#  A Peace of Historic West Adams

     Details    Sue Helmy   ![logo](https://www.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         March 09 2015       [ARCHIVE](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **Death by Cop: More Complicated Than It Appears** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8608:death-by-cop-more-complicated-than-it-appears&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Police ‘Buy’ $120 Million Budget Busting Raise** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8610:police-buy-120-million-budget-busting-raise&catid=16)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/020x.png)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&amp;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 &amp; Gardens.
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/020y.png)One of the greatest features of the center is the labyrinth that was added by PAL&amp;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.
>
> {module \[1177\]}
>
> 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&amp;G. If you are interested, please [check on the website](https://www.citywatchla.com/%20http:/www.ptswisdom.org) for offerings.
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/020z.png)![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/020z1.png)
>
> PEACE LABYRINTH &amp; GARDENS
>
> 3500 W. Adams Blvd
>
> Los Angeles, CA 90018
>
> 323-737-4055
>
> [Website](http://www.peacelabyrinth.org/)
>
> [EVENTBRITE TICKETS FOR ENTRANCE (Starting from July 2015)](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visits-tours-labyrinth-walks-at-peace-awareness-labyrinth-gardens-tickets-14641604433)
>
> [CHURCH OF MOVEMENT OF SPIRITUAL INNER AWARENESS](http://msia.org)
>
> [Peace Awareness Labyrinth &amp; Gardens](http://www.peacelabyrinth.org/) is the headquarters of the [Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness](http://www.msia.org/liveonline) (MSIA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the study of Soul Transcendence and practical spirituality.
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/020z3.png)
>
> 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

  - [  Previous Article **Death by Cop: More Complicated Than It Appears** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8608:death-by-cop-more-complicated-than-it-appears&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Police ‘Buy’ $120 Million Budget Busting Raise** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8610:police-buy-120-million-budget-busting-raise&catid=16)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>