Arleta Little
Board Director
Arleta Little has been practicing meditation at Common Ground for more than 18 years, holding deep gratitude for the teachings and community at the center. She was introduced to Theravada Buddhism in 1993 as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, where she participated in intensive silent retreats at Wat Suan Mok and other temples. Meditation and retreat remain vital foundations for her spiritual practice.
Buddhist teachings nourish Arleta's development, alongside the teachings and writings of Howard Thurman, Thich Nhat Hanh, rev. angel Kyoto williams, and others. Her practice also includes social justice work, writing, yoga, and other liberation practices. Arleta is trained in social work and public affairs and has worked in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for over 20 years. A published poet and essayist, she is currently working on a collection of daily meditations.
Arleta is a member of the BIPOC Sanghas for Direct Action, a network of BIPOC meditation practitioners that organized following the murder of George Floyd. She views board service as a form of community organizing and has served as a past board member for the Dwelling in the Woods Hermitage Retreat. Currently, she serves on the boards of Headwaters Foundation for Justice and TruArtSpeaks and is happy to serve the community as a board member at Common Ground.