In this episode of HealthWaves, Eilis Ó Broin, nutritional therapist, sits down with Richard Brook — acupuncturist, yoga teacher, author, and founder of Creative Wellness in the Algarve.
Richard qualified in acupuncture in 2007 and has spent over 15 years teaching yoga. Before relocating to Portugal in 2016, he ran Creative Yoga London, blending traditional classes with social and even yoga-based dating events. After first visiting the retreat centre Moinhos Velhos in 2014, he felt a strong pull to return. Eleven years later, he’s helping run the centre and is now in the process of purchasing it.
The conversation explores his book, Understanding Human Nature: A User’s Guide to Life, and his approach to Five Element acupuncture. Unlike conventional Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Element acupuncture takes a broader Daoist view — examining life choices, seasonal rhythms, and diagnosing through colour, sound, odour and emotion. The five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — are linked not only to organs, but also to behaviours and recurring thought patterns.
Richard also introduces Drew Yoga, a gentle and heartfelt practice, and explains how the retreat programmes integrate body, mind and spirit. Juice fasting, he says, can help clear both mental and physical clutter, support autophagy, and create space for deeper life resets. Many guests, he notes, leave with more than just improved digestion — they leave with perspective.
The retreat site itself is said to sit on a quartz seam and what’s described as a “synchronic line,” adding to its reputation as an energetically potent space.
When asked for practical starting points, Richard keeps it simple: move your body (especially through dance), attend regular yoga classes, and commit to consistent one-to-one therapy. Three anchor practices. Accessible. Grounded.
To learn more, visit creativewellness.co.uk and Moinhos Velhos in the Algarve.
This podcast is produced by WildAtlanticHealth.com
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