Moreover, especially in the setting of Luz Serena, contact with the environment detoxifies the spirit and frees it from the overload of the stimuli and tensions of urban living. Most people who experience a retreat at Luz Serena for the first time talk about a before and after, as the experience of a Zen retreat gives a new, broader perspective of oneself and of existence. Urban centres usually organize retreats in natural enclaves that are suited to this practice.