Nagomi Spa and Fitness — The Shoperones

May 2

May 2 Nagomi Spa and Fitness

Great workout. Thank you, jet lag.

While in Tokyo, I’d been working out every day, approaching my workouts with pristine Zen mindfulness and achieving amazing results. I was able to maintain great energy throughout the day and combat the relative fatigue of jet lag and waking up at 5 a.m. (which doesn’t happen in my world back home). Each day I varied a good mixture of bodyweight, cardio and equipment. It was great. My workouts were finished by 6:30 and I was at breakfast by 7. Something about not having to prepare or clean up after breakfast put a rose-colored lens on the day in a way I couldn’t have imagined. I couldn’t help but wonder if Lost in Translation might have been a bit cheerier had they committed to a better workout regimen instead of the bar in the middle of the night.

Was it the place?

Working out at the Nagomi Spa and Fitness center was more like an oasis than a chore. Nestled on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi Hills, the center caters to both hotel guests and club members who live or work nearby. Laid out on two levels, a massive indoor lap pool glowed from within and was surrounded by muted earthen wood and stone elements. The changing room/spa area was perfectly concealed as to not disrupt the visual harmony of the space. Everything was considered, including the little alcove where you leave your shoes before entering, signaling the transition from the hectic to the sublime. It was even better inside the locker room, which actually sounds crass for what it was--a pristine arrangement of toiletry essentials and accoutrements in individual preening stations. But what put me over the edge was the massage chair room, complete with refreshing citrus water, tea and an assortment of nuts and fruit. And of course, the full-body massage chairs. Of the whole Tokyo trip, there was nothing I’d wanted to share with my Shoperone more, so I made sure Flat Laura got in on the action.

With a head like air.

I kept wondering how much clearer my mind might be on a daily basis if I could harness this elemental balance in my own home. Closing my eyes, I’d tried to port the composure to my own environment, and then I’d think of my giant mastiff who, when she shakes, sheds a cloud of undercoat so thick, she looks like Pigpen. This, I think to myself, is why we can’t have nice things back home. But here, I can be as breezy as a cherry-blossom, not a care in the world.

The universal language of fitness.

Unencumbered, each day, I’d head up the floating wooden staircase for the action. Instead of escaping the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, the fitness center was yet another amazing place to view a microcosm of the culture. While I was there, I never saw less than a handful of people actively working out in the medium-sized room, which seemed way larger than it was thanks to a masterful arrangement of space and lighting. Everyone was respectful of one another’s space, without saying much at all. I guess, that’s what happens when everyone’s in the flow. The fitness floor was well-equipped to offer an amazing workout to anyone with any regimen in mind. The equipment itself was constantly being wiped and adjusted by a young Japanese woman in a stylish, all-black athleisure uniform of her own assemblage, flawless makeup and a tight ponytail. She also gently but cheerfully reminded westerners to remove their shoes before stepping onto the large, matted area reserved for yoga, stretching and floor-work.

It really was the place.

Upon my return from Tokyo, I found myself really stretching for excuses not to exercise. Too much laundry, the fridge is empty and so I need to clean every crevice before going on a day-long food-shopping tour. Work had piled up and I needed to catch up. Allergies. “How is this different from any other week?” my reasonable mind would counter-point. "Well what about this?" I'd lodge back. The jet lag had made me foggy, and I could trip on the treadmill and wind up losing a tooth for God’s sake! No matter that I actually like exercising, I’d somehow managed to reason myself out of it every day until they started stringing together and I nearly hit a rut.

This nonsense lasted almost a week, until my Shoperone called bullshit on me, and thank goodness she did. We had a great week of working out and talking about it.