Written by: Dr. Susanne T. Eden

The senior years offered me the best chance I had to rid myself of the burden of past trauma and old ways of thinking, so I could focus on healing my body and mind. When I turned 60, I had no plans to slow down. I was passionate about my career and, although diagnosed with diabetes and polymyalgia rheumatica, maintained a hectic work schedule.

I had been plagued my whole adult life with chronic health issues, but the determination to make my mark compelled me to accept each new advancement and opportunity. Finally, my body, in its wisdom, said, “Enough!” 

I listened and made the hard decision to take early retirement and focus on my health.

From juggling competing responsibilities of home and work, I was unprepared for retirement and the profound change it brought. The motivation for my personal journey of healing was both physical and emotional. Not only was I trying to find a cure for debilitating chronic pain, but I was also dealing with a loss of purpose and identity. 

At the same time, I was aware that, barring a traumatic event, I could expect to live to the age of 100. This meant I had possibly 40 years ahead of me. How was I to spend them? 

The Journey to Healing My Body and Mind Began

My healing journey has been a process of self-discovery. I didn’t see it as recovery, but as becoming more of what I might be. Even with the success I’d enjoyed in my career, I was never content or satisfied. It was never enough. I was never enough. Why? What happened to me?

Initially, I focused on reclaiming my physical health. But I came to understand that, as important as that is, it’s just one aspect of healing and would only take me so far.

I was fortunate to have an exceptional primary care provider and access to one of the best healthcare systems in the country. Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough. Only when I addressed my inner wounds did true healing occur. 

The ride has been anything but smooth. I spent too much time seeking answers from professionals and ended up going down many a dead-end path. Still, I never gave up. Increasingly, I went deeper into my inner self.

As I did, I uncovered hurts and trauma that had created barriers to the true healing of my body and mind. As I acknowledged these wounds and forgave what happened in my past, the person I hoped to be emerged.

The Stages of Healing My Body and Mind

Healing requires time, patience, staying power, and conviction — but it’s well worth the effort.

When we’re free from the burden of past pain, we experience fulfillment that radiates from inside and colors life with joy and serenity. This isn’t merely the enjoyment of playing a good round of golf, but the deep satisfaction of having inner and outer needs met.

It’s a sense of wholeness that brings true fulfillment.

The journey of healing my body and mind involved three stages:

• Healing from the outside
• Taking ownership
• Healing from the inside

During the first stage, healing from the outside, I was completely dependent on experts to find a cure for my physical illness. When one specialist didn’t help, I was referred to another. My medicine cabinet bulged with pharmaceuticals and supplements, most of which did more harm than good.  

This went on for years while my health deteriorated and the quality of my life went downhill. Failing to find a cure, I became disillusioned, and this led me into the second stage of the journey.

In the taking ownership second phase, I came to realize that I was responsible for my own health. I no longer took doctors’ advice without questioning it. In time, I was able to replace most of the pharmaceuticals with self-care practices. As I came to understand the difference between finding a cure and healing, I began the third stage. 

As I embarked on healing from the inside, I recognized that a “cure” might change a condition, but “healing” was necessary to change my life. A cure is something that happens to you from outside sources, while healing happens from within.

I continue to rely on conventional treatment for my physical ailments when needed, such as for diabetes, but I’ve experimented with natural products and adopted practices that support the whole self. These include:

• Discovering who I am and who I’m meant to be through reflection, journal writing, and meditation
• Supporting the flow of positive energy through chakra cleansing and breathwork
• Replacing negative thinking and debilitating attitudes and beliefs with gratitude, visualization, and affirmations

As my mental and spiritual health improved, so did my physical health. 

My Senior Years Have Been an Opportunity for Growth

I’ve found that the senior years have offered me a chance to rid myself of the burdens of past trauma and flawed beliefs that blocked me from becoming more truly myself. Honest self-examination has done more for my health than all the pharmaceuticals I’d taken.

Now, nearly 30 years after retirement, I’m in better shape physically, mentally, and spiritually than I was at age 60.

I don’t want to leave the impression that all pharmaceuticals are harmful, or that we ought to rely solely on energy healing and self-care. We need to bring the best that science-based medicine has to offer, with the best of ancient wisdom and healing practices.

I won’t pretend that this has been an easy ride. Facing past traumas can be soul-searing. However, when we name these experiences and face them, we gain freedom and a sense of well-being beyond anything we might imagine. 

It’s never too late to become who we’re meant to be. This is the secret to living fully as we age.

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Dr. Susanne T. Eden spent her career providing leadership to educators across Canada as a teacher, author, consultant, and staff developer. Among her achievements, she is a past President of the Canadian Association for Young Children and past Chair of the Board of Governors, Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario. Now 87, she shares her personal story of healing and personal transformation in her book, Healing from the Inside: Living Fully as You Age (Sept. 13, 2025), inspiring others to approach the gift of aging with optimism and purpose.