Retreat Yourself: 10 Places to Meditate in L.A.

“Good vibes only” can transcend from t-shirt slogan to a way of being; sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right place. Whether seeking long-term wellness or a quick vacation from worries, humans in the City of Angels have many options for getting into a positive headspace.

The popular non-denominational community, Agape International Spiritual Center offers 5-week meditation courses throughout the year, online and in person at the Saban Theater (8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills 90211) as seen in The Secret, on Dr. Oz and The Oprah Winfrey Show, among others. Led by founder Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, most services kick off with an uplifting guided meditation of some sort.

Can’t sit still? There’s an acupoint for that! Acupuncture abounds but if the budget is tight, seek out Dongguk University in the heart of Koreatown (440 Shatto Pl, 2nd Fl. Los Angeles 90020). Students administer treatments in the clinic under the watchful eye of professors, so no matter what ails you, you’re always in good hands. Herbs, cupping, moxibustion and massage are just some of the services offered on top of acupuncture. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged.

The Sunday Love Feast is an open-to-the-public event that happens at the ISKCON Los Angeles New Dwaraka Temple (3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles 90034) every Sunday starting with kirtan (call-and-response-style chanting) at 4:30 pm, followed by a lecture, free vegetarian feast (prasadam), and ending with bhajan (songs). Learn more about the International Society for Krishna Consciousness by strolling through their onsite museum, eat at Govinda’s Natural Foods Restaurant anytime, and check out the second floor gift shop for an array of devotional items.

Can’t get to the Dead Sea? Sensory deprivation has been rebranded as “flotation therapy” and while there are plenty of places where one can disconnect by floating in warm Epsom salt water tanks, Just Float (76 N. Hudson Ave. Suite 120, Pasadena 91101) claims to be the world’s largest such facility. Clients each get their own flotation room, complete with shower, earplugs, robe, Q-tips and relaxation soundtrack. Soothe tired muscles or just book a mental getaway for REST (Reduced Environment Stimulation Therapy) in one of their private rooms and transition back to reality with a post-float tea in the lounge afterward.

The recently renovated Kadampa Meditation Center Hollywood (4953 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles 90027) is the realized dream of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, who first left his home in 1977 and later spread the New Kadampa Tradition throughout America. Located in Los Feliz (look for the occasional monks in orange robes on nearby Vermont Avenue), the space offers Dharma teacher trainings, lunchtime meditations, a monthly open house tour and a weekly prayer for world peace on Wednesdays from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m., by donation. Check the temple website for schedule.

Located smack dab in the middle of West Adams, Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens (3500 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles 90018) is an unobtrusive campus that's called a “spiritual oasis in the city” - visitors feel at home right away whether walking the stone labyrinth, meditating in the foliage-filled gardens, or experiencing one of the many talks, sound baths or yoga classes held in the mansion. The villa’s current incarnation is maintained by the Movement of Inner Spiritual Awareness but the Italian Renaissance-style architecture reflects the culture and taste of original owner Secundo Guasti, the owner of one of California’s first wineries, and the property was later owned by director Busby Berkeley. Tours are free but reservations must be made in advance. Returning visitors may skip the tour and just come to enjoy the silence.

Established in Los Angeles in 1925 by Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, Self Realization Fellowship welcomes visitors to walk the tranquil grounds of its international headquarters (aka the Mother Center) at Mount Washington, Hollywood Temple & Ashram Center, and Lake Shrine Temple & Retreat in Pacific Palisades. Guided group meditation, retreats, study groups, kirtans and other opportunities for communing are open to all.

Give yourself a sonic massage as the vibrations of crystal singing bowls, gongs, flutes, wind chimes and more wash over you, offering a meditative experience that may gently ring through your body for days. Try The Den in Studio City, Yogala in Echo Park, or Siesta Yoga in Hollywood.

Try “chanting for beginners” on Saturdays, then learn what those words in yoga class really mean in a Sunday Sanskrit class at the Vedanta Society Hollywood Temple (1946 Vedanta Pl, Hollywood 90068). The property includes a temple, monastery, convent, bookshop and library - so tread lightly, though the temple is open to the public from morning meditation through evening classes. The history of this place goes back to Swami Vivikenanda’s visit to South Pasadena in the late 1890s. Full schedule available on the Vedanta Society website.

For those who prefer their meditation with a touch of the ecstatic, try The Class at Wanderlust Hollywood (1357 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles 90028). Developed by East Coast-based yoga teacher Taryn Toomey, The Class is billed as “a music-driven, mat-based practice of self-study through physical conditioning.” The Class is guided by teachers like Heather Lilleston, who says she found life in The Class after being a runner looking for something with “the philosophical, psychological components of a yoga class, as well as strengthening.” Bring water, a towel, maybe some sneakers. There will be sweat.