Mettā comes from allowing things to be just what they are, and seeing clearly the conditioned nature of all of it. Start where you are, by bringing mindfulness to present moment experience, whatever it is. We all have difficult emotions! When we can be present with what is, with the support of the precepts, we can hold that experience and allow ourselves to be cooked soft—transformed through the turmoil of that energy. Going through the fire, allow yourself to be cooked, with the clear knowing that this is going to change—because it always does.
Ayya Santacitta
Residential Retreat Teacher, Monastic
Ayya Santacitta was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002, she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Ayya Santacitta co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009 and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently located in San Rafael, CA.
Ayya Santacitta's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
May 30 - June 4, 2025 | Friday - Wednesday | 5 nights
Finding Freedom in Relationship with Ourselves, Others, and the World
Registration Opens - January 29. Working with the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, we will explore how we create entanglements and therefore can free ourselves from these recurring patterns. Turning towards these tangles with kindness and understanding allows the metabolizing and releasing of old habits. In keeping with the 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastic tradition, this retreat will include daily periods of devotional chanting and an adherence to the Eight Precepts. This retreat also includes sitting and walking meditation, practice meetings with teachers, and Dharma talks.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Ayya Santacitta through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.