Registered yoga teacher Gabrielle Semel and registered nurse and childbirth educator Eileen Rossi have combined their expertise to form TrueBirth Yoga, whose goal is to help women better understand and be empowered by the birth process. “We believe that a combination of basic yoga philosophy and childbirth education will help women embrace this sacred experience,” Semel says.

TrueBirth Yoga offers a partner approach to childbirth, using the practices of asana, breath work and meditation, Semel says. The process is designed to give each woman an understanding of what is occurring during the phases of labor and delivery, and to give her more tools to assist her on her “labor day.” Bringing forth life is a gift to be cherished, she says, adding, “TrueBirth Yoga hopes to help the mother minimize the fear associated with childbirth and savor the miracle that is birth.”

As co-owner of Inner Balance Studio on Route 311 in Patterson, NY, Semel has been leading private and group yoga classes for eight years. She says she’s passionate about sharing the practice as “a tool to stay tethered to the present moment.” Rossi has many years’ experience in maternal-child health and has been a longtime fixture at a local hospital-based birthing center. A mother of four, she has been certified in childbirth education and breast-feeding counseling since 1999.

For information on TrueBirth Yoga classes, visit InnerBalanceStudio.org/truebirth-yoga, find TrueBirth Yoga on Facebook, or call 845.878.7800.