Why I Created Ember & Om Access

Reset. Rebuild. Return.

As many of us will no doubt empathise with, returning to work isn’t just about updating your CV, applying for roles, or endlessly putting yourself out there.

It’s about how you feel - in yourself, in your body, and in your confidence to show up again.

Often, alongside this, people are navigating personal challenges - and as a parent, supporting a child in ways you never expected or felt prepared for.

Over 25 years working in Recruitment and Talent Acquisition, I’ve seen people at every stage of their careers - those striving, those thriving, and those quietly struggling.

And one thing always stood out.

Confidence isn’t just about skills and experience. It's about how you feel - physically, mentally, and emotionally. And whether we like it or not, it’s intrinsically linked to what’s going on outside of work, no matter how much we try to compartmentalise.

Many things can impact that, especially when life throws something unexpected your way.

For me, that was learning how to understand and support a child with an eating disorder.

In my mid-forties, I realised I wanted something different. Not just a change of role - but a change of pace, of purpose, of meaning. John Lennon’s words have always stayed with me:“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

And, that has never felt more true. What started as a personal passion for hot yoga - as much needed stress relief and some me time - alongside a love of music and a need to spend more time with my family, grew into something bigger.

A way to reconnect. To slow down. To rebuild - from the inside out. As I’ve come to learn through my own journey:

It doesn’t get easier - you just get better.

Better at managing stress, whether that be worked or home related.

Better at understanding your limits.

Better at showing up, even when things feel uncertain.

When I created Ember & Om, it was rooted in that belief.

A space to breathe, burn, and be.

A space to build both physical and mental resilience.

A space that feels welcoming, supportive, and real.

But over time, something else became clear. Not everyone who could benefit from this space feels able to access it.

And more importantly - many people who are trying to return to work, or dealing with family struggles, are navigating more than just job applications, or time needed away from work.

They’re dealing with:

• stress and anxiety from multiple pressures

• the responsibility of caring for others

• loss of confidence

• uncertainty about what they want next - a midlife reset, not a crisis

• (for many women) navigating perimenopause or menopause alongside everything else

• a lack of routine

• and the challenge of simply showing up again

  
  

That’s where Ember & Om Access came from. Not as a separate idea, but as a natural extension of everything this space stands for.

🌿 Introducing Ember & Om Access

Reset. Rebuild. Return.

A six week supported, community wellbeing and work readiness programme. Designed for either individuals in the local area (Kirklees/Calderdale/Spen) who are actively looking to return to the workplace, or for parents supporting children through eating disorders, something very close to my heart.

It brings together my background in recruitment, alongside lived experience of supporting a teen with anorexia, together with the practices that have supported me - and so many others through periods of change.

Local participants join a choice of weekly hot yoga or hot pilates classes through a small number of no-cost community mats, providing a space to reset, slow down, and build both mental and physical resilience through the challenges of regular practice and exercise within infrared heat.

Alongside this, there is light-touch support available for those seeking work - from CV critique, job searching or interview guidance and preparation - helping people take practical steps forward at the same time.

But at its core, this isn’t just about hot yoga, job search or eating disorders. It’s about:

• rebuilding confidence

• reducing stress and anxiety

• strengthening mental and physical resilience

• creating structure and routine

• and feeling ready - not just for work, but for what comes next

  
  

This programme is designed for those who are ready to take a step forward.

Not perfectly. Not all at once. But consistently, with support and accountability.

To be able to offer something back to the community that shaped me - in a way that feels meaningful - is something I don’t take lightly.

If this feels like something you, or someone you know, would benefit from, I’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch to express interest or refer someone

hello@emberom.co.uk or message 07481156671

One breath. One step. One return at a time.