In fasted-paced, overstressed Los Angeles, there is a restful haven open to the public free of charge. Within a short 5-minute drive from downtown, off Arlington and 6th Street. This piece of heaven is a converted historic mansion now retreat center, a place sure to restore your soul and give you peace.
After a difficult workweek, Jennifer and I went out to find peace and tranquility. As soon as we stepped on the property we were struck with calmness and beauty. The retreat center, the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens (PAL&G), is affiliated with the church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), a non-denominational, ecumenical church founded by John-Roger in 1968. The center makes every effort to facilitate soul transcendence through meditation and self-awareness.
Originally, the home was built by Los Angeles' first wine mogul Secundo Guasti in 1910. He took great care in adorning the home with detailed marble and woodwork of the Italian Renaissance style as the heyday of the Los Angeles rich and famous. The villa was sold in 1937 to Busby Berkeley, a Hollywood musical director and film choreographer, who lived there with one of his six wives. Berkeley was known for his fantastic movie dance numbers involving over 150 dancers and synchronized swimmers. When the home was converted as a retirement home for physicians, the residential wings were added onto the building. In 1974, it was acquired by MSIA and used as an ashram for many years. As the property was cultivated with beautiful fountains and meditation gardens, it was opened to the public as a day retreat, the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens.
One of the greatest features of the center is the labyrinth that was added by PAL&G in 2001. A labyrinth is a maze, or a walking meditation, a path of prayer. As the path winds and turns, there is no right way to get to the center; you symbolically must take the path that is laid out in front of you.
This particular labyrinth is made of hand cut Travertine Durango marble labyrinth designed after the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France (circa 1220). It is approximately 40 feet in diameter and the path is about 1/3 of a mile. The symbol at the beginning of the labyrinth is an ancient Sanskrit name for God: HU.
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There are beautiful lush-green gardens with water fountains and little nooks to get lost in reflection and prayer. There is even a koi pond to watch nature in action.
Two services provided weekly to the public are lunches and soul dancing. Monday-Friday from 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm, the center offers a healthy local and organic lunch for a nominal charge of $8 for an all you can eat buffet. Every Thursday night, the center offers Soul Dancing, again free of charge - one of their most popular events.
Peace Theological Seminary, the educational arm of MSIA, holds classes, workshops, and retreats all over the world including at PAL&G. If you are interested, please check on the website for offerings.
PEACE LABYRINTH & GARDENS
3500 W. Adams Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90018
323-737-4055
EVENTBRITE TICKETS FOR ENTRANCE (Starting from July 2015)
CHURCH OF MOVEMENT OF SPIRITUAL INNER AWARENESS
Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens is the headquarters of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the study of Soul Transcendence and practical spirituality.
JENNIFER AND SUE: BEFORE (STRESSED OUT) AND AFTER (CALM AND HAPPY)
(Sue Helmy has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. She is currently providing superb concierge duties at the Building and Safety Division of the City of Beverly Hills. She is active in countless church and civic organizations and spends every minute she can spare dancing to the zumba beat.)
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 21
Pub: Mar 10, 2015
