Spiritual Geek Out Podcast · Diane Hudock

Loving Oneself into A Well-Lived Life: Teachings from a 102 yr old doctor

·1 hr 21 min·5 clips

Gladys told her surgeon son he shouldn't be scared if he understands patients heal themselves.

Diane Hudock hosts the Spiritual Geek Out podcast, and her guest is Dr. Gladys McGarry, a 102-year-old physician and author of *The Well-Lived Life*. McGarry co-founded the American Holistic Medical Foundation and is a mother of six with a current ten-year plan. The episode explores her teachings on achieving happiness and fulfillment through self-directed healing and spiritual principles. McGarry argues that patients, not doctors, ultimately heal themselves, and she illustrates this by recounting advice she gave her surgeon son about supporting the "physician within" each patient. She describes healing herself of a thyroid tumor in her sixties through a month-long fast guided by a dream, using only water and grape juice. Her philosophy is symbolized by a tricycle, where the physical and mental wheels are joined by a spiritual third wheel to move forward. She outlines her "Five L's": Life, Love, Laughter, Labor, and Listening, all founded on love. A pivotal moment was a dream at age 93 where Jesus laughed with her in a mango tree, which she says helped her reclaim her voice after childhood trauma. McGarry believes suffering is a teacher and that life is not solely about happiness. She shares a story of a patient named Anne, who learned that pulling back from burnout was not regression but living her teachings. For those feeling disconnected, she suggests finding purpose in caring for a plant or pet, proposing guardian dogs in classrooms to foster love and reduce violence. She emphasizes that one is never alone and that releasing grievances, like letting rose petals fall, conserves vital energy. McGarry advocates for reclaiming the power of birth, criticizing how medicalized "delivery" disempowers women, and envisions "villages for living medicine" with loving birth centers. The tone is conversational, inspirational, and educational, blending personal anecdote with spiritual teaching. Listeners interested in holistic health, personal growth, and spiritual wisdom would appreciate this episode. Those seeking strictly evidence-based medical discussions or averse to Christian spiritual references might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

A calm conversation on inner guidance, healing, and a life well lived.

At 102, Dr. Gladys McGarry speaks with the calm of someone who has lived through enough to know what she means. In this Spiritual Geek Out conversation, she moves through the five L's, finding one's juice, and the foundation for a well-lived life, all while linking love, life,…

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You hear 102-year-old Dr. Gladys McGarry trace a well-lived life through inner guidance, faith, and hard-won self-trust.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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