The Barefoot Doctor

Since 2012, Russell has been running a pilot scheme in the mental health sector under the auspices of the Pavilion Mental Health Center in Tottenham, North London. The "Mental Health Ninja" programme is designed to assist people transiting from the mental ward back into the community, by teaching them aspects of the Taoist internal system. In August 2014, Mental Health Ninja was planned to be introduced as part of the National Health Service.

Russell 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.

In summer 2009, Russell launched a weekly radio show on Ibiza Global Radio. He also performed live in Ibiza at Bazaar (Santa Gertrudis), and launched "Jewels of Enlightenment", a DVD, CD and book package focusing on the practice and philosophy of Taoism. Russell's main website is Barefoot Doctor Global. He has a weekly radio programme on Glastonbury Global Radio, and has conducted online training in meditation at the School for Warriors and Barefoot Satsang websites. He has worked on a record label, PhonicTonic, in collaboration with DJ Mark Holmes, releasing dance and meditation music which purports to heal listeners using various healing tones and frequencies.

From 2001 until 2003 he created and sold a range of fragrant body products called "Barefoot Doctor's Chi/Qi" and "Barefoot Doctor's Damn Sexy" which were sold in the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

In addition to giving talks, leading workshops and commenting on holistic and spiritual matters, he is also a composer and producer of mood-altering electronic music and plays in clubs and at festivals, which ran from 1989 until 2005, and in which the self-help message was conveyed in the music, lyrics and audience participation. Russell has been a regular guest on London Live radio, as well as Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. He made a series for BBC UK Style named "Barefoot Doctor" which was broadcast in 2003.

Russell taught baby massage with obstetrician Yehudi Gordon for five years during this time. Additionally he released two albums of relaxation music with Polygram International in 1986 and 1987, called First Orbit and Sundancer respectively.

On leaving full-time education Russell started to travel extensively and began to deepen his study of Taoism. From 1979, he lived for four years with the Taos tribe in New Mexico, where he studied shamanism. During this time, he also trained in the two other Taoist internal martial arts, Hsing I and Baguazhang, as well as Taoist meditation and acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, and massage techniques. He returned to London in 1983 where he set up and ran an acupuncture practice for 17 years, as well as facilitating self-help workshops based on using all these techniques as a self-help system.

His pseudonym is taken from the barefoot doctor system set up by Mao Zedong in 1960s China, which gave farmers basic medical training to bring health care into rural areas.

Russell was born in London, 13 September 1954. His father, Victor (1930–2003) was a businessman and jazz drummer, and one of Russell's cousins was the saxophonist Stan Getz.