The thing I like the most about LA is variety. Of cultures, people, foods, places… Lake Shrine is so far from its typical LA, it is truly a hidden gem of this city. Located in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by hilly roads it’s not that easy to find at first, but when you finally discover it, you can’t help but wonder how did I not notice it right away?
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine includes Meditation Gardens and Lake, a working Temple providing lecture, prayer and meditation services, a Court of Religions honoring the five principal religions of the world, the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial where a portion of Gandhi’s ashes is enshrined, a museum with exhibits on Paramahansa Yogananda’s work, and a gift shop with arts and crafts from India and more. There are also all kinds of events and activities available, such as silent retreats, group meditation, Sunday school for kids and adults. The temple itself is on a hilltop overlooking the lake. I would highly recommend getting more information straight from the source, if you are interested. This post will mostly be a visual journey through the Meditation Gardens and the Lake.
It’s funny how your mind works. I was going to visit Lake Shrine with an idea of peace and relaxation in my head and the minute we walked into the gardens, I got right into it. Free from loud talks the place is full of the sounds of nature, water, wind, birds, it’s so peaceful despite the fact that there were enough people around. Only on the way out I noticed that actually you can hear the cars driving outside the gardens area but somehow I was totally not aware of it the whole time we were in the garden. Lake Shrine is mostly handicap and kid friendly as well. I was with Alaric and he was really fascinated by all the amazing plants, waterfalls, and, of course, the real duckies:) I highly recommend going to Lake Shrine to take a break from the busy world we live in.
