Wake up with Yoga

Got out of bed: Use these yogic tips to make mornings easier

PAIGE GREENFIELD

Scientists have yet to come up with a magic pill that will turn night owls into early birds, but that doesn't mean the A.M. blahs are inevitable. Simple changes to your morning routine can serve potent doses of all-day energy. Try these adjustments to send your inner zombie packing.

Ban the bleeping beeps 
Your day is going to be full of noises, why start it off with the jarring beep of a digital alarm clock? Try something a little less cacophonous, like the Zen Alarm Clock (for $110 at www.now-zen.com). Tibetan meditation bells will sweetly sound at your appointed time, then again three-and-a-half minutes later, chiming more and more frequently over the next 10 minutes. Even if you're deep in dreamland, the chimes will wake you gradually (the way it's supposed to happen) rather than jolting and jerking you to consciousness with a blaring buzz.

Next, find the energy to do everything you need to do for others during the day by first doing something for yourself. "Even if it's as little as 5 minutes, ease yourself into the day," says Lynn Burgess, director of Yoga from the Heart in Sarasota, Florida. She recommends the following three ways to do that. 

Day break 1: Reclining mountain pose (supta tadasana) 
Still lying on your back, sweep your arms overhead and stretch your hands and feet in opposite directions. Stay there for three to 10 slow, deep breaths. "Your body is stiff from inactivity overnight," Burgess says. "This is a gentle way to get blood flowing to your limbs, to center yourself, and to let the day come to you instead of jumping all over it from the minute your toes touch the floor." 

Day break 2: Yoga nidra 
When your alarm sounds, sit on the side of your bed. "Become extremely aware of your body, the room, and what's going on around you," says Kellye Davis, author of The Bliss Principle: 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress. Next, unroll your yoga mat (which you if you planned ahead is strategically placed next to your bed), and lie on your back in corpse pose (savasana),keeping your eyes open. Inhale and tense the muscles in your feet, then exhale as you release them. Work your way up the body: each leg, your butt, abs, shoulders, and face, tensing and releasing with your breath. This gets you out of bed and right onto your mat. "Your yoga mat is a whole other territory," Davis says. "It reminds you of the benefits of posture, relaxation, and mindfulness, which require you to be awake and alert."

Wake up with Yoga

Got out of bed: Use these yogic tips to make mornings easier

PAIGE GREENFIELD

Day break 3: Wake up and smell the roses
Grass, orchids, or just plain-old fresh air will do. The point is: "Get out of bed, walk outside, and look at something in nature," Burgess says. If you don't have a secluded backyard, keep a plant or fish tank in your bedroom and look at it first thing in the morning. "It makes such a difference in grounding you before entering the world of e-mails, phone calls, news…and that entire list," Burgess says. She likens stepping outside to greet the day "to that ‘ahhh' feeling when you reconnect with old friends or family."

Leaf the Bean
Sorry, java lovers, but the boost that sends you buzzing through your morning inevitably backfires later in the day. Duke University researchers found that people who drink 4 or 5 cups of coffee throughout the morning experience a 32 percent increase in stress hormone levels and a 3-point spike in blood pressure on average throughout the day. Over time, this elevated arousal can cause heart problems and weaken your immune system. If you think coffee is leaving you drowsy in the afternoon, drink white tea instead. Steep two or three teaspoons of loose leaves in a cotton teabag for a few minutes before drinking. "The scent and flavor energizes the body, and its high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C protect your immune system," Davis says. White tea does contain some caffeine—but only about 15 mg per serving, compared with about 80 mg in one cup of joe.