Want a Piece of Moroccan Glam? *GIVEAWAY*

It's about that time again for a fun GIVEAWAY over here at EAT.PRAY.MOVE! This month we'll be giving away two of these handmade, one-of-a-kind clutches that were made from genuine vintage Moroccan wedding blankets!

What is a Moroccan wedding blanket you ask? Well, you can get a good idea HERE and even shop for some full size ones HERE from Maryam, our host in Marrakesh at Peacock Pavilions!

...wedding blankets are woven in anticipation of, you guessed it, a wedding, by the bride's female relatives. It can take many hours — even weeks — of work to attach those hundreds of mirrored sequins once the weaving is complete; it is thought that during this collaborative task, the bride's relatives teach her all about the birds and the bees, among other marital duties and expectations. After the wedding ceremony, the bride wears the blanket tied around her neck as a kind of cape...When complete, the wedding blanket serves not only as warmth and decoration for the bride, but also to ward off evil and to bestow fertility and good luck upon the newlyweds.    — ApartmentTherapy

HOW TO GET ONE!

There are only two, and two ways to make one yours:

1. The next guest to sign up for LUXURY MARRAKESH Mar 8-14, 2015 will receive one.

2. There will be a random drawing from comments on this post! RULES: Leave your NAME & EMAIL in the comment. Only 1 comment per person. Extra chance given for a Fackbook, Twitter, or Instagram share of the link to the retreat page on our site HERE. Be sure to tag us on either @eatpraymoveyoga! Then let us know in the comments what you did and we'll add your extra chances.

GOOD LUCK & We hope to see you in MARRAKESH!

Unfortunately, due to custom regulations, we can only ship to address in the US or Canada...or we can bring it to you on the next retreat! Drawing will end Dec 26!

Celebrate Earth Day - Eco-Friendly Yoga Retreat

photos by Peacock Pavilions

I know I've talked about the amazing place where the Moroccan EAT.PRAY.MOVE Yoga Retreat will take place, but in celebration of Earth Day, I wanted to tell you about another part of Peacock Pavilions that is very relevant today especially - the "eco-friendly" part.

Peacock Pavilions was designed with the earth in mind, and the owners take steps to make a healthy haven, and one that doesn't make a huge mark on the land. Located on a 8.5 acre piece of land just outside Marrakesh, 5 acres of which is olive grove, this boutique hotel was built taking certain things into consideration to make it more "green". With over 300 days of sun a year, creative pergolas and porches allow for the needed shade.

To reduce electric energy consumption and carbon output, here are a few things Peacock Pavilions lists on their website as eco-friendly elements:

• Insulation in the walls and on the roofs more vulnerable to heat gain or loss. This step is almost always skipped in Marrakech, because of the extra costs entailed.
• Aluminum windows with air tight seals.
• Rumsford fireplaces which radiate more heat into a room and less up the chimney. 
• Radiant floor heating. Hot air passes through pipes buried in the concrete floor slabs. The heat is then radiated into the room over a period of hours. This is more efficient than heating air, and nicer for the feet, too. 
• Air conditioning through evaporative cooling. This system draws 70% less energy than conventional air conditioners and is well adapted for arid climate. Used frequently in the southwest of the US, evaporative coolers blow a mist of water over a filter and then air is passed through the filter. Air temperature can be reduced as much as 30 degrees F.
• Solar water heater panels. Hot water for our own house and our 3 bedroom Pavilion is provided by the Moroccan sun, with back-up provide by instant gas heaters.
• Primarily fluorescent lights. Why use 75 watts when 20 watts will do the same job?

As for the lovely piece of land it sits on, Peacock Pavilions takes measures in the care of the land, gardens, and irrigation. Instead of using the common "flooding" irrigation system as in much of Morocco, Peacock Pavilions uses a drip system which only puts out about 1 gallon of water on the ground per hour. The water slowly seeps in the ground with almost no evaporation, thus saving a lot of precious water in this dry climate. Also grey water is used for irrigation.

No chemical pesticides are ever used on the property, and an organic garden with delicious tomatoes, lettuce picked fresh from the garden...pumpkin, corn, onions, and more are grown using only natural fertilizer. 

Besides enjoying the upcoming yoga retreat at an eco-friendly location, also with the all-vegetarian menu being served, we're being even more gentle with the earth. This past Earth Day article lists some of the popular points citing vegetarianism as one of the best "green" practices around.

So now...why not celebrate Earth Day by joining us in September! SIGN UP HERE!

Karma Connection :: Morocco Retreat

A couple times a month I plan to feature other amazing people around the world offering lovely retreats as well, because hey, isn't that what part of the yogic spirit is about?

Plus, this gives those of you reading an opportunity to learn about other options out there - retreats that take place on other dates in the year than EAT.PRAY.MOVE and perhaps other places on the globe that are more accessible to you.

photos from My Marrakesh
This week, as the first KARMA Connection on this blog, I'd love to introduce you to the lovely, Maryam, an American who lives in Morocco and blogs at My Marrakesh.

From reading her blog for years now it becomes more and more apparent that Maryam is a sort of Renaissance woman - wearing hats from writer, expat, journalist, traveler, designer, hotelier of sorts, wife/mother, and shopper. Yes, among many other things, she's a professional personal shopper and is hosting a retreat this May for those interested in diving deep into the exotic Moroccan shopping experience.

photos from My Marrakesh
When she isn't acting as purveyor of peacocks at home on her 9-acre olive grove property, she's getting ready to host amazing experiences for her guests in May at the Ace Camp Morrocan Shopping Retreat. Enjoy a week shopping in the souks with Maryam as a guide, Morrocan wine tastings, palace visits, expert talks, and lodging at the Peacock Pavillions boutique hotel.

Find out more on Maryam's site HERE. And say, "salam alekoum" for me!