A month ago, I committed to waking up everyday at 6am for hot yoga classes at 6:30am.

As with many commitments, the first week was easy. By the second week, getting out of bed became a struggle and I had to find ways to get myself up.

I’m happy to say I still wake up every morning at 6am – even on days I don’t have yoga class.

Here are a few morning tricks I discovered that prepares your body and mind for a great day.



1. Drink a giant glass of water. A morning glass of water can immediately improve concentration and alertness. Drinking water replenishes the water your body lost during your sleep, particularly if you have heating or air-conditioning on (we all know how important water is for our bodies).

Fill up your glass the night before and leave it on the night table for the morning.

2. Wake up to your favourite song. Instead of waking up to an unwelcoming alarm that sounds like a fire drill, try waking up to uplifting music.

If you need a few suggestions, here are my favourite morning songs. I use an iPhone app called Alarm Tunes Lite (free) and are similar apps for BlackBerries.

Jason Marz – Lucky

Owl City – Butterflies

Vitamin String Quartet – Hallelujah

Kna’an – Waving Flags

Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten

3. Really stretch your body. Even wiggle your bum, your fingers and toes. Your blood pools in your limbs while you sleep and a good stretch in the morning helps your blood circulate.

4. Breath deeply. Be still, take deep breaths and feel your belly rise every time you inhale. Make each inhale last for five seconds and then exhale for five seconds.

Breathing deeply gets oxygen flowing through you body before you get out of bed.

5.Be grateful for 5 things. We often wake up dreading what we have to do today or thinking about how we’d rather stay in bed instead of having to go to work.

To remind yourself that everyday is a gift, start your morning by listing 5 things you are grateful for. Health, loved ones, inspiring books, sunshine and friends are a few examples.

What do you do to wake up feeling refreshed?

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