When you first walk into the new Root2Bloom yoga studio, there is an eye-catching pop art print of a doe-eyed Judy Garland as Dorothy by New Orleans artist Chelsea Merrill. “I want every woman who comes in to feel at home,” says yoga instructor Emilie Klein Robinson, founder of Root2Bloom yoga and Mama Bloom perinatal yoga, of the play on The Wizard of Oz’s iconic “there’s no place like home” line.

Creating a safe, comfortable place with a strong sense of community is crucial for Robinson because her two yoga programs are for new moms and women navigating infertility, IVF treatments, pregnancy loss and infant loss. Having personally experienced these challenges, she says that her goal is to offer what she wishes she had at that time.

“I’ve had the idea to do this for nearly 12 years,” Robinson says, noting a nine-year struggle with infertility and pregnancy loss as the origin of the concept. “There is not enough information out there about how the treatments affect you—like how in some phases, energy levels plummet—and it was a confusing and isolating time, not to mention being pumped full of hormones.”

Acutely aware of how powerful yoga, breathwork and meditation can be, she began to plant the seeds for Root2Bloom, a yoga-based initiative to support women through their infertility journeys. “It was surprising to find a gap in this area of care,” she says. “But knowing that there is a need for this is a big reason why I continue, and hopefully eventually expand further.”

With primarily private classes, Root2Bloom is far from a typical yoga studio. Working with clinical doctors, therapists and more, Robinson is creating a detailed and evidence-based guide for each phase of pregnancy, IVF, breastfeeding and more, so that every woman can have a better understanding of what their body is going through during different stages.

Robinson says her program is based on physiology and anatomy, implementing restorative poses, light massages and more, all done at a slow pace. The relaxing practice is ideal for relieving stress and promoting a healthy mental and physical well-being—ideal for women working through infertility or the loss of a baby.

“We want to meet women where they are and try to give them what they need based on my expertise,” she says, noting her experience with specialized forms of yoga for fertility. “It’s important for me to listen, because they deserve to be taken care of. I want to work with them in a place of hope, while also being real and vulnerable about these experiences.”

While the restorative classes can be helpful to women carrying the weight of infertility, Robinson also hopes to create a sense of community within Root2Bloom. “Having a place where everyone understands what one another is going through, and just being around women who get it is so helpful,” she says.

Robinson is also hoping to create another community, as well. In addition to her work with hopeful mothers, she is also expanding her services with a second offering called Mama Bloom, which focuses on new moms.

“Doing a mother and baby yoga class with my youngest was easily one of the greatest experiences,” she says. “That’s where Mama Bloom yoga comes in. We will have private or semi-private classes for mothers, as well as mothers and their babies.” The entities are specifically kept separate for the emotional well-being of the root2bloom members, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe and compassionate community.

“I am very passionate about this project because I have been through it,” Robinson says. While the storm of that season of life was difficult for her, Robinson says the journey has inspired her and allowed her to shine her light by supporting other moms as they navigate their own motherhood journeys.

“Leaving my corporate job in economics to pursue this passion project has been exciting and slightly scary,” she says. “But I know it’s what I’m meant to be doing.”