I had wanted to visit the Self-Realization Fellowship’s Lake Shrine in Malibu since I moved to Los Angeles. Believe it or not, after 16 years, I still hadn’t made it there. I made plans to go countless times before: visited the website, checked opening times, selected days to go. But for some reason I kept getting sidetracked.

I’m not sure why, but finally I decided, TODAY was the day. I was going and that was the end of it.  It wasn’t like I was going to the dentist or to do my taxes. Why was I putting off going to visit one of the most beautiful and serene places in my city?

I think one reason I hesitated was I was afraid of the “religious” side of things at the Lake Shrine. Would I be pressured to join a sect of a group that I had never heard of before? Was this a beautiful coverup for a cult?  I didn’t really think so, but I will admit that I had some mild suspicions.

But after visiting I have to say that the Self-Realization Lake Shrine was the least religious, religious place I’ve been. I don’t want to get into the argument of is it spiritual vs. religious. I’ll just say it is both – or it is whichever you want it to be.

As you walk around the grounds, you will see shrines and statues and monuments to the world’s five major religions, but there is no pressure, no reading material and no sales pitch to join anything. Not one person on staff approached me to ask if I wanted to learn more about the teachings of (insert guru’s name here). This is truly just a place to take in the beauty and, should you choose, find a place to sit and meditate.

As one of my friends Onaje recently said about the Lake Shrine:

That’s my favorite place in LA to be in LA but not in LA at the same time.

Planning Your Visit

The good thing about planning your visit to Self-Realization Fellowship’s Lake Shrine, is that you can go nearly any day of the week aside from Mondays.  Of course you can go straight to the Lake Shrine’s helpful website to find out about visiting hours, parking and general rules of the property, but my advice is to go late morning on a week day. That’s when I visited (10:30 am on a Friday) and there were not too many people around. A place like this is beautiful regardless of the crowds, but if you can avoid having to shuffle behind big groups on the path, you’ll have a much better experience.

I was happy to just visit the lake, wander the path and see some of the smaller buildings up close, but if you want to get a tour of the Fellowship’s temple which sits high up on a hill overlooking the lake, you’ll have to plan your visit for specific times. At the time of this post writing, temple tours start at 2:oo pm on Fridays and 3:oo pm on Sundays.

My Visit

I couldn’t have picked a better day for my visit. The sun was shining on this pretty Friday morning, but huge crowds had not yet arrived at the Lake Shrine.  Luckily, the private seating areas outnumbered the visitors, so it was easy to find a bit of solitude. Towering trees and lush greenery provided shade for much of the path and beautifully colored flowers bloomed into bursts of color.

At a relaxed pace, you can walk around the lake path in approximately 20-30 minutes.  But the point is not to hurry.  Rather sit and take in the surroundings. For that reason, I recommend allowing at least 60-90 minutes to enjoy the shrine.

While the Lake Shrine does an amazing job of creating a peaceful atmosphere, the noise of the city occasionally reminds you of your surrounds. Sunset Boulevard commotion still cuts through the calm from time to time with an angry horn honk or large truck engine.  But focus on the peacefully gliding swans or the playful butterflies and you’ll be just fine.

For my first visit, to get the lay of the land, I started by walking the path around the whole lake taking in views and of course getting a few pictures. I also made mental notes of the many great places to sit and relax. Then once I completed my first walk through, I went back to find a favorite, shaded spot to sit and do some reading.

When I first arrived, I immediate noticed the gorgeous plant life, but where was the wildlife walking, hopping, swimming or flying around the lake?  Eventually, as I stood quietly and let my surroundings develop, I began to see what I initially missed. It started with three colorful butterflies that floated through the air. Then a few blue and orange dragonflies joined them.

Next I saw two beautiful white swans who had been sunning themselves on the boat dock glide onto the lake.  And the rock by the shore? That rock turned out to be a turtle half submerged in the shallow waters. And even though the water was rather murky, I caught sight of a few small fish.  No doubt I would have found even more little creatures if I’d come at a different time of day.

All Inclusive

As I mentioned earlier, I was slightly hesitant to visit the Lake Shrine as I thought it might be a “recruitment” headquarters for an unidentified religious sect. But as I researched a little further, I realized I was not in any danger of being brainwashed.  Still, when I read that the area was built by a famous yogi and guru named Paramahansa Yogananda, I did logically expect to be surrounded by symbols of the Hindu religion. However, I was quite surprised to find nearly as many references to other religions as well.

You’ll see statues of Buddha, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ along the path.  In the Court of Religions, you will find equal sized monuments to each of the five major world religions.

In addition to the religious diversity, the architectural diversity also took me by surprise. Nearly as large and prominent as the central Lotus Archway, is a very Dutch looking building topped by a windmill. The gift shop and museum are housed in what appears to be a Tudor-style building. A houseboat mored along one side of the lake reminded me of one you’d see along the Mississippi River in the late 1800’s.

While it all seemed a bit eclectic, it didn’t take away from the calm and serenity of the property.

Getting There

Coming from my home on the West side of Los Angeles on a weekday morning, the drive to the Lake Shrine in Malibu took just over 20 minutes. (Anyone who’s driven in Los Angeles knows that the minimum drive to ANY location is 20 minutes, so this is pretty good!) And how I love that last section of the 10 when you drive through the last tunnel and get your first view of the Pacific Ocean. That view makes me catch my breath every time!

Depending on the route you take, you may come up around the backside of the Lake Shrine and will have to cross Sunset Blvd. to pull into the free parking lot. The lot is not particularly large, so if you visit on a high traffic day, you may be forced to find street parking.

If you are without a car, you can take public transportation to the Lake Shrine, but that will add significantly to your time. My suggestion instead would be to splurge on a Lyft ride.  Remember the Lake Shrine in Malibu is free to visit, so that will give you a little extra money to help cover the cost of your Lyft.

Recommendations

• For your first visit, come alone if you can so you are not distracted by talking and interacting with others. If you do come with a group, split up for a bit to give yourself a chance to appreciate the quite beauty.
• Explore the whole park on your first visit before you decide on a place to sit and just be.  You will find so many quite secluded seats and grassy areas, but peruse them all before you make a choice.

• Don’t skip the little museum attached to the gift shop. I planned to quickly pop my head in, but soon found myself wandering among old photos and artifacts of Paramahansa Yogananda and evidence of his impact on people around the world.
• If your schedule allows, come on a weekday morning to avoid crowds.
• If the weather is not cooperating, you can spend time in quiet meditation inside the chapel underneath the large windmill.

So, have I convinced you to check out the Lake Shrine in Malibu? I don’t know anyone who has been and not found it to be one of their favorite LA spots.  I hope you end up feeling the same way!

Looking for another spiritual experience a little outside of Los Angeles?  Check out my visit to the Integratron near Palm Springs.

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