Exploring Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

Over the Labor Day weekend, my family and I had a chance to visit the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades, California. Paramahansa Yogananda created this ten-acre spiritual environment where people from all over the world could come and experience peace of heart and mind. The beautiful hidden gem offers serenity as you wander around the lake. There are varieties of colorful fishes, swans, ducks and turtles that inhabited in the fifteen-feet depth lake.

Golden Lotus Archway

The beautiful Golden Lotus Archway is constructed of copper and covered with a golden finish. The lotus flower is a symbol of the awakening of the soul to its infinite potential.

Sunken Gardens

This is a quiet grotto with tropical plants that represent the Madonna and Child. It was nice to sit here to reflect and mediate in the tranquility the gardens provide.

Windmill Chapel

This chapel is an authentic reproduction of a 16th-century Dutch windmill.

Houseboat and Landing

The double-deck houseboat moored near the landing was transported from Lake Mead to the Lake Shrine in the 1940s. Paramahansa Yogananda often sat in prayer and meditation for hours.

Tips Before You Go:

• Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M.
• Admission is FREE, but advanced reservation is required.
• A small bag of special feed mix is available on request for families with children to feed the swans and ducks.
• Due to COVID-19, all indoors are closed, face mask is a must and it’s a one-way direction around the lake.

Overall, I had a wonderful time exploring the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. It’s a beautiful place that is perfect to meditate or to relax while admiring nature and listening to the birds chirping.

Do you know any other hidden gems that offer tranquility in Los Angeles?

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
17190 Sunset Blvd
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
https://lakeshrine.org/

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