My vacation with Escape To Shape to Morocco was one of my favorite vacations yet! The Escape To Shape team was a ton of fun, very attentive and knowledgeable, making me feel safe and comfortable in an exotic place. Having traveled much of Europe and other parts of the world, this was a preferable way to experience a country and culture fully. The itinerary was full of experiential cultural activities. The yoga and exercise programs were well woven into the experience as a whole. The accommodations were great and had obviously been given much care and thought. The food was wonderful and true to the culture. There was much laughing and moments of peace and relaxation. All in all, if you are thinking of planning a great vacation with great people and experiences, Escape To Shape is the way to go. I will definitely be joining them on more trips!
Yoga. Meditation. Fitness Training. Hiking. Hammam. Massage.
Delicious local and seasonal cuisine, such as seven vegetable couscous, flavorful tagines and creative soups and vegetables, plus plenty of saffron and cinnamon, mint tea and pistachios. Plus, enjoy a hands-on cooking class so you can impress friends and family back home. Gluten-free or vegan? We’ve got you covered!
Our own private Kasbah. Need we say more? If villa living is your thing, this Escape is for you. Complete with private staff, chef, guides and drivers, this Morocco-meets-Modern villa provides plenty of opportunities for lounging between activities.
Join us at a local Berber school to donate supplies and small toys, spreading joy in simple ways, and giving a bit back to the local people of the area.
Love to shop and be on the cutting edge of fashion? The markets will not disappoint! Nor will all the insider access to designers, artisans and boutiques. Tres chic!
Join ESCAPE TO SHAPE on an exclusive journey to magical Marrakech, Morocco. Experience the vast wonders of this exotic city — a combination of luxurious accommodations in a private desert Kasbah, results driven + fun and sweaty fitness classes, rich Arabic traditions, chaotic marketplaces, hidden treasures of the souks and breathtaking natural beauty — from the desert and the garden of YSL to the majestic Atlas Mountains. Along with the cultural and natural wonders, guests will enjoy an invigorating yet relaxing hammam (Turkish bath), meandering through the marketplace, belly-dancing lessons, a camel trek through Berber villages and a cooking class on how to prepare traditional Moroccan cuisine, plus many other cultural surprises.
While in Marrakech guests will stay in an authentic Moroccan desert style home, perfectly situated between the majestic Atlas Mountains and the exotic Medina. The Kasbah-style villa is uniquely decorated with a crisp, modern twist, cleverly combining traditional Moroccan color, textures and fabrics with a modern play of light and comfort. Each suite is spacious and airy with a private en-suite bathroom, terrace, air conditioning and deluxe amenities, decorated in a traditional Moroccan meets modern style — from antique furniture carved out of solid walnut, to leather club chairs and lavish carpets from the Middle Atlas region. The luxurious property is complete with an expansive heated pool, jacuzzi, a traditional Berber tent ideal for afternoon tea or post dinner conversation, and an exquisite rose garden that splashes color throughout the property. Additionally, the property is host to a variety of unique indoor and outdoor spaces, ideal for inspiring each yoga and fitness class.
Private Room: $6,400
Shared Room: $5,200
30% non-refundable deposit per person. Please refer to the policies page for our complete cancellation policy, including COVID-19 flexibility.
Please note all activities are optional.
7:00–10:00 am – Breakfast Available At Your Leisure
6:45–8:00 am – Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation (with optional time to journal)
9:00 am – Fitness Training
11:00 am – Depart for Medina — excursion includes a bit of shopping, lunch and private guided historical tour. Discover the history, architecture and culture.
6:00 pm – Restorative Yoga and Meditation
8:00 pm – Dinner
Breakfast
Egg fritatta with zucchini
Home made muslei with dried fruits & home made cashew nut milk
Fresh fruits
Fresh juice
Coffee & tea
Lunch
Gazpacho
Salad of grilled chicken, chickpea & almonds with olive oli, lemon & herbs
Fresh figs & honey
Mid-afternoon Snack – hummus with carrot & celery sticks
Dinner
Harira
Trout tagine & couscous
Lemon sorbet
7:00–10:00 am – Breakfast Available At Your Leisure
6:45–8:00am – Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation (with optional time to journal)
9:00 am – Power Walk & Local School Visit
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:30 pm – Camel Trek through local Berber village
5:00 pm – Restorative Yoga and Meditation
6:00 pm – Cooking demonstration
8:00 pm – Dinner
Breakfast
Scambled eggs with spinach
Raw oatmeal with almond milk & mixed berries
Fresh fruits
Fresh juice
Coffee & tea
Lunch
Moroccan eggplant & tomato salad
Salad Nicoise
Sliced oranges with cinnamon
Mid-afternoon Snack – Banana & cashew nut smoothie
Dinner
Steamed artichoke
Chicken, oilve & preserved lemon tagine
Gazelle’s Horn (almond pastery)
Chocolate mouse “shots”
A visa is NOT needed for those traveling on a US or EU passport. Please CONTACT US if you are traveling from another country for specific details.
