Meet Emma Slade
A Spiritual Journey
from West to East
‘'I have been given a unique opportunity to combine being born as a female in the West with being trained by Lamas in the East. I hope this will allow me to bring benefit to many beings"
Emma is the first Western woman to be fully ordained in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Bhutan. She was given getsulma vows by HH Dorji Lopen at Punakha dzong at Losar in 2014 after having already lived under vows for two years.
Emma had the honour of meeting HH Dalai lama
in Dharamsala in March 2024
A JOURNEY FROM EMMA SLADE TO
(LOPEN ANI PEMA DEKI)
Emma was born in Kent, and was educated at Cambridge University and the University of London where she gained a First Class degree. She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in Fund Management in London, New York, and Hong Kong.
A deep seated desire to enquire into the deeper aspects of humanity arise following a life- changing business trip to Jakarta, where she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and exploring yoga and meditation and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving.
She qualified as a British Wheel of Yoga teacher in 2003 and, over the last 19 years, has run numerous yoga workshops and retreats.
Her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist Lama (teacher) on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011. This crucial chance meeting led to her studying Buddhism with this Lama and, eventually, led to her becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun.
PATH TO BECOMING A BUDDHIST NUN
Emma talks about her path to buddhist, and the situation in which she found herself which caused this change.
LEARN OF THE KEY EVENT WHICH ENCOURAGED EMMA TO RETHINK HER LIFE...
TEDx TALKS
EMMA WELCOMES YOU TO GET IN TOUCH
FIND OUT MORE BELOW
Emma was named
Ani Pema Deki, which means 'blissful lotus'
– a title she is doing her best to live up to!
WHAT IS
A BUDDHIST NUN?
WHERE DID YOU BECOME A BUDDHIST NUN?
MAKING HISTORY - ORDINATION IN BHUTAN AS A GELONGMA
Emma was the only western woman included in this historic event in Bhutan in June 2022
The full ordination of buddhist nuns in Bhutan
CHARITY WORK
OPENING YOUR HEART TO BHUTAN
CHARITY WORK
OPENING YOUR HEART TO BHUTAN
In 2015 Emma founded and became CEO of the registered UK charity - Opening Your Heart to Bhutan - to help special needs children in Bhutan. She continues to travel to Bhutan to manage the charity’s projects and her Buddhist studies.
In 2017 Emma was given the Point of Light award by the UK Prime Minister in recognition of her exceptional volunteering.
RECOGNITION FOR EMMAS WORK
Don't just listen to what we have to say. See what Emma's guests, past & present, have to say about what she does.