Russell was born at Portland on the Western slopes of New South Wales in 1930. He started work as a cadet in the advertising department of Farmer's retail store in 1945 and worked subsequently in agencies until he took up the wandering life. Returning to Sydney he discovered Yoga and avidly sought what books were then available. He introduced his peers to Yoga and Indian philosophy and began public classes in Hatha Yoga in 1950, also dancing leads in the first performances of Bharata Natyam in that decade. He taught Hatha and Raja Yoga for many decades, writing the first hand- books on these subjects. He became an assistant to a leading Homoeopath and Osteopath until taking up photography, getting married, siring children and paying off mortgages. Later, he changed vocations again, as an Acupuncturist and Naturopath. He practiced these arts until joining Blackmores in 1975 as Queensland Manager, then in Sydney as researcher, writer, lecturer, and Managing Editor of their Nature & Health magazine. He left in 1983 to go bush for the third and last time.