6 Yoga Stretches to Wake You Up. 1)Spinal Stretch.

Unless you're one of those cheery morning people who hop out of bed with the sunrise, getting up is tough. Research even finds that heart attacks are more common at this time of day, partly because of the demands of shifting from groggy to full-speed-ahead. "We stifle our natural tendency to stretch and yawn because the alarm goes off and reminds us we have an agenda," says J. J. Gormley, founder and director of the Sun & Moon Yoga Studios in Arlington, VA, who designed this morning yoga routine to help you relax, focus, and get energized. To begin, slowly inhale and exhale for a minute or two. Then breathe and relax in the yoga poses--don't push yourself. Hold each stretch for two full breaths. If you don't have 20 minutes in the morning to do the entire routine, do postures 1, 3, and 5 one day, and 2, 4, and 6 the next.
1. Spinal Stretch

Sitting cross-legged, press your sit (derriere) bones into the floor and lengthen your spine, reaching up with the crown of your head. (If this is uncomfortable, sit on a firm pillow or folded blankets, or extend one leg.) Keep both sit bones on the floor while you do this stretch. (a) Place your left hand on your right knee, inhale, and lengthen your spine. Then exhale and twist to the right. Breathe, return to center, switch sides, and repeat. (b) Slide your right hand onto the floor and extend your left arm overhead. Inhale and reach your fingers up toward the ceiling, then exhale and reach to the right, stretching your left side. If your left sit bone comes off the floor, don't stretch so far. Breathe, switch sides, and repeat, reaching to the left.