I wrote this blogpost in response to some of the criticisms circulating in the community and on social media regarding the death of Leonard Orr and the validity of his teachings.
I’m a longtime friend of Leonard. I first became his student in 2002 and went on to be his ebook publisher, editor, organizer and more. There are many varying opinions and perspectives on Leonard’s work. This is my authentic take on things as I continue to spread his mission and love in the world.
In this YouTube video I’m interviewing Heike Strombach, Leonard’s close friend and apprentice – yogini – priestess – Master Breathworker of 28 years. She helped build the worldwide, modern day Breathwork movement right alongside him and if you haven’t met her yet or completed a training with her, you are missing out.
This interview is more somber than usual, because we are discussing the passing of our great friend and teacher Leonard D. Orr. One of the concepts he is most famous for is the idea of Physical Immortality and the daily practices that support this idea as a very solid and practical human experience.
To address the minds struggling with his death and calling him a fraud because he died… those are some pretty high standards you’re carrying there and that’s great! Leonard encouraged us to find and learn from people living in their body more than 300 years. That was his criteria for studying immortals. He literally told people to not follow him because he wasn’t 400 years old yet and would laugh and joke about seeing if he personally made it.
Life was a big adventurous game for Leonard and I know that his eternal spirit is alive and well, and creating many more magical games to play.
Leonard spent his life studying immortals and shared the practices of healing with the elements earth, air, water and fire he learned directly from observing them.
His ability or inability to apply the practices successfully for his own longevity and all of ours does not prove anything about the practices themselves.
Leonard never asked anyone to follow him blindly. He encouraged us to do the practices ourselves and to seek out our own relationships with immortals/ascended masters.
He was also happy to provide people an opportunity to vent their anger and upset. Being real and honest about what we are feeling is the perfect stage for entering into a good Breathwork session. Telling the truth about what we are feeling can help liberate us, if we are willing to do it consciously with the intent of transformation and letting go.
This was never about Leonard being the perfect master. How could we have stopped people from putting him on that pedestal? People do what they will. He was so human it was infuriating to people who had him idolized.
Leonard was just a regular guy with an open and kind enough mind to ask really interesting questions. It takes a lot of strength and courage to present the idea of physical mastery – physical immortality in our deathist culture and society and he did it amazingly well.
So what are you doing with your precious life? -This perfect, eternal moment of now?
Keep your mind and heart open and get out there and have some fun! 🙂✨
