A beautiful and fairly easy walk through the luscious Asturian forest, is the Ruta de los Molinos del Río Profundo, or the Mill walk along the River Profundo, in Villaviciosa. The route follows the river that used to be used to power dozens of water mills, the ruins of the mills are part of the walk’s fun. The walk seems to transport you to a land of fae, with beautiful shades of green, brown and grey, the rushing sounds of the moving river and lovely delicate butterflies fluttering from all directions surrounding you at every step. And keep your eyes peeled for the mythical creatures that can be found hiding at different points throughout!

The pose in this photo is Warrior III or, Virabhadrasana III, the third pose in the warrior series. The asana (pose) is a great one for strengthening the ankles and legs, shoulders and back muscles, it helps tone the abdomen, and it improves balance and posture. The balancing of this pose can be challenging, so make the necessary modifications that you need: perhaps keep your hands on your hips, bring your ‘flying’ foot closer to the ground, or even use a chair in front of you to help spot yourself and, little by little, try letting go of the chair.

Contraindications for this pose are any leg or hip injury that could be over worked by putting too much weight or strain on the legs, shoulder or back injuries, and high blood pressure. Make any necessary modification or try other poses that don’t put strain the body in ways it shouldn’t. Always listen to your body, find what feels good for you in that moment. Yoga is about listening, not just doing.

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