About running, hygiene and the body

I run very slowly..
I haven't seen anyone running slower than me in Edinburgh.

While running, my eyes are caught up by the scenery around my path.
I try to choose a different route every time.
But even when running along the same path sometimes, depending on weather, depending on seasons, the scenes look quite different than before.

Nature shows a variety of appearances of herself each time.

Indeed, exercise in fresh air was the most critical element in the old conception of 'hygiene' in Western medicine.*

People in our society think 'cleanliness' as important.
However, the common concept of 'clean' today is quite distant from what used to be called as 'hygienic', which was described as 'the laws of health' by some physicians in 19th century Britain and may be equivalent to 'ways of healthy life' in a modern sense.

For instance, wiping a table with a towel and anti-bacterial detergent is, in my eyes, not cleaning but rather making poisonous pollution on the surface of the table, which might be, without the chemical intervention, a microcosm of a natural ecological balance.
This can apply not only to the table surface but also to our body, including our skin, our hair, our teeth and our internal organs.

People in modern society are educated to think dust as dirty.**
They get shocked when they find cockroaches in their homes, and many of them instantly begin to think how to 'kill' them, while forgetting that it was themselves who invited the animal to their homes.
I have experienced being asked sometimes from people around me, including my parents, to recommend some good toothpaste.
But, is toothpaste really necessary to 'clean' our teeth?
Moreover, are shampoo, soap, detergent and the numerous sorts of body washing products, let alone all sorts of cosmetics and so-called 'skincare' products, really necessary?

From my own knowledge about medical sciences (from physiology to dentistry) and the history of medicine and my own experience of not using those chemicals for more than 7 years, my answer is 'no'.

Quite often I feel that we are very likely to confuse what feels good and what really is good.
Unfortunately I observe many times the former is actually harmful or destructive.

I know that nature is not always beautiful like the scenery that I watch while jogging.
Nature has its own cruel and wild aspects.
However, no matter how good human intentions may be, the replacement of nature by artificial human products or plans seems most likely to end up in failure in the long term.
I think one of its fundamental reasons is that humans tend to pursue what they feel good or what looks good, while being unable discern what is really good.

Of course, I can't really be sure what is really good, either.
I am merely another ignorant human.
How can I know what is really good to humans or even to myself?

That is why I just quietly run.

Beginning to run at about 4:30 pm, at Holyrood Park

5: 30 pm, near Bingham Park

5: 40 pm, near Brunstane station.

6:30 pm, near the river Esk

7 pm, near the lagoons in Musselburgh

7:30 pm, near Prestonpans

7:40 pm, my returning point in Prestonpans

An Asian man who was running in Prestonpans

8:30 pm, on the bus to the city centre




* I once wrote a post in my old blog about 'air'. See: http://blog.daum.net/baeminteacher/300

** Sadly, however, in some parts of the globe, including Seoul, the dust is no longer 'natural' dust, but 'chemical' dust. Therefore, it's become harmful indeed nowadays.