share my good fortune.

I’ve always had a desire to share the wonder of the Tao with others. That’s been my motivation for as long as I can remember. I have an enthusiasm for it. A childlike exuberance that carries me through life in a way that uplifts and cheers me. I’ve found that over the years my exuberance has helped others feel exuberant, too.

In 1989, I started calling myself The Barefoot Doctor. And inadvertently became a brand and someone with a profile as well. Doing my level best to remain a regular person – or perhaps I should say an irregular one. Because although I have met real characters in my time and have hung out with mavericks of the highest order, eccentrics of the nuttiest variety, artists of the greatest originality, and masters (and mistresses) of the most supreme wisdom and enlightenment, I’ve rarely met anyone with a life as varied, bizarre, and unlikely, and as far as I’m concerned, as fulfilling and fun as my own.”