Rise and Shine!

I always wanted to be one of those people who could wake up before the sun rises and have a green smoothie, meditate, and hour-long yoga practice. What a great way to set the tone for a the day! Unfortunately, my body (or is it my mind?) doesn't think it's such a good idea. Every time I've tried it, I have a dialogue with myself that goes like this:

"What is that wretched noise? Why is my alarm going off at 5:30 in the morning? Am I supposed to go to the airport or something? Oh. I'm just supposed to get up and do healthy things. OK. I'll start with Savasana. A quick 30 minute Savasana.. then I'll get up and practice."

I hit the snooze button for the next hour.

"Ah... Screw it. I can do healthy things at 8 instead." (End scene.)

What can I say? I love to sleep.

But all of this is about to change. Tomorrow, I have to get my butt up and teach a yoga class at 6:30 am. That means I have to actually wake up at 5... in the morning! If everything works out as planned, I'll be teaching that early once a week regularly. (Gosh, I hope writing that doesn't jinx it.)

That said, I've got a few things to figure out. How do I become not only a cheerful, happy morning person, but  a cheerful, happy morning person who can stand in front of people and guide them through Sun Salutations with a smile on my face? 

I'm hoping maybe my faithful readers can help me out. Please share your morning yoga rituals with me. What do you love to practice first thing in the morning? What motivates you to get out of bed and get it on the yoga mat? What time do you go to bed at night? And what benefits have you noticed from getting up early and practicing first thing in the morning?

A little support would be nice, too. I can do this... Right?