https://www.louisepitmanyoga.com/

Louise Pitman Yoga, Newtownards (2026)

04/05/2026

🫣 F A I L U R E 🫣

Oprah said that failure is a stepping stone to greatness.

To try is the most important thing.

As part of my Swimming to 60 challenge, as well as swimming 60 wild kilometres over the year, each month I’m participating in a SPLASH.

SPLASH ~ something that either challenges me or brings joy. To be honest, every splash to date has been JOY FULL. But in July I’m participating in the Bantham Swoosh a 6k swim for which I a) need to train for & b) have to wear a wetsuit for.

Last week I thought it was high time I went for a swim in my wetsuit. For the last 3 winters I’ve swum in skins (costume only) so wearing a wetsuit is something I’ve not done for a while. Oh my goodness. Trying to get into the suit was hard enough, never mind swimming in it.

Pre menopause I’d never experienced anxiety or panic but what happened on that swim was pure fear based panic. I’d chosen to swim in the harbour, at high tide the water is deep. I could t catch my breath. I use a tow float so I flipped over and hugged it like an otter. Once I’d settled my breathing I flipped back up and hugging the float I kicked back to the slipway.

My breath was shallow, more like a pant. As a breath coach I knew this was panic territory.

So, a failed swim. A big fat fail for the wetsuit. But that’s ok. I’ll just have to find another way. As Oprah said failure is a stepping stone to greatness. I’ll just have to replan and it will be great (channelling self belief)

Save this post for when you need a reminder that failure is ok. You’ll find a way.

01/05/2026

April has gone by in a flash but has been full of good times

✨ 2500 metres swum

✨ spending time with my gorgeous grandsons (and Jude’s 3rd birthday)

✨a chance encounter with a local photographer who takes photos of wild swimmers for his master’s in creative practice!

✨ a new community

✨ a visit from my daughter and lots of fun times together

✨ continuing my motivation to get to the gym

✨ a trip to Estonia, a pilgrimage with a special friend

✨ living near the sea

There’s been a few tough times too, my youngest daughter being very poorly but now she’s on the mend ❤️‍🩹

And a big breakthrough just in time for the flower full moon tonight and Beltane, if you want me today I’ll be burning incense, meditating, sitting with my moon deck, shedding layers at a sound bath and swimming under the full moon. And in between recording a pod cast and looking after my grandsons for the afternoon. Hello May

I’d love to hear how your month was, what worked well and what’s still in flow?

27/04/2026

✨ T R U S T ✨

Is trust something that is inherent within us?

Is trust something we must work on developing?

When we think about trust, is it a concept we foster for our interactions with other people or ourselves?

Yesterday I was asked to trust. Trust that whatever happened was what needed to happen.

Makes perfect sense right?

I simply allowed. Then I went on a journey, a smoke house, a wise woman, words, whispers, sounds, hot steam, cold water.

I’m still processing the journey but, trusting that whatever needed to unfold was exactly the right thing.

We talk about trust a lot. They broke my trust. I trusted them and look what happened. I’ve been hurt so I cannot trust.

But what about when it’s ourselves we need to have trust in? Sometimes it’s our inability to trust the process, trust what happens next, trust ourselves to be free of thought that holds us back.

We’re heading to the flower full moon & Beltane on Friday, both symbolising growth, abundance & passion. Bonfires are symbolic at Beltane, If you trusted yourself to light a fire under your passion, what would growth look like for you?

I’d love to hear what lights you up in the comments 🔥

23/04/2026

I’m writing a book, there I said it! Louise Pitman ~ Author ✨

Sometimes we just have to believe. I’ve spent a lot of my life telling myself I’m not creative. I caught myself saying it again last year, when I was thinking about writing a book.

I teach yoga and craft weekly classes to help support women manage menopause & midlife. I host sold out yoga retreats and curate classes to take participants on a journey. I share poetry in class, myth and legend.

How can I continue to tell myself that I’m not creative?

But here’s the thing. If we allow our thoughts to dominate the way we live our life, make decisions based on the easy way or what will suit everyone else, we’re never going to do the things we’d truly love to do.

I haven’t seen my people pleaser around for a while, I think she left a while ago hand in hand with the last of my estrogen. This doesn’t mean I don’t do things for other people. It means I don’t always put myself last nor tell myself I can’t.

