Some people find Zen in a jazz riff. Others seek spiritual guidance in nature. Musician Alice Coltrane did both. The late wife of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane was a pianist, harpist, and composer, later became a swami, and founded an ashram in Agoura Hills, CA, in 1983.
The 47-acre property is now on the market, split into two 23-acre lots and priced at $2.5 million each. "They're both for sale," listing agent Nona Green says. "They naturally want to go together, but they can be sold separately."
Alice Coltrane died in 2007 at age 69. She was known as a sparkling musician who joined the John Coltrane Quartet as a pianist in the '60s. After her husband died in 1967, she raised their four children and became a "seeker of spiritual truth," according to her website.
After traveling to India, Coltrane returned to establish a spiritual community on this property where 25 to 30 full-time residents would "study the Vedic scriptures," according to The New York Times.
Coltrane's family has decided to sell the property.
"The [Coltrane] kids grew up there, had summers there," Green says. "It was like their own camp."
The ashram remains active, although its spiritual days are likely coming to a close.
Interested buyers can create their own preferred inner peace -- Green suggests a horse farm, a campsite, or an event space for weddings and corporate retreats.
It could also be converted into a private personal retreat. "It would make a fabulous home site. You can make a custom home on each lot," Green adds.
The land includes multiple structures, including residences. One is being used as an assembly room for the ashram, she notes.
The property is surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a wildlife refuge for owls, deer, hawks, and turtles. It connects to riding and hiking trails.
"It's very private, Green says. "It has the distinction of being close [to the city], and yet it seems like you're a world away. It's very rural. You don't see any neighbors." The location is roughly 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles and 10 minutes to the beach.
And Hollywood does have a way of turning up. The closest neighbor is the nonprofit Golden Heart Ranch, built on land purchased from former supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband, Rande Gerber, according to the agent.
For Coltrane, the property had a divine purpose. "She bought it because being in nature brought you close to the gods," Green says. Sounds like a love supreme.