Elizabeth Rossa is the founder/director of SHRIYOGA, once upon a time known as the celebrated Tribeca studio voted “Best Next Generation of Yoga” by New York Magazine in 2005. Since departing its original space at 443 Greenwich Street in 2009, Shriyoga has operated as an underground laboratory of genuine yoga, meditation and Self-Inquiry practices in the private home lofts of some of our most dedicated students. It continues to be a remarkable experiment in community and sharing! Originally certified to teach yoga 18 years ago by notable master teachers, Erich Schiffman and Max Strom, Elizabeth remains as dedicated to her on-going studies as she is to teaching. Her principal teachers are the incomparable meditation/tantric philosophy master Sally Kempton and the wildly brilliant yoga/philosophy master Richard Freeman. Elizabeth credits Sally Kempton as her primary influence and mentor of 15 years, and honors her teachings, along with Richard Freeman’s, as the foundation of what she offers in her classes. She respectfully acknowledges each of them, along with teacher Mary Taylor (one of the yoga world’s genuine gems) for giving her the model of what it means to teach with the highest of integrity in the now Information Age when the subject of truth is a matter of great debate. Further training and certification credentials include Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor’s month-long Ashtanga Teacher Training at their Yoga Workshop and subsequent, yearly advanced intensives; Two year-long “Transformative Journey” courses with Sally Kempton, including her 2007 Meditation Teacher Training; Kundalini Yoga with Guru Singh as taught by Yogi Bhajan at Yoga West, LA; Reiki Mastership through Wendy Miner of Memorial Sloane-Kettering’s Integrative Medicine Center; extensive silent retreat experience and Self-Inquiry practice with Adyashanti, and most currently, Tibetan Buddhist philosophical study with Robert Thurman and Iyengar yoga with Genny Kapuler. With immense gratitude she bows to Ram Dass as the teacher who opened the gates to an ever-unfolding devotional love. His teachings of his direct experience with Neem Karoli Baba intimately shifted Elizabeth’s perspective of what it is “to be here now” and more acutely to be “still here.”
As a contemporary teacher of yoga, meditation and Self-Inquiry practices, Elizabeth holds space “to study” our embodiment. She offers a fresh perspective, which allows the ancient and esoteric to become contemporary and real. Students are encouraged to cultivate curiosity as they pause, breathe and sense into the internal cues of Life coursing through them in order to align even within a rigorous practice. Yoga as a healing art is revealed. Primarily committed to Shriyoga’s NYC laboratory classes and private lessons, Elizabeth has also taught retreats with Sally Kempton at the Mount Madonna Center and Kripalu, on Ram Dass’ December 2010 retreat in Maui, and has assisted Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor at both their Yoga Workshops in Boulder and at the Menla Mountain Retreat in upstate NY. The locations of her other international retreats and workshops have included Tokyo, Luang Prabang, Tulum, Sicily, Morocco, Costa Rica, Italy, and Bangkok. She has also offered her expertise as part of the teacher training faculty of Sonic Yoga in NYC, the faculty of the Open Center in NYC, and as a past guest presenter at Kripalu. She is looking forward to new collaborations in 2020 including an online mentorship/study of the Yoga Sutra, and the worldwide release of original mantra music through the collective, Laboratory of the Self!
Erica is an acclaimed wellness expert, yoga teacher & fitness trainer. She is largely inspired by the journey of wellness, the subtle to the grand discoveries each individual makes through their physical practice, inviting students to embrace a sense of play while experiencing their body in a whole new way through each unique class. With classes always set to music, from tribal to lounge to classic rock songs, Erica encourages students to find their own personal rhythm and expression, to meet their edge and challenge themselves in new ways. Additionally, Erica is co-founder and co-owner of Escape To Shape: Adventures in Wellness & Escape Artists: Luxury Travel Advisors. Erica is passionate about travel & giving back to the communities in which she visits & thrives on authentic connection, curiosity & discovery.