Turns out I can write a book & it’s shaping up pretty nicely if I do say so myself. What’s more I’m loving the process of writing the book, from the research, the travel to swim with wonderful women, getting in the water as often as I can, doing a master’s in creative practice. I’m loving the process.

If you stopped limiting yourself and followed your dreams, what would you do? I’d love to hear

Save this post for when you need a reminder that you can & should do the thing!! 🙌🏼

21/04/2026

✨ R E F R A M I N G ✨

Loss is painful isn’t it. Loss can hurt, can make us feel sad, make us feel like we’ve failed, especially when we didn’t choose it.

But whilst we’re busy focusing on the negative, we forget to see the opportunity that change can bring.

My advice is to reframe the way we think and feel about our situation.

It’s really no coincidence that my midlife retreat is called Reframe Your Mind & Body, it’s an opportunity to take time out and rather than focus on how menopause has pulled the rug out from under your feet, it’s an opportunity to see how magnificent midlife can be.

But here’s the thing, change can often feel like it’s being done to us. Your eggs running out, periods stopping, estrogen reducing ~ not something you chose but the consequence of being born with XX chromosomes 🧬

That change is tough. I know, I really do. I’ve been there. But I view my post menopause landscape through a lens of opportunity. I’d love to help you do that too.

I host solo or two friends together retreats at my home in Northern Ireland by the sea. You can fly here from England for less than a train ticket across country. I offer a menu of services for you to choose from.

Or join and me on retreat in rural Hampshire 11-13 September, we have a few places left, join us and reframe your midlife 🔥

Share this post with your bestie and book a retreat together 👯

17/04/2026

✨ CHANGE ✨

My favourite quote is from Nelson Mandela ‘it always feels impossible until it is done’

Change is possible. Here’s my potted history, I’ve had many reinventions

✨ I had my first child at 20 and left my civil service admin job to be a mum

✨ I had 3 children by 30 and various ‘bit part’ jobs fitted in around their needs, but I wanted more. I started my career in Probation

✨ At 35 I went to uni for the first time to train as a Probation Officer

✨ At 40 I got divorced

✨ At 51 I’d lost both my parents and yoga helped me work through the grief, I wanted to share this so I trained as a Yoga Teacher

✨ At 55 I gave up my career after teaching yoga part time, I knew this was what I needed to be doing.

✨ At 57 I moved to Northern Ireland, I had to begin again

✨ Almost 60 I’ve started a Masters in Creative practice and I’m writing a book

✨ I now host yoga retreats, in a few weeks my first in Portugal, over 20 in England and now at my home in NI too, small groups, two friends or solo. A complete restorative midlife break

✨ I offer a virtual cuppa, a 30 minute coffee call for anyone wanting to make changes but not sure where to start

✨ Or join my Tuesday night online class, Yoga, tools for menopause where a lovely community of women await

✨ Change is inevitable, it’s how we deal with that change that makes it difficult or life changing.

Save this post for when you’re ready!! Or DM today and let’s plan coffee x

15/04/2026

🛑 STOP 🛑

Stop listening to other people’s opinions of you, they are none of your business.

I’m 59 it would be unusual for me to not have a few lines on my face. My waistline has grown a little in recent years, so has my butt. My hair is now grey.

And what?

I can still do a headstand, I can still climb a mountain, ride my bike, swim in the sea all thru winter, follow my own path.

Social media has so many positives, I’m met some wonderful people here. But it can also be a place where comparisons are made, shame is dished out quicker than likes or positive comments.

If you’re unhappy about an aspect of your body, face, hair and you want to change it, do. But my midlife friends, please stop chasing a goal that’s been made by someone else’s parameters.

You are awesome! Please comment below with the most awesome thing about you.

I’ll go first. I’m awesome, I teach yoga. And to be completely honest. I’m grateful to be ageing, I’m planning a long life and yoga is gonna help me
🧘🏼‍♀️✨🧘🏼‍♀️✨🧘🏼‍♀️✨🧘🏼‍♀️✨🧘🏼‍♀️✨

06/04/2026

Build Your Own Retreat

Going on retreat is something all women should gift themselves.

It’s something I offer and it’s something I gift myself.

