Phoenix is a young city by most standards, but there's a rich history if you dig deep.

When entrepreneurs Mary Swanson and Andrew Varela began excavation on land at Indian School Road and 38th Street, they uncovered a message from Phoenicians who used the site almost 100 years ago. Swanson, a yoga guru, and Varela, a Spin devotee, were still pondering the best use for the site when they received a call from their contractor. Under the cornerstone of the building on the site, workers unearthed a rusted metal box. The time capsule was filled with mementoes from the building's construction in 1917, including newspapers that were nearly 100 years old. A sports club was one idea Swanson and Varela had on their drawing board, and papers in the time capsule revealed that the building had hosted meetings of the Madison Improvement Club. "It literally screamed that it had to be remodeled as a community spot," Varela says. With fitness being all about improvement, even the name Madison Improvement Club seemed right. The new Madison Improvement Club, on Indian School and 38th street, opened last year, offering yoga and spin classes with an emphasis on relaxed, happy, fun times. The activities are balanced out with S.E.E.D. (Sustainable, Edible and Entirely Delicious), a cafe headed by executive chef Joe Meyers, formerly of Phoenix's renowned La Grande Orange and Gallo Blanco. The menu includes smoothies, energy bars and entrees made with natural, quality ingredients and fresh juices Everything is "as yummy as possible," Varela says. In addition to continuing the historic clubs name, the time capsules contents are displayed in an exposed-brick niche, and the original oak floor was refurbished for use in the spacious Yoga studio. The club has a roster of experienced instructors leading about 10 classes a day, Monday through Friday, and five to six sessions a day Saturday and Sunday mornings. "We definitely want to be a place that's fun, but we still want to be serious about fast service, and that you get the workout you came to get," Varela says. During off-hours, the club can be booked for private parties. The center features a contemporary, minimalist design and cutting-edge materials, such as a gray exterior of sandblasted concrete, and a pebble-and-dirt (stabilized granite) parking lot that welcomes visitors with a sign that says, Roll in here." The club name on the building's exterior is all in white, except for an orange "O" in Madison, perched above an orange "M" in Improvement. The calming OM mantra is seen by motorists rushing by on busy Indian School Road, and the Madison Improvement Club's original mission of civilizing life in the desert continues.