Bailys Beads

The Cleanse

By Maddie Cincala

 

Background:

I’ve noticed these past few years that my body feels heavier. My muscles are tighter and plagued with throbbing aches, which I attribute to poor posture and even poorer sleeping positions, spine twisted, hips to mattress, chest twisted onto its side. It’s the only way I can seem to fall asleep, comfortable when I fall and impossibly uncomfortable when I wake. Cracking joints have become a part of my morning routine as I get up and stretch, forcing my body into working order. My days are filled with classwork and fueled by coffee and food of questionable quality. Can I really call this living? It certainly doesn’t feel like it as I find myself straining to get through what are supposed to be pleasant social exchanges and relaxing hang outs with friends. The noise starts to become too much and all I can think about now is finding an excuse to leave. Words blur into distortion, and I stop processing. A pre-programmed smile and nod just don’t cut it anymore. Though the more I disengage, the more I know I’m missing out on. Every day seems like this. I’m always the first to leave the fun, and the last to finish the work. How did this happen? I’m going through days like breaths of air, and I feel like I haven’t been able to stop and enjoy any part of it.  Ever since my freshman year of college, I’ve found solace in the shower, dim enough to take the strain off my eyes, and warm enough to let me feel something without overstimulation. I don’t listen to music when I shower, just listening. Closing my eyes, the water sounds like rainfall, but also a spitting fire pit if I think about it hard enough. I imagine the water washing off the layer of outside filth and cutting through the membrane that has clouded my mind, even if it’s only temporary. Yet even after showering, I know I need more. I need not just an external wash, but a full body cleanse.

During today’s session, a dissection of my body will be performed followed by a full body cleanse and concluded with a reassembling.

Objectives:

The objectives of this session are to 1) cleanly dissect a full body, taking notes on the state of its parts pre cleanse, 2) properly prep and cleanse the harvested organs for the cleanse and identify how each step is specialized to each organ, and 3) reassembling the body, taking note of the condition of it after the solitary period and comparing the results to the pre-cleanse notes.

Note that this session will cover multiple days. Be prepared to check back in outside of session hours for full credit.

Materials and Methods:

All materials should be provided for this session.

  • 1 large Tupperware container- the bigger the better
  • 4 medium-sized bowls
  • A meat tenderizer
  • A juicer
  • 1 towel
  • A scalpel
  • Cooking twine
  • Lotion
  • Massage Oil
  • 4 bags of lavender and chamomile tea
  • 1 large cucumber
  • Salt
  • 3 whole lemons
  • White vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Ice
  • Synovial fluid
  • Bone saw
  • My Body

Before the dissection begins, prep the following:

  1. Boil a large kettle of water. While that boils, proceed with the next steps.
  2. Make a lemon salt scrub by mixing 3 cups of salt and the juice from all 3 lemons.
  3. Make an exfoliant marinade by mixing a 1:4-part ratio of lotion and massage oils.
  4. Cut the cucumber into thin slices and add to a bowl of ice water. Set it aside.
  5. Once the water is boiled, steep the lavender and chamomile tea as per the instructions for the brand that is being used. Once steeped, remove from heat, and let it cool.
  6. Make a slice in the throat, severing the main artery. Let the blood drain into the sink, like a fish being prepped for flaying. Note the complacency as life drains from the eyes.

Procedure:

  1. Using the scalpel, make an incision that runs down along the back of the body. Use the spine as a guideline, starting from the base of the scalp, down to the tailbone. Make a cross section across the shoulder blades, continuing down each of the arms and ending at the wrists. From the tail bone, split off, cutting down each of the back of the legs to the heel. Gently cut away the subcutaneous membrane to peel away the skin. Do not rush as to keep the skin in one piece. Note how the skin is dry from the neglect and tight from the long hours spent in scalding hot showers.
    • When the body is removed from the skinsuit, rinse it with distilled water and scrub it down with the salt scrub. Rinse again and slather it in the marinade to rehydrate, applying extra to the hands, elbows, and knees where the skin is most dry. Store in the fridge for at least twenty-four hours.
  2. Using the same scalpel, remove the muscles, cutting at the connective tissue and ligaments. Make a note of what muscles go where for future reference. Lay them all out flat and take note of the back and shoulder muscles. Observe how they are much tighter than the other ones, knotted and strained from poor posture and stress.
    • Once all muscles are removed and lined up, use the meat tenderizer to alleviate the knots, rolling, crushing, and breaking down the grain. Do not let the fleshy texture fool you. The knots are resilient, allowing for intensive beating.
  3. Carefully remove the eyes. The removal of muscle around the skull should provide enough space to insert a finger. Trace the finger down along the edge of the occipital cavity and curl it up to pop the eyes out. Do not sever the optic nerve, rather, gently pull the root from the base. Study the eyes. Notice how they are a little worse for wear, worsening as the years go by, threatening the ever-fading crispness of the depth of field. They burn from late night screen time, perpetuating the genocide of rods and cones within the occipital chambers.
    • Take the eyes and soak them in the cucumber water, allowing them to rehydrate and quenching the burn. May the cool crispness of the water restore some of that declining quality of vision. Let them soak overnight next to the skin.
  4. Using the bone saw, cut around the top of the skull, being sure not to cut too deep. The brain tissue is very fragile. Once the skull is open, drain the cerebrospinal fluid and gently work the brain out. Though there are no external abnormalities, know that there is a storm inside: a crackling, lightning network of neurons, firing on all cylinders, creating a torrent of thoughts, and contributing to the energy crisis this body endures.
    • Gently lower the brain into the lavender and chamomile tea, taking care not to jostle the container. The brain is soft like tofu but will absorb what it needs to in its own time. Let the tea soak into all of the folds, slowing the racing thoughts and letting go of the stress that has accumulated over the years.
  5. Pull out my lungs one at a time, cutting at each of the main bronchi and working them out from the bottom of the rib cage. This may seem like more of a hassle, but the hard work will pay off in the end. Examine each of the lungs and note how they are healthy, but small. It is evidence of anxious breath holding and applied pressure from slouched posture. They have not yet reached their full potential.
    • String the lungs up on a cool night using the cooking twine and let them air out overnight. The crisp air will allow them to breathe unhindered at last. Take caution during this step, keeping them in a place out of reach of any night creatures looking for an easy midnight snack.
  6. Take out the stomach, liver, kidneys, and intestines. Turn the stomach inside-out and empty it. Gently squeeze out the contents inside the intestines. Observe the half-digested slosh and realize it mostly consists of processed junk food, as do the intestines. Discard this mush and proceed to clean each organ thoroughly with distilled water.
    • Take the liver and the kidneys, and soak them in distilled water, covered. Allow them to soak in as much as they can, renewing their natural filters.
  7. Take the heart, severing it at the superior and anterior vena cava, the aorta, and the pulmonary veins and arteries. Take note of how cold and heavy it feels for something the size of a small fist. Chalk its weight up to it being made of pure muscle, but deep down you will empathize with it.
    • Wrap it in a warm towel to rest, as it has become so cold and hardened over the years- it needs to thaw. Do not rush this process. Hearts take time to warm up. If rushed, you risk breaking it.
  8. Disassemble the remaining skeleton piece by piece, along with the teeth. Record each point at which the joints run dry. This will be evident by signs of dryness and scraping where the joints connect. Count the teeth and commend this body for having no cavities.
    • Fine tune and reapply the synovial fluid that keep the joints going. Apply extra to the knees in attempts to mitigate further swell ups post-assemblage. Take the time to scrub each of the teeth with vinegar and treat with a baking soda solution to naturally whiten and disinfect. Don’t be disheartened if they remain stained yellow. Genetics and coffee are to blame for that.
  9. Let everything sit overnight, or even longer; however long you feel it takes. Be sure everything is properly stored away and covered up. These things take time. Spend this time reflecting on the state of the body and considering how the state of the world may have affected it.
  10. When you’re ready, begin to reassemble, starting with the skeleton, building it back up. Rinse out the brain, kidneys, and liver and put them back in along with the lungs and stomach and other innards. Reapply the muscles and eyes, rinsing the eyes beforehand. Make sure everything is in order before bringing out the skin. Rinse thoroughly before sliding it back on over everything, making sure to smooth it out so there are no abnormal bumps. Take your time with this, trying not to rip the new skin.
  11. Store my body in a warm, dark place and leave it alone. Over time, the bones will realign where the reassembly may have been shaky. The muscles and organs will shift and slide back in place, rejoining the bones and better shaping the skin. The heart will start to beat once more, and the lungs will breathe unlabored. The two will work in tandem and renew the body with clean blood. 
  12. Once the body is fully cleansed, it will come out on its own time. Observe it and compare its quality to that of your post-cleanse notes.