Midlife on the Mat with Donna

12/12/2025

A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to my Christmas coffee morning🫶

I know it’s a really busy time of the year and really do appreciate you taking the time to join me!

So lovely seeing and chatting with so many of my Pilates and yoga students. I had a really lovely time and hope you did too 😊

Thanks to The Loom Café & Bar for hosting us. Fabulous, as usual!

Happy Christmas!! 🎄

09/12/2025

Pick n mix Pilates (sounds “sweeter” than it was but there was chocolate!) followed by our Annual Pilates Ladies Christmas lunch.

Thank you so much for my lovely flowers and for my gorgeous meal 🥰

Me thinks I should make them plank more often if that’s what I get!!! 😂

We had such a lovely long lunch chatting about all sorts things! Did someone mention delivery drivers?!? 😳

I genuinely feel so grateful to teach such a fabulous community of women! Thank you 🫶

Same time next year?!?

04/12/2025

Festive Timetable!

Looking forward to seeing you all either in classes or at our coffee morning next Friday🎄

Lots of the classes and events are now full but I have the last few spaces for the yin yoga class at The Unity Hub, Rawtenstall.

A beautiful class to end our year of yoga. Think stillness, calming candlelight, meditation and breathwork. Bliss!

29/11/2025

Ho ho ho! 🎅Well there are worse ways to spend a wet Saturday afternoon!

Such a lovely time with a fabulous group of women finding calm and our light in a calming yoga practice before snacking, mulled wining and creating fantastic wreaths, guided as always by the brilliant Emma from Buds To Blooms Florists. 🙌

I absolutely love hosting this event with you each year! Thank you 🙏

And a huge thanks to everyone who joined us. Emma and I are
so very grateful for all your help in clearing up at the end🫶 Such a wonderful community of women🧡

I hope you are all proud of your fantastic creations! Mine is already on my door.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 🎄

Missed you and your mum Emily Parr x

23/11/2025

Last few spaces for our candlelight yoga 🧘‍♀️ mulled wine 🍷 and festive wreathmaking🎄event next Saturday 29th November!

Here’s a few pics from last year.

Such a lovely festive event, finding some calm with the candlelight yoga and fun with creating our beautiful and plentiful wreaths to adorn our homes!

With Buds To Blooms Florists help, even I created something that I was proud to show.

Can’t wait to do it all again with you Emma Bury next weekend!

Booking 🔗 in comments.

See you there!

20/11/2025

Still soaking it in! 💓 All that beautiful energy we created at our recent Pilates & Yoga Retreat in Anglesey.

I am so truly grateful to each and every one of my guests who trust me to guide them into a safe space to reset, recharge and connect with a likeminded group of people.🧡

It is incredibly important to me to plan a Retreat that gives my guests the time and space to simply be while encouraging them to attend my carefully planned sessions and activities.🧘‍♀️

Come and join us on our next retreat! Bookings open for 2026. Comment “interested” below for more information.

We have received such wonderful feedback including this:

“It’s difficult to put into words how amazing the retreat was. I had no expectations as I had never been on a retreat of any kind before. It was exceptional in every way and such a joy to become acquainted with the special group of women I met. I loved how all ages just mixed so easily and mealtimes became noisier and noisier as the days went on.

Everything was meticulously planned and orchestrated by you Donna, without pressure but encouragement to join whatever was right for the individual. I loved the mix of Yoga, Pilates, breath work, meditation, walking, touring the garden and the creative activity offered. The surroundings were perfect and the food to die for. I would convert to veganism if Catherine could be my daily chef!

Your teaching is outstanding and your support and professionalism sprinkled with the Donna sense of humour make for a wonderful experience.

I have been feeling very positive since my return and also reflective. My health app tells me I am also less stressed, and have an improved heart rate variability. I’m not religious but do appreciate meditation, reflection and spirituality which again were carefully integrated into the long weekend.

Thank you again to you and your team. I look forward to returning in Spring”.

Thank you Fiona 🫶🫶🫶

Extra special thanks to the wonderful Catherine Wildings Vegan Kitchen. You are an amazing chef!!! 🙌

12/11/2025

Thinking about coming to my Pilates classes? Here’s a few reasons why you should! (Always best to hear it from my students!)

11/11/2025

Spaces available on Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings…
Would love to see you there! 😊

Pilates Classes at Haslingden Community Link Centre.
Please see below link to book your place.

https://midlifeonthemat.offeringtree.com

24/10/2025

What a way to end my working week with a trip to The Lakes scoping out this stunning venue for another Pilates,Yoga & Spa Retreat in Spring 2026!

My guests come thinking Retreats are about Pilates & Yoga but leave realising they are so much more.

They are about disconnecting from the noise of the world and connection with themselves and others.

That is the true gift of a Retreat and which is why I feel lucky to have so many repeat guests. ☺️

Our weekends are inclusive and safe spaces and I host guests that range from complete newbies to experienced yogis.

All bodies are very welcome on all of my Retreats.

We have a waitlist for our Retreats so please do get in touch if you would like to be added to this one for March 2026.

23/10/2025

✨ Big news for women’s health! ✨

When I started my perimenopausal journey (now nearly 10yrs ago) I had no idea what was happening to me. I was confused by the myriad of symptoms I felt and I wasn’t even aware that there was a peri menopausal stage.

Sure, I had heard about Menopause when your periods stop but had no clue about what came before! So I am passionate about raising awareness so that women are informed (and so they don’t feel like I did - like I was losing my mind!)

So the announcement today that from next year the NHS will include menopause checks as part of routine health checks for women aged 40–74 🙌 is brilliant!

Too often, women’s experiences of menopause have been minimised or misunderstood, with symptoms sometimes mistaken for other conditions or attributed to stress or lifestyle factors.

So this is such a huge step forward in recognising, supporting, and empowering women through one of life’s biggest transitions.

💬 More knowledge
🎗️ Earlier support and guidance
💪 Better quality of life for midlife women

Let’s celebrate this milestone — and keep the conversation going! 💜

Tag a friend who needs to know 👇

17/10/2025

Research is showing how incorporating lifestyle medicine can ease menopausal symptoms, reduce chronic-disease risk and support women’s long-term health.

It includes:

🍊healthy eating
🏃‍♀️physical activity
🧘‍♀️mental wellbeing
🍷 avoiding risky substances (sorry ladies that includes alcohol!)
😴restorative sleep and
👯‍♀️nurturing healthy relationships

Head to International Menopause Society for clear, evidence based guidance on all of the above.

Link in comments.

12/10/2025

Sharing the Autumn schedule of what’s coming up and looking forward to seeing you on the mat 😊

Comment below if you want more information.