Emma Slade

A business trip to Jakarta changed the course of Emma Slade’s life. The chartered financial analyst was working in fund management when she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and began exploring yoga, meditation, and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving. “A deep passion of mine is to understand things and people as they are and how they became to be,” she says. “I love to do work that is meaningful and helps others; nothing brings greater peace within.” On Emma’s first visit to Bhutan in 2011, her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist lama. Eventually, that 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. She’s been leading yoga workshops and retreats since 2003, and in her role as a coach, she supports clients in areas including mental resilience, defining purpose, and leading with integrity. Emma is the author of “Set Free,” which details her inspirational story.