In Carlos Castaneda’s book, “Tales of Power,” the sorcerer, Don Juan explains what perception and why it is so important:

“We are inside a bubble. It is a bubble into which we are placed at the moment of our birth. At first the bubble is open, but then it begins to close until it has sealed us in. The bubble is our perception. We live inside that bubble all our lives. And what we witness on its round walls is our reflection. The thing reflected is our view of the world. That view is first a description which is given to us from the moment of our birth until all our attention is caught by it and the description becomes a view.”

How does one change one’s perception and feel whole and complete in an increasingly noisy, confused, stressful and relentlessly out of balance work environment?

The answer, of course, is quiet time away from one’s routine.

Retreat time is a time to find peace, introspect and discover one’s own answers. Personal retreats are becoming more and more necessary as a way to relax and revitalise as well as rest and reflect. These don’t have to involve exotic locations; on the contrary, they can be created within the home. The importance of having quiet is not to be under-estimated.

What people are seeking is seeking them. What people are seeking is inside of them already. It is waiting, it is asking them to wake up. It is tapping them on the shoulders.