Midlife on the Mat with Donna

02/08/2026

One of the lovely things about my classes is the energy in the room.

Yes, we take our classes seriously... but we don't take ourselves too seriously!

There are

✨ no prizes for touching your toes

✨ zero pressure to keep up with the person on the next mat and

✨ absolutely no expectation as to how your pose will look.

Some days you wobble (me included!) some days you laugh, and some days you discover muscles you didn't know you had! That's all part of the practice 😊

You are invited to come along with an open mind and lightness of heart, leaving your expectations and stresses at the door.

Yoga isn't about proving anything to anyone; it's about meeting yourself exactly where you are, today.

Whether you're completely new to yoga or returning after a break, you'll be warmly welcomed.

Every pose can be adapted to suit your body, your experience and your needs, so everybody can enjoy the practice at their own pace.

Come and see what my classes are about. 💫

My yoga and Pilates classes – a space where everybody is welcome.

*New beginners Pilates starts September*

📸Goa, India Yoga Retreat (I can’t promise you the beach but I promise a warm welcome, a few laughs, and perhaps even a little more lightness in your step when you leave)

26/07/2026

Is it the right time for the algorithm? Is my pose eye-catching enough? Is my alignment perfectly "Instagrammable"?

Honestly, I don’t know.

But I need to be real about the realities of running a business and "selling" something I love. 🧡

I recognise social media is a powerful tool, but putting myself out there feels incredibly vulnerable. Most of the best teachers I know feel the exact same way.

If you only knew yoga and Pilates through social media, you would have a completely distorted view of what it actually is.

In my classes you will find people of all ages, backgrounds, bodies and beliefs mixing in a safe, welcoming and inclusive space.

Nobody cares about your clothing brand or how your pose looks or how your body moves. Genuinely.

What we DO care about ~ is each other.

I have seen so many lovely friendships formed and deepened with students in my classes and guests on my retreats

I am here to hold space for you without judgment or expectation.

That is my job and that is so hard to capture in a trendy caption or a flashy headstand and honestly, it feels like a contradiction to promote something so beautifully simple through fancy poses, alignments and algorithms.

So, I’m putting this out there to say:

I am always here in the background taking time to be present, practice what I preach, and enjoying the practise - whatever it looks like.♥️

25/07/2026

I am blessed to have a wonderful yoga and Pilates community and incredibly grateful for your continued support, especially during this quieter summer season. ☺️

I know routines naturally shift and life gets busy over the warmer months and especially during July and August.

To keep my classes running sustainably, I have made a few small adjustments to the timetable.

Booking your spot in advance is always super helpful for planning, though I completely understand if you need to join last minute.

If you miss your mat but cannot make it to class, don’t forget that you can access my online SUMMER SOULFUL MOVEMENT classes anytime from anywhere and for all Summer for just £12. These are 4 shorter classes to fit in at home or while you are on your travels. Link in bio.

Most of all, I hope you have a beautiful summer filling your cup guilt-free, knowing your practice will be right here waiting whenever you are ready to return. ☀️🧡🫶

05/07/2026

Rossendale yoga & Pilates. Six classes a week. Very brilliant people. Join us!

I am an experienced and qualified yoga & Pilates teacher, mid-lifer former-corporate lawyer, mum of two young adults, and passionate about movement in all its forms!

I build my yoga classes for people who think they’re not “yoga & Pilates people.” Classes are for all but are particularly planned for midlife bodies and beyond.

😣Tight desk-bodies
🤯stressed brains
🧘‍♀️beginners
🙆bodies that are incredibly tense and overworked
🤕injured bodies
🙈bodies carrying a medical condition

That’s most of the room in my classes, every week.😊

🗓 MONDAYS

Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS

Pilates 6.00pm

Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS

Beginners Pilates 9am

Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas' Hall

(I also work with individuals on a 1:1 basis - get in touch for details for openings for 2 spaces in September).

Loads of modifications and acceptance.

📍 Rossendale

I am there to guide and encourage, and no one’s watching you, I promise!

