Today’s story is about Ayyaa Soma, formerly known as my friend Giovanna Maselli, who ordained as a Buddhist monk, leaving her former self as a fashion journalist behind.

Ayya is the co-founder of Buddhist Insights, a non-profit organization she created with fellow monastic Bhante Suddhaso, dedicated to making monastic teachings more accessible to the general public. Together they are also the co-founders and leaders of Emtpy Cloud, a gender inclusive monastery in New Jersey.

Ayya is the second Italian “Theravada” female monastic and one of seventy-five women in the western world who ordained as a Buddhist monk.

Her story of transit is one of non-return. In today’s interview we speak about her pursuit of happiness by elimination, her journey of transformation and belonging as a woman and the economy of generosity.