10 Great Places for Spiritual Reflection
It's easy to forget that this is a spiritual time of year.
Dec. 31, 2011— -- With the hubbub of the holidays, it's easy to forget that this is a spiritual time of year. Meera Lester, author of Sacred Travels (Adams Media, $15.95), says visiting certain sites can help you reconnect with that feeling. "We get a sense of peace or connection," she says. "It's a spiritual yearning that calls us to these places." She shares several favorite spots with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Grace Cathedral
San Francisco
This Episcopal church sits atop Nob Hill with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay. The building itself offers exquisite architecture, stained glass and two labyrinths - one is modeled on a path found at France's Chartres Cathedral. The doors are a replica of Ghiberti's famous Gates of Paradise from Florence, Italy. "Everything comes together at this beautiful place," Lester says. 415-749-6300; gracecathedral.org
Byodo-In Temple
Kahaluu, Oahu
A nine-foot Buddha dominates this Japanese-style temple garden in the shadow of jade-colored mountains. Lester first visited on a second honeymoon with her husband, and they discovered a small meditation area on a hill behind the temple. "The entire site is permeated with a holy feeling," she says. 808-239-9844; byodo-in.com
Tulum
Mexico
Long before the Spaniards arrived in the New World, this Mayan temple watched over the sparkling turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Come early to avoid the tour-bus crowds and take time to climb the steep steps of the main pyramid. "I sat down and closed my eyes and felt like my soul was soaring on the wind on the Caribbean Sea," Lester says. 800-446-3942; rivieramaya.com
Shrine of Saint Anne-de-Beaupré
near Québec City
The crutches and rosaries left at this basilica are signs of answered prayers at a shrine dedicated to the mother of the Virgin Mary. Lester says she visited as an overwhelmed young mother herself, and was immediately comforted. "Stepping inside you really feel a balm of peace coming over you. I felt a sense of a greater power." 877-783-1608; quebecregion.com/en or ssadb.qc.ca/eng/index.htm
Old Ship Church
Hingham, Mass.
For centuries, worshippers have sought comfort at this sanctuary built like a ship's hull that was once a Puritan meetinghouse and is now a Unitarian-Universalist church. The site has a labyrinth and gravestones dating to the 1600s. Lester says she found peace here when she visited shortly after her husband passed away. "The feeling of something greater than myself was with me." 781-749-1679; oldshipchurch.org
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Sedona, Ariz.
Pilgrims of all faiths are drawn by the vortexes, spiritual energy that some say emanates from the red rocks surrounding this high-desert town. Lester says people come to pray, meditate and reflect at this chapel, which is at its most beautiful in the golden glow of afternoon light. "To the east you see this incredible towering formation. The energy in that place is just amazing." 928-282-4069; chapeloftheholycross.com
Cooper Memorial Chapel
Bella Vista, Ark.
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