GIVEAWAY: Eco-friendly Hotel & More!!!

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This giveaway has me beyond excited! The blog has been growing at a fast rate and I wanted to find a way to say THANK YOU and express my deep love for you guys. None of what I do would be possible without you! Therefore, I've partnered with one of the first eco-friendly hotels I reviewed for the blog to make a winner's wanderlust dreams come true!!  What a better way to introduce you to the WTS conscious lifestyle than by giving you an opportunity to experience it yourself?! Don't you think? Laguna Lodge is the second hotel I reviewed for the blog 1.5 years ago and a place that changed my life forever. The hotel is located in front of Lake Atitlán (literally!) which means that you open your bedroom curtains every morning to a blue lake with huge white clouds mirrored on top of it. Behind the hotel, lays a 100-acre Nature Reserve entirely consumed by tall trees and a trail that takes you all the way up to the top to a hammock hanging under a tiny hut. This was my favorite place. From there you can see life! Green trees, the bluest of blue lakes, infinite mountains, and little boats floating on the lake. Laguna Lodge screams pure nature-loving magic, guys! Completely circled by it, running on solar energy, offering vegetarian and vegan options only, eco-friendly bath products, a holistic spa, yoga classes, and so much more! Click here to read the post I wrote about Laguna Lodge. Click here to watch my travel videos.

Now, back to the giveaway details! A winner plus 1 (yes! you get to take your friend, partner, family member, husband or wife along too!) will receive:

-2 night stay at luxury suite (value of over $300 per night!)

-Breakfast every morning: vegan or vegetarian. You will flip once you see their menu! My favorites were the vegan pancakes and the scrambled tofu with arepas. 

-Boat ride from Panajachel to Hotel and back (10-15 min ride)

-20% off in any other service or extra night you want to include (use code WaterThruSkin with concierge)

-As if that were not enough, they winner will also receive over $200 of fair-trade, handmade and charity-oriented jewelry prices!!! (Details on brands at bottom of page)

**Please note that hotel giveaway is not valid on public holidays.

To participate all you have to do is:

-Submit your story via the box below or by sharing it on IG and tagging @waterthruskin and using #wtswanderlust. We want to know what sets your soul on fire, a little about your life, what this trip would mean to you, and who you would take with you. Entries can be written in English OR Spanish!!! :)

-Follow @waterthruskin on IG & Facebook

-Follow the brands on IG: @lagunaLodge  @carlaspeck  @31bits   @guadalupedesign @openheartwarrior   @oramajewellry  @scrapbydworak 

That's it!!! Winner will be announced August 19th! 

Conscious Jewelry by (Photos at bottom of page):

1) Handmade healing crystal necklace with hemp cord by OpenHeartWarrior

2) Handmade and fair-trade wrap around bracelet inspired in different ancient cultures worldwide by CarlaSpeck.

3) Recycled paper bracelet empowering women in Uganda by 31bits.

4) Hand-knit and fair-trade bracelet by GuadalupeDesign

5) Handmade silver bracelet that helps empower women in struggling communities by giving them the chance to create businesses with the help of micro-loans, by OramaJewellry.

6) Handmade necklace made from recycled electronic parts by ScrapbyDworak.

Featured as "20 Female Yogapreneurs to Watch"

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This surprise left me speechless, guys! I got back from Ecuador this morning to find an email in my inbox with the news! I feel incredibly honored to be recognized along 19 incredibly inspiring souls as women who are changing the world one word, action and person at a time. This is beyond beautiful and gratifying. Thank you! Click here or photos below to read the entire article. 

Why Yoga? And what eco brands to use?

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I was introduced to the world of yoga over 7 years ago but, to be honest, I never really got the grasp of it until 3 years ago. I remember my mom dragging me to yoga classes and my mind spinning at a million miles per hour during every move I made on my mat. It felt as if time went by too slow and I even remember getting frustrated because my muscles were stiff and my spine had no idea what elasticity meant. It wasn’t until I graduated college and starting working in the private banking world that my health begged for yoga. Sitting on a chair from 8-6 every day puts a lot of pressure on your hips and spine, and within a few months my back began to scream for help. The stress levels were also insane for a girl my age which led my stomach to develop a tiny ulcer. That right there was my tipping point. I immediately signed up at the nearest yoga studio and that’s how my yoga journey started. From taking 2 yoga classes per week, to becoming a certified yoga instructor, to practicing every single day. My recommendation to all of you yogis and yogis-in-the-making, try to practice at least for 10 minutes every day. It doesn’t have to be the whole hour or 90 minutes (of course, if you have the time, by all means practice an entire sequence) but whatever length of time you can dedicate to yourself fully. By practicing every day you build a discipline and that’s extremely important in yoga. And lastly, BREATHE! Breathing is everything! Through every asana on your mat, and in life off your mat. Breathing calms your nerves, calms your body and calms your mind.

With that being said, here are a few of the planet-loving yoga brands I’m head over heels for:

-Yoloha Yoga: brand that designs yoga mats and props from cork and recycled tires. In case you guys don’t know, cork is a renewable natural source that comes from cork oak trees. The process this brand uses is focused on stripping the bark of trees by hand every 9 years. Not a single tree is cut down! This process also helps trees absorb up to 5 times more carbon dioxide! (Carbon dioxide helps trees regenerate their bark). Lastly, Yoloha also uses recycled rubber tires to make the backing of the yoga mats. It doesn’t get more eco than this, guys! PS: I have the Mendhi Yoga Mat, the wheel (great for back bending) and the flask. Love them all! And the fact that the material is cork makes them non-slippery and more durable!

-InnerFire Yoga: We all know how incredible yoga pants look like and this brand is taking them to the next level by designing comfy and beautiful yoga wear from recycled plastic bottles (BPA free) and other eco-friendly fibers and materials and… they are all sweatshop-free! InnerFire also donates a portion of the sales to the School Fund- an organization that helps facilitate micro-financed educational scholarships for youth in developing countries. PS: I have the lotus legging and the goddess legging.

-Gurus: this brand makes yogi flip-flops from renewable natural rubber and plants a tree for each pair purchased! Need I say more? The ones I carry with me everywhere are the orange ones.

-PortdeBras: This brand has just opened its online doors to the world. Elegant, colorful, comfortable and eco-friendly yoga wear. The designs I have are the Emilie bra (white with mauve elastic), the Christi Legging (black/grey/White) and the Letitia Bra (black). 

This story was also published on CocoEco Mag. Read it here!