Whole Foods and a Sanctuary

Right after Christmas I started doing Pilates on the Reformer (machine illustrated in silhouette) regularly about 2-3 times a week.  It totally strengthened my entire body, especially my core.  I stood taller with greater posture and I felt so much stronger each day.  Anyway, I lost the momentum during the big move and I didn't want to fall back into my old lethargic ways.

I started looking right away for Pilates studios in LV but I didn't see any that I either liked or could afford... so then I searched for my 2nd favorite mind/body practice - Yoga.  I found BAREFOOT SANCTUARY online and decided to give them a try since they offered a first time student special pass for $40 - unlimited classes for one month.  Last night, I attended the Beginner Yoga & Meditation class to get back in the swing of things and the small studio was a very tranquil space and the class did the trick by straightening me out from my computer desk slouch (that's the sacrifice of writing these highly thoughtful and entertaining posts, duh).

It's located inside the biggest Whole Foods I've ever been to in my entire life.  This place is decked out!  It has a Pho Station (Vietnamese noodles) as one of their Hot Food Bars and their usual deli station is expanded to an entire side of the enormous market and offers a fresh Juice Bar, Asian Cuisine, Italian Station, and picnic tables by the seafood section... like you're going to buy a a whole fish and then enjoy some fresh Sashimi on the spot??  Hmmmm

At the end of the Yoga/Meditation class we each drew a card from a deck that contained our Animal Spirit Totems.  I was the Sausage Fruit Tree.  I am NOT making this up.  It's apparently a card of passion and creativity... so, hopefully I can embrace those two qualities and excel in my new job on Monday, yay!

I also spoke to one of the other students at the end of my first class and she is actually the caretaker of the large reptiles at the Shark Reef in the Mandalay Bay!  Yeah, she feeds the crocodile and komodo dragon in the exhibits by the front entrance of the aquarium.  Meeting her was like meeting a celebrity (for me) the coolest thing that's ever happened to me at Yoga!  Woohoo... LOL

So my first night in the room was a little rough because I wasn't used to sleeping with all these electronic gadgets all around me... so each time I woke up I had to turn something off to keep the lights from keeping me up.  Next, I got rid of the rickety bed frame that kept waking me up in the first place... something's gone loose in it and I'm not handy enough to go all DIY, so I removed it and put my box spring on the floor.  Problem solved.  New problem: I totally forgot that the wood grain gnarls in a way that seems to make this creepy insectoid face... like a possessed praying mantis demon creature, riiiiiiight???

Now I just have to ignore the fact that it will be watching me in my sleep.  No problem at all!  I got my butt handed to me in Expressive Yoga tonight, so I think it's time to call it a night to get ready for my 5:30am wake up call & practice run to Zappos office tomorrow morning.  Sweet dreams time!  =)