Come see for yourself 🙏🏼

📸Me teaching Yoga in the Park

16/06/2026

Why we need to talk about BALANCE after 40 (and it’s not just about a busy diary! 🧘‍♀️✨) We have explored it this week in classes. (Not the one in the pic!)

When we talk about health in our 40s and 50s, we usually focus on hot flushes, sleep, or joint pain.

But there is one vital skill that often gets left out of the conversation: our physical balance.

Did you know that our stability naturally starts to decline around age 50?

As oestrogen levels drop during the menopause transition, we lose muscle mass and bone density much faster.

This makes it harder for our bodies to catch ourselves during a sudden slip or trip.

Here is why building "balance capital" right now is a game-changer:

🦴 It protects your bones: Good balance is your number one insurance policy against falls and fractures.

🧠 It keeps your brain sharp: Balance training forces your brain and muscles to communicate, keeping your neural pathways firing.

🛒 It protects your independence: Staying steady now means you can keep lifting shopping bags, travelling, and moving freely for decades to come.

The UK Chief Medical Officers actually recommend that we do balance and coordination activities at least twice a week.

The good news? You don’t need hours of extra time.

You can build it into your day:

👉 Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth.
👉 Try my Pilates or Yoga classes 👉 Practice standing on one foot while the kettle boils.

Let’s invest in our future selves! 👟

💪Have you noticed your balance changing recently? Let me know in the comments!

📸Crow pose - Patnem Beach, Goa
(Yes balancing on your hands is also a balance!)

🗓 MONDAYS
Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS
Pilates 6.00pm &
Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS
Beginners Pilates 9am &
Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas' Hall

16/06/2026

For midlife women, "moving on the mat" (via practices like Pilates & yoga) offers a low-impact way to support an evolving body without causing nervous system burnout.

It is essential to

✨calm the mind with the breath

💪protect bone density

👍rebuild deep core strength

🙏and ease joint pain

Here’s my current schedule👇

I promise you a warm welcome and would love to see you to support you on your wellness journey!

Dont’t hesitate to message me with any questions.

Booking link in comments 🔗

15/06/2026

I usually start my yoga class with a short Dharma - these are words that bridge ancient yogic wisdom with modern daily life, designed to plant a mental or emotional seed for our physical practice. It is wide ranging and last week I talked about Ahimsa in Yoga🧘‍♀️

What is it?

The very first Yamas of the first limb of yoga, translated from sanskrit to English means non harm or non violence 🙏

It tells us that all of our thoughts, words and actions to ourselves, others and our planet should come from a place of love 🌎🧡

Last week, I invited students to reflect on negative thoughts or feelings they have to others, situations or particularly to THEMSELVES.

We are often most harmful to ourselves by being critical, frustrated, angry and negative😡

This can be particularly so when we go through challenges or as we move into midlife with hormones raging, bodies changing and all the emotional responses that go with that!

So I invited my students to show themselves and others love and kindness by cultivating peace through their practice ☮️

We breathed and moved with love and compassion for our mind and bodies and we found some peace and calm 🙏

Come and join us to find yours! 😊

Mondays 6pm, Rawtenstall
Wednesdays 10.15am, Helmshore

Booking link in bio

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Thank you to all the beautiful souls who joined me for Yoga In the Park🧘‍♀️

We had nature’s music to guide our practise and even the Flying Scotsman could be heard at one point!

So lovely to see everyone and particularly, families coming along introducing their little ones to the magic of yoga ✨

I’m back in September but if you would like to join me for a class

🗓 MONDAYS
Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS
Pilates 6.00pm & Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS
Beginners Pilates 9am & Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas’ Hall

31/05/2026

One of the hats I wear is being an Independent Board Member for Active Lancashire and on Friday we had our Board away day.

Why am I telling you this?

It’s because I am deeply passionate about creating a world where movement is part of everyone's daily life, and so is this organisation.

I am particularly passionate about women’s health and breaking down barriers to inspire behaviour change to make movement accessible for EVERYONE - and this is why I also love being part of Rossendale’s Yoga in the Park (my turn next Sunday 7th June 🤞)

So on Friday, spending dedicated time with a leadership team that shares this exact energy, drive, and vision is deeply motivating and it was truly inspiring being part of the fabulous day!