Having hosted over 20 retreats, the question I’m asked the most is where someone will sleep. Here at my home bespoke retreat you’ll sleep in a luxury bedroom, with choice of bedding, duvet & pillows and a private place to sit on an uber comfy Loaf sofa.

The choice continues, the type of massage you have, the food you eat, the yoga sessions you take, plus whether you’ll have a sauna ritual or just relax in the hot and cold.

And the best bit? You get to choose exactly when you come!

I absolutely love group retreats but, when you just need a break, you cannot beat a retreat made just for you!

Comment retreat for the full menu of services 🙌🏼

03/04/2026

Yesterday’s adventure was a trip to the hospital for a DEXA scan ~ what is it? Something ALL midlife women should have.

A bone density scan, also known as a DEXA scan, is a type of low-dose x-ray test that measures calcium and other minerals in your bones. The measurement helps show the strength and thickness (known as bone density or mass) of your bones.

As we age, we begin to lose bone density, peaking in our 20’s by the time perimenopause comes a knockin’ our already weakened bones can be at further risk due to ever decreasing levels of estrogen.

The scan is quick and non invasive, you lay on a bed, elevate your legs (come on ladies who doesn’t want a moment of that) and the ‘arm’ of the scanner moves into position over your spine & hips ~ it doesn’t need to go over or near your head so there’s no feeling of being enclosed.

I’m so grateful to have been provided with this opportunity to check my bone density as my mum broke her hip aged 66. There is a criteria you have to meet here in NI but my experience in England is that your GP can refer you.

Oh, and I don’t use HRT (only vaginal) but I practice yoga regularly (obvs) walk a lot, bounce on my rebounder and do less strength & resistance than I should, but im remedying that now. I also take vitamin D everyday and wild collagen.

If you’re worried about losing bone density, I hope this shows that lifestyle can play a huge part in building stronger bones. Get moving ladies, do the yoga, get your steps in, lift weight and bounce daily.

Have you had a DEXA scan? Will you ask for one now if not?

01/04/2026

March round up, what a month!

A few weeks in England. Lots of swims for my book. Time with friends, old & new and a new gym membership that I’m using & loving.

I’m loving the process of writing my book too, and meeting so many awesome women.

Ever grateful for the retreats I host and the wonderful women I do that with.

Grateful for the life I live, the friends I have, and for being a student aged 59 and a half.

Come on April let’s do this 🙌🏼

If you have a midlife swim story I’d love to hear from you.

We have one twin left in Portugal this May and September in rural Hampshire is about to launch. We’d love you to join us ✨

30/03/2026

What a wonderful way to end March’s bounty of swims. A swimterview with a fabulous group of girls who call themselves the swimmin’ wimmin’

I travelled from the north east of Ireland to the south west, county cork, spectacular scenery accompanied the 5 hour drive.

I did a little sightseeing on Friday so that I’d be in position Saturday to join these midlife mermaids for a swim.

A post by a well known grammer popped up on my feed, I guess for once the algorithm got it right, the post was saying that midlife women are badass (tick) and that the ones in question were wild swimming (right next to a no swimming sign, double tick). Of course I took the opportunity to invite the badass mother for a swim and ended up joining one of their Saturday dips.

This is what community is all about. From the moment we met, there were laughs, expletives to describe just how cold the water was, these women are here for each other thru it all, connected by their love of swimming.

After we went for brunch and chatted about what swimming meant to them, especially whilst navigating midlife. It was such a joyful, righteous morning. Worth the 5 hour drive back home!!

Thank you for welcoming me into your flock and .dog.mom for organising the brunch and to all the Swimmin’ Wimin’ you made my Saturday 🧜‍♀️

27/03/2026

I’m on a road trip down on the south coast of Ireland in my van Oti. I’ve come to County Cork for a very special swim tomorrow so taking the opportunity to see a few sights on the way.

Last night I parked up by the Rock of Cashel and this morning took a walk in the sunshine, dodging the rain, and had to take dancers pose with this statue outside the folk museum.

Today I’m waiting, ticket in hand to board the Titanic tour in Cobh which was the last port of call before Titanic’s fateful journey across the Atlantic.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you do and don’t forget to practice your balance!

Louise Pitman Yoga

04/05/2026

01/05/2026

27/04/2026

23/04/2026

21/04/2026

17/04/2026

15/04/2026

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