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The SRF Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens are open weekly Wednesday to Sunday by reservation. All are welcome.
Since its opening to the public in 1950 by Paramahansa Yogananda, the Lake Shrine has inspired thousands of visitors each year, many of whom return again and again to refresh mind and spirit in the peace that pervades this beautiful sanctuary.
The ten-acre site is a natural amphitheater. The lake has an average depth of fifteen feet and its waters are inhabited by numerous varieties of colorful fish.
Other features include:
The Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens are open by reservation only:
Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
All are welcome!
The Lake Shrine property, in Pacific Palisades, California, has a colorful history. Initially owned by a silent film studio, it was later envisioned as a private coastal paradise with a Dutch windmill and a double-deck houseboat — both of which remain today.
In the late 1940s, the grounds were sold to an oil company president who had plans to construct a resort hotel complex. But one night he dreamed his new acquisition had become a “Church of All Religions.” Deeply moved, that morning he found in the telephone book the listing for “Self-Realization Fellowship Church of All Religions” in Hollywood. He contacted SRF with an offer to sell — and shortly thereafter Paramahansa Yogananda acquired the property.
Before opening Lake Shrine to the public, from his “temporary headquarters” on the houseboat Paramahansaji personally directed disciples throughout months of construction and landscaping. And he spent many hours in deep prayer and divine communion, invoking God’s blessings on all who would come to visit from around the world in future.
Hundreds of thousands have indeed felt these blessings and the enduring peace of the spiritual vibrations bestowed here by Paramahansaji, as they strolled and sat quietly in the lakeside meditation gardens, or attended an inspirational service at the hilltop temple (envisioned by the Guru during his lifetime and later opened in 1996), or participated in a retreat for spiritual renewal.
17190 Sunset Blvd.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310) 454-4114
lakeshrine.org
The Lake Shrine Temple is temporarily closed due to ongoing remediation work following the wildfire that affected the majority of the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in January 2025.
An inspirational program is held each Saturday and Sunday in the Windmill Chapel at the Lake-level. To attend, please make a reservation to visit the Meditation Gardens and plan to stay for the inspirational program.
The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine was dedicated by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1950. Shortly before his passing in 1952, Paramahansaji expressed a deeply felt wish that one day a temple be constructed at the Lake Shrine. In 1996, that dream was realized with the opening of a 58-foot high, 4,000-square-foot hilltop temple, which overlooks the lake to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
The temple incorporates a blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles. Crowned with a golden lotus, the domed octagonal building features intricate decorative work in concrete, stained glass, wood, and ceramic tile, much of it crafted by hand. In addition to the striking sanctuary, which seats 400, the temple complex includes a large special-events hall, a bookroom, and Sunday school classrooms.
When the temple is open, lecture and meditation services are conducted by monastic disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda. Children aged three and older can attend Sunday school classes, and a parents-and-infants room is available with video streams of the services for those with younger children.
You can read more about the saving of the SRF Lake Shrine during the 2025 Palisades Fire on the SRF blog.
The Lake Shrine Retreat is tempoarily closed due to ongoing remediation work following a devastating wildfire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in January 2025.
The SRF Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens are open, and we invite you to make a reservation to visit. All are welcome!
The Lake Shrine Retreat offers members and friends an opportunity for spiritual renewal — to leave behind the pressures of everyday life and deepen their awareness of the Divine at this beautiful sanctuary, facing the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Retreatants maintain silence while participating in daily group meditations, inspirational classes and programs, and services at the adjacent SRF Lake Shrine Temple. Between activities, there is ample time to enjoy scenic strolls around the lake, to pause for quiet reflection, and enjoy the beauty of God in nature.
SRF Lake Shrine Retreat
(310) 459-4740
Email: lsretreat@yogananda-srf.org
17190 Sunset Blvd.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
