MARRAKESH, MOROCCO

RITUAL+RENEWAL – Join us on our newest itinerary of renewing yoga + self care, alongside the lessons of tea ceremony and how to foster and create your own daily ritual.

RITUAL + RENEWAL

Join us for a special week of deep renewal as we explore the power of ritual to bring us into the present moment and into the flow state. The ceremony of tea will guide the flow of each day’s activities, which include a day trip to Richard Branson’s retreat in the Atlas Mountains, a mule trek to collect wild herbs and enjoy traditional tea in a Berber tent, shopping at the souks, a spa day at a traditional hammam and a tea blending workshop as well as a daily yoga classes (morning vinyasa and evening yin). Yin yoga, like tea ceremony, facilitates deep emotional release and heart opening and so accentuates our exploration of mindfulness, connection and slow, soulful living!

Guests will leave with an understanding of tea as a plant, a lifestyle and a divine beverage as well as a personal tea ritual, a hand-blended tea and a daily practice to turn the mundane into meditation and tap into the bliss of the present moment.

This retreat is led by Sarah Scarborough of Tea Huntress. Sarah has devoted the last twenty years of her life to discovering the culture and agriculture of tea and sourcing the finest varieties. As a registered yoga teacher, she offers vinyasa classes rooted in the Ashtanga tradition as well as Yin yoga to compliment the power of tea ceremony to connect and change us.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Experience Moroccan Tea Ceremony
Gather wild herbs on a mule trek into the Atlas Mountains
Sip traditional mint tea in a Berber tent
Spa day at a Hammam
Create your own tea ritual
Learn about traditional tea ware and preparation
Learn about the 6 types of tea
Blend your own Moroccan Mint tea

GIVE BACK RETREAT

This retreat is part of our GIVE BACK initiative, where EPM will donate at least 10% of profits to a humanitarian partner in the community where each retreat is held. Our partner in Marrakesh is PROJECT SOAR who works with underprivileged communities and young women to empower with design, clean-up projects, and creative ventures.

THE PAVILION

This fantastic yoga retreat will take place at the fabulous Peacock Pavilions boutique hotel. Located in Marrakesh on 8.5 acres of land, including 5 acres of olive grove, this stylish and eco-friendly abode has been featured in worldwide publications, including National Geographic Traveler. Breathtakingly beautiful and luxuriously designed, the living quarters where guests will stay during the retreat features gorgeous fireplaces and a glamorous bathroom in each room. Each bedroom also has its own private terrace – “just the right place to enjoy a minty tea or a zingy cocktail”!

The entire pavilion property has been decorated with care and “loaded with art, special fabrics, and exotic good stuff from all around the world…A swanky place to relax, the salon/great room has a stunning lacy plasterwork that took weeks to complete. There are also seating and dining areas for intimate discussions and cozy meals. A spiral staircase leads to a catwalk high in the air, where you can sit on vintage embroideries and admire the view.” Not only is this place gorgeous, but it’s also eco-friendly. Observing “green” building and gardening techniques, you’ll feel good about the organic bounty served to your plate, and the hot water you use heated by the solar panels! Spend some free time at the lovely, inviting pool and patio, join us for a henna and cocktail party in the painted tent, or perhaps an outdoor cinema night on the lawn.

Peacock Pavilions is owned by Maryam and her husband Chris, both recently featured on HGTV’s House Hunters International. Chris is an architect, and Maryam a freelance photographer, travel and lifestyle writer, and the author of the award winning blog, My Marrakesh. Both make a perfect team in putting this amazing estate together.

CUISINE

Healthful, vegetarian food is part of the retreat experience, including daily breakfast, selected lunches and dinners, either hosted at Peacock Pavilions or out and about in town. The cuisine is simple, delicious and Moroccan, using fresh ingredients from the on-site organic gardens or local markets. Selection may include tempting dishes and libations like stuffed dates, almond couscous, vegetable terrine, avocado dip, leek tarts, mint tea, pomegranate martini, rose water, and more. Selection is seasonal, and you can guarantee to love and appreciate each bite. We’ll also be enjoying a chef tasting lunch and wine pairing during one of the day trips, as well as a henna party during lunch, daily tea, and an evening snack session in the olive grove one night in the outdoor cinema.

SURROUNDING AREA

Guests will not only enjoy the grounds of Peacock Pavilions, the outdoor areas including a lovely pool, patio, private terraces, and covered yoga platform, but the retreat also includes some amazing day-trips to the surrounding sites. A guided day in Marrakesh will lead guests through an introduction to souks and visits to sites such as Ben Youssef Medrasa.

A full day will be spent exploring the nearby Atlas Mountains with a base at the Kasbah Tamadot Hotel. A traditional mule trek to the nearby village of Asni will be followed by time at the beautiful grounds of this 5-star location overlooking the vistas with a tasting menu lunch. The final full day entails a trip to the famous Bains de Marrakesh, a luxurious spa facility, where guests can be pampered to their heart’s content with a full program of various treatments. What better way to wrap up a week of yoga than a day of pure relaxation.

YOGA

Daily meditation and yoga classes will be offered in a way to relax, stimulate, and help guests grow in their own personal practice. Classes are open to all levels, beginner to practiced, and can range from gentle, restorative, and more vigorous vinyasa flow and ashtanga styles.* Style and class levels will be determined and modified to fit participating students’ needs, and with a small intimate retreat class size, students will be able to get personalized attention and comfortability to deeply explore their practice. Depending on each retreat location, classes will be held in a dedicated indoor yoga space and some also offer outdoor options as well for us to use if the weather is agreeable.

Sarah Scarborough has devoted the last twenty years of her life to discovering the history, culture and soul of tea. As a tea buyer for her company, Firepot Nomadic Teas, she has traveled the world to source the finest, ethically and organically grown varieties. As a yoga teacher, she uses the ritual of daily tea practice to bring us into the present moment and prepare us for meditation and asana. Sarah lives in Nashville with her husband and two boys and shares the power of tea to connect and change us via Tea Huntress.

* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!