𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.

This photo was taken in the small town of Taranes, Ponga. A stunning little town that sits on the side of a mountain, over looking the valley below. One of my favorite areas to go in Asturias, especially right now, is Ponga Natural Park (Parque Natural de Ponga). Ponga is located in the west of Asturias, in the mountains leading up to the Picos de Europa. It is honestly one of the most beautiful places in Asturias, with lushious green forests, high rocky peaks and beautiful waterfalls and rivers. It's a magical place.

Let's talk a bit about this pose, Both Big Toes Pose (Ubhaya Padangusthasana). It is a great pose to strengthen the core, stretch the leg and arm muscles, improve flexibility and balance, and stimulate the nervous system. But I'll be perfectly honest, I've had a huge love-hate relationship with this pose. It's not an easy pose for me and I've never really liked it because even after years of practicing it, I usually cannot sit in it comfortably. And as you see in this photo, I'm not always able to straighten my legs, either.

That's fine. It's okay that we can't do "the perfect yoga pose." The whole point of doing yoga isn't to be Instagram ready, it's about the journey we have. Perhaps one day I'll be able to slip into Ubhaya Padangusthasana without any struggle, or the many other poses that I'm still developing (read: all), but over the years of practicing yoga, I have come to realize that, that isn't the point. The point is to listen and connect to yourself, mind, body and breath, and learn from them. To teach yourself to be in the moment, accept where you are and feel content with the journey.

This pose should be avoided or done in a different variation if you have high blood pressure, any injury to your back, hips, shoulders, legs, arms, are pregnant, or even during menstruation if it feels uncomfortable. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure about your situation.

Published first on Instagram