There is something sacred in watching those you love ~ and those who have shaped the Orchard St. path ~ step into their power. Ema Taylor was one of our original Elixir Bar Alchemists: a generous, warm and whip-smart spirit who lights up every room she enters. Since then, Ema's journey has led her into naturopathy, motherhood and a thriving practice centred on women's health and fertility.

We sat down with the lovely Ema ~ Clinical Nutritionist, Certified Fertility Awareness Educator and co-founder of Mother Natal ~ to learn more about her path, her passions, and the ways nature and naturopathic principles continue to shape both her practice and her parenting.

Ema, you were one of our first Elixir Bar Alchemists, the original crew! I have loved watching your practice evolve and your family grow over all these years. When I first met you, it was well before you began your journey into Naturopathy. Do you recall a specific moment when you knew it was your calling?

Losing my menstrual cycle for close to three years and having very little guidance on how to get it back from the Western medical system was my initiation into holistic health. The experience with naturopathy and holistic healing that looks at the whole body was a real turning point in my life. Following the return of my cycle and the shift in how I felt in my health, I knew I wanted to study this modality and understand it more so I too could help other women.

And actually, I remember talking to you during the early days of Orchard St., when you were deep in the branding process. You inspired me more than you probably realise.

How did you find your way to women’s health and fertility work specifically?

My own personal journey with regaining my menstrual cycle initiated the deep dive into learning as much as I could about hormones and the female body. Naturally, this interest continued as I finished my Bachelor’s degree, and it became a special focus of mine. As I began my own journey with wanting to start a family, my focus evolved into preconception and fertility care. It is such an incredible space to work in because the results we achieve truly change people's lives.

Conception care is so individual, but what's something you wish more women understood about their fertility?

I wish more women were taught as teenagers to actually understand their fertility, specifically their cervical mucus, and what the different types mean. I remember growing up feeling quite embarrassed by it, which I think is so common. If only I'd known that it was telling me in real time exactly what my hormones were doing and how fertile I was at any given moment.

That kind of literacy would change so many women's lives. Because when they reach the age where they want to conceive, they'd feel empowered rather than left in the dark.

There's finally more awareness that lifestyle matters just as much for men when it comes to fertility. How have you changed the way you work to help men feel like fertility is theirs to tend too?

I love this question. A couple of years ago I made a real shift in the way I work, and I now see couples rather than just the individual woman. I invite them both into the journey, because so often men simply aren't invited in. They're not given the platform to share their concerns or talk openly about their own health, or be given clear, practical advice on how to improve their fertility.

What I've found is that they're often just as excited as their partner to improve their health and fertility; they just need to be asked. The best part is it improves outcomes significantly when both partners do the work, which is what matters most.

We’re thrilled to be stocking your Mother Natal pre-natal supplements! Tell me a little about what makes the formulation so unique.

Thank you so much for your support in stocking Mother Natal!

What makes us really unique is that we are the first brand globally to offer dual folate options to support the varying needs of women. We have two prenatal versions, both with very comprehensive formulas and some of the highest nutrient levels on the market.

One contains methylfolate, folic acid, and iron to support women who follow GP and World Health Organisation recommendations of folic acid inclusion for neural tube protection.

The second contains methylfolate only, no folic acid, and no iron, which is our more naturopathically focused formula, and one that's particularly well suited to women with MTHFR variants who don't convert folic acid efficiently.

The other thing I love about our range is that it supports women across their entire reproductive life cycle from preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Women so often have to change their prenatal at different stages, and we've formulated ours so they don't have to.

You spend your days helping others grow families and raising your own. When you feel the need for external support, is there a particular practitioner or healing modality you seek out?

In this season of life, the healing modality I come back to most is massage and bodywork. I just love it. Beyond the obvious physical benefits - releasing tension and resetting the nervous system - there's something to be said for having an hour to simply lie down and be still.

Naturopathy puts nature at the