Buddhist Nun, Inspirational Speaker, Executive Coach & Charity Founder
‘"I believe in the transformative power of profound human connection and the joy of living with integrity and purpose"
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EMMA SLADE (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. She was named Ani Pema Deki, which means blissful lotus – a title she is doing her best to live up to!
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.
VIDEO UPDATES FROM BHUTAN
See some of the latest work that the charity the good work she does around the globe...
INSPIRATIONAL
SPEAKER
Emma loves to be invited to speak and inspire others, as she has done around the world at many conferences and events internationally.
PERSONAL MENTOR
& COACH
As an Executive coach, Emma brings a unique skillset.
She combines the analytical curiosity honed within her years in Fund Management with the skills of deep inquiry into Human values and the Nature of the Mind from a Western and Eastern perspective,
RECOGNITION FOR
EMMAS WORK
Dont just listen to what we have to say. See what emmas guests past & present, have to say about what she does.
THERESA MAY MP
FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE UK