Stephen Russell | |
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| Died | January 24, 2020 [1] |
| Other names | The Barefoot Doctor |
Stephen Russell, who wrote under the pseudonym The Barefoot Doctor, was a practitioner and teacher of Taoism.
Stephen Russell | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Died | January 24, 2020 [1] |
| Other names | The Barefoot Doctor |
Stephen Russell, who wrote under the pseudonym The Barefoot Doctor, was a practitioner and teacher of Taoism.
Russell grew up in Hampstead, an area in London. On leaving full-time education Russell started to travel extensively and began to deepen his study of Taoism. He returned to London in 1983 where he ran an acupuncture practice for 17 years, as well as facilitating self-help workshops. Some of his clients included celebrities such as Madonna. [2] [3]
He wrote twenty one books, including Barefoot Doctor's Handbook for the Urban Warrior, A Spiritual Survival Guide and Pure: A Path to Peace, Power and Prosperity.
Russell was a weekly columnist for The Observer for five years. [4] [5]
In addition to giving talks, leading workshops [6] and commenting on holistic and spiritual matters, [7] he made a series for BBC UK Style named "Barefoot Doctor" which was broadcast in 2003. [3]
Mainstream medical professionals have criticised the advice given in Russell's popular Observer column as being founded on traditional beliefs rather than science, and his books have been described as "health fiction". [4] [8]
He was accused of "sexually predatory" behaviour by several women. Jonathan Coe of medical practitioners' standards charity Witness, said that they had received five complaints about Russell relating to patients in treatment. Russell admitted to having sex with ex-patients. [9] [10]
Taoism or Daoism is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao 道. With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', 'path', or 'technique', generally understood in the Taoist sense as an enigmatic process of transformation ultimately underlying reality. Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition and beyond, including forms of meditation, astrology, qigong, feng shui, and internal alchemy. A common goal of Taoist practice is self-cultivation, a deeper appreciation of the Tao, and more harmonious existence. Taoist ethics vary, but generally emphasize such virtues as effortless action, naturalness, simplicity, and the three treasures of compassion, frugality, and humility.
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Barefoot doctors were healthcare providers who underwent basic medical training and worked in rural villages in China. They included farmers, folk healers, rural healthcare providers, and recent middle or secondary school graduates who received minimal basic medical and paramedical education. Their purpose was to bring healthcare to rural areas where urban-trained doctors would not settle. They promoted basic hygiene, preventive healthcare, and family planning and treated common illnesses. The name comes from southern farmers, who would often work barefoot in the rice paddies, and simultaneously worked as medical practitioners.
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