Finding Myself

From the beginning of the day, I felt a negative vibe emanating from my soul and body. The first destination was Western University. I was familiar with my surroundings and felt comfortable. We prepared for an entry into the University’s cadaver lab with a ceremonial smudging of sage and giving thanks to Mother Earth and her elements. We also honored to wear an herb on our ears called “Ruda” that will keep us protected from lost souls or negative energies. We walked to another building in the campus and entered through stairs. We were outside the door and I was feeling uncomfortable about my surroundings. When I entered the door and put on gloves, I felt the hairs on my neck stand. The room was cold and felt like it was empty even though I was able to see over twenty covered bodies. The bodies were covered with white plastic sheets. Only two or three were uncovered in the chest area for showing.

We were separated into four groups to see different stations on different body parts and affects deceases had on them. It was overwhelming at first to know these were living people, but my curiosity over came it. I witnessed the affects aneurysms had on hearts, an artificial heart valve and cancer that spread to multiple parts of a body internally and in the exterior. This helped me think about the lifestyles and changes I wanted to have in my life to prevent the same result. This day struck me at a physical and mental level. It has helped me look at myself in a totally different way and what I will become in the future.