GREENLAND, N.H. (AP) - Elizabeth Houston wakes up each day at 5 a.m. First, she drops her daughter off at day care, and then heads to the gym. She’s usually at work by 9 a.m.

Most may not know Houston lives at a homeless shelter, New Generation, which provides housing and case management for pregnant women or mothers of young children who are in crisis. Though she works full-time, as a single mother, Houston doesn’t make enough to afford her own housing in the area, where a recent study showed a less than 1 percent vacancy for apartments statewide.

On a balmy Wednesday morning, Houston joined her fellow housemates, nine mothers total, three of whom are currently pregnant, for an hour of chair, cobra and downward-facing dog poses inside the shelter’s new wellness barn. Houston, who fled a domestic violence situation without a car or place to live, was in her element.

Yoga mats dotted the rustic flooring of the classic New England-style barn. Pregnant bellies burgeoned out of tank tops and exercise pants, as an instructor from 3Bridges Yoga in Portsmouth led a one-hour class.

The wellness barn opened last month, as part of a push by New Generation to further its trauma-informed care model. Previously, director Donna Marsh said, they had no form of wellness in their programming. Now they’re teaching self-care practices and encouraging recharge.

“These women have been through a lot,” Marsh said. “Most have come from different types of trauma in their past where things have gotten off track, like domestic violence, addiction, generational poverty or mental illness. We work with them not only on housing first, then the trauma and the healing.”

In addition to group housing for residents, New Generation provides two transitional apartments for women and children. The organization was founded more than 30 years ago by Rye resident Ruthie Ford, who passed away in 2012.

Wednesdays are programming day at New Generation, where the women work on budgeting, nutrition, obtaining housing, and other skills that will assist them on their path to self-sufficiency. Now, they can add yoga, reiki, meditation and art therapy to that list, as the shelter actively seeks more practitioners to come in and lead classes each week.

Yoga practice has been found to be incredibly beneficial for people recovering from past trauma.

“Honestly, it’s the best group of women,” Houston said after finishing class this week. “They’re so supportive and want to see you succeed.”

Houston said she “hit a brick wall” when she was kicked off food stamps because she “made too much money,” but not enough to support herself and her daughter, Eleanor. They’ve been staying at New Generation for about one month.

“Everything I do is for her,” Houston said of her daughter.

Nicole Gregoire is 15 months sober, after spending seven months at Hope on Haven Hill in Rochester, a substance use treatment organization serving homeless, pregnant and newly parenting mothers in recovery.

“I needed to find something new to build a new life for myself and my children,” Gregoire said. “Coming here has really given me the opportunity to do that.”

Gregoire said at New Generation, the staff motivates residents, and encourages them to focus on their mental and emotional health — and now physical, too.

“Having this wellness barn motivates me to have something like this when I leave here, to continue appreciating myself and my body,” she said.

Some mothers find themselves at New Generation under unusual circumstances. Lauren Ramsey, for example, is from Texas. While visiting her mother in New England, she went into premature labor and doctors told her she’s unable to travel, so she’s staying at New Generation until she heals from her C-section, scheduled soon. It will be her third child.

Marsh said stays at New Generation can range from one week to one year, but the average woman and her children stay for 120 days.

While the women did yoga this week, their infants and toddlers crawled and played in the main house with staff.

“We work with them to rebuild the foundation of their lives,” Marsh said. “We want them to know we’re on their team, we’re working for them and with them.”

Online: https://bit.ly/31tKPDB

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Information from: Portsmouth Herald, http://www.seacoastonline.com

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