OVERVIEW

PHOTOS & FLOW

Join us on this special collaboration with photographer Sam Katz and EPM guide Aasia Lewis as we indulge in the magic of Morocco. What better place to be inspired by beauty than the design that abounds in Marrakesh. We’ll enjoy daily yoga, photography workshops, cultural sites, spa day, and more!

Yoga with EPM leader Aasia Lewis will be offered each day to get our bodies and minds ready to experience the present moment and get the most out of our week. Then photography workshops will be included to get close guidance from Sam before setting off on our day trips, where we can try out our new techniques. Both professional cameras, film, digital, and even smart phones will be able to be used depending on your preference. Techniques can be applied to many disciplines, and Sam will work with each guest in a personalized manner.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

Basics of photography: 
Deep dive into the foundations of photography to understand your camera fully, learn to shoot in manual mode, and control your exposure and focus like a pro. Understand lenses and practice your new skills with a professional by your side

Light and composition:
Learn about what makes a photo magical that goes beyond the equipment and technique. Understand to see light, to work with different types of light as different times of the day and how to make the most of it all. Learn the principles of composing and what makes a photo stand out.

Portraiture:
What makes a great portrait? What makes a great subject? The technical and the emotional aspects to capturing people. Learn the difference between portraits, environmental portraits, how to shoot individuals, groups and couples.

Travel photography:
No better place to practice your skills than Morocco! Learn to capture street style images, culture and the essence of your travels through story-telling with images. Create better memories of your travels from today to have forever!

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 feature 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 is heated by the solar panels! Spend some free time at the lovely, inviting pool and patio, or 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 breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, either hosted at Peacock Pavilions or out and about in town. Some even come with a side dish of belly-dancing! 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.

SURROUNDING AREA

Guests will not only enjoy the grounds of Peacock Pavilions and the outdoor areas (including a lovely pool, patio, private terraces, and covered yoga platform), but the retreat also includes some amazing day-trips to surrounding sites. A guided day in Marrakesh will lead guests through an introduction to souks, artisans, and plenty of architectural sites to see.

A day will be spent exploring the desert outside of the city where we’ll experience camel rides on the dunes and a coursed tasting lunch! We’ll of course visit the famed Jardin Majorelle and the YSL Museum. During the week we’ll enjoy activities on-site such as a henna party, a poolside brunch, after dinner Moroccan entertainment, and an evening cinema under the stars. The final full day entails a trip to a famous hammam (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.

WELLNESS

Daily yoga classes and somatic body work 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 moulded 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. There will be a time for yoga and meditation each day working through various themes in the week.

YOUR HOSTS

SAM KATZ

With a camera in one hand and a passport in the other, Samanta has been traveling the world and working as a photographer since 2009. Her love for photography began while obtaining her Bachelor of Arts (major in film), and then advanced her craft with a diploma in Professional Photography. Now, after 12 years as an industry professional, she has amassed an extensive client portfolio of more than 200 commercial and independent clients, worked in 15 countries around the world, and has told countless stories through images and film.

Outgrowing and learning the passing trends of marketing in social media, web and print, as well as working with brands in diverse industries such as high-end fashion, travel and tourism, and diverse entrepreneurs with a variety of businesses, Samanta has managed to keep her work modern and relevant, but still with her signature timeless feel. Telling her clients’ brand-stories through motion and still pictures is truly her superpower.

Sam’s expertise does not stop behind the camera. She has been leading workshops and classes on all things photography, creativity and self improvement around the world and online.

AASIA LEWIS

Our EPM co-leader this week will be our collaborator, Aasia Lewis. Aasia is a yoga educator, certified somatic coach + bodyworker, and clinical speech-language pathologist (SLP), who is now based in Morocco. Recognizing that she could not “fix the mind with the mind,” Aasia’s journey into somatic coaching + bodywork stemmed from her own emerging awareness of how limiting intellectualizing and cognitive entry points were to true, embodied learning and transformation. Upon witnessing the entirety of one’s organism; their soma, and how its unification lead to great equanimity and more radically- attunement, she completed an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited training in Body-Oriented Coaching from the Somatic School and a Somatic Bodywork Seminar Level One from the Strozzi Institute. Her practice of somatic coaching and bodywork encourages the coalescing of the body-mind through conversations around a person’s desires, yearnings, and vision for their life, coupled with movement and energy analysis to identify the stories and tendencies living in the tissues and muscles, for greater harmony within one's self and the world.

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

DETAILS / PRICING

• 6 Days / 5 Nights (Apr 20-25, 2024)

• Inclusive Retreat Price = $3,295 (shared room*) +$665 single room supplement

• Deposit to hold space = $950

• Max # Guests = 12
  * Guests traveling alone can choose the shared room and we match up based on guest profile. Rooms are spacious with separate beds and private bathrooms.
  ** Final balance due 60 days before retreat start date.
  Read full cancellation policy in our Terms & Conditions.

INCLUDED*:

• Accommodation (spacious bedrooms each with private bathrooms, linens)

• Daily Breakfast at Peacock Pavilions

• Select dinners and lunches at Peacock Pavilions or in town

• Welcome Reception

• Airport Transfers

• Transportation to/from day trips

• Daily yoga classes

• Meditation classes

• Daily photography classes

• Use of estate premises (terraces, pool, etc.)

• Tour guide on various day trips

• Walking tour of Medina & Souks

• Daytrip to Luxury Desert Camp for Tasting Lunch

• Camel Rides in Desert

• Henna Party

• After dinner Moroccan entertainment

• Poolside Champagne Brunch

• Spa Treatment day at luxury hammam

• Afternoon at Jardin Majorelle + YSL Museum

• Taxes

* airfare not included
** all meals are vegetarian. special dietary restrictions can be accommodated
***activities may change based on weather or unforeseen circumstances

TRAVEL:

13km outside the old city (Medina) of Marrakesh Nearest airports: Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) Nearest train station: Marrakesh Transfers between airport or train station and villa will be provided. After signing up, we will guide guests on best options for flights and travel to Marrakesh.

SUGGESTED PACKING:

Besides the basic packing and travel needs, here are a few things to think about bringing with you.

• Yoga mats and props are provided

• Camera / Smart Camera

• Bathing suit (on-site pool, spa)

• Layers of clothing for weather changes

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Plug adaptors / converters

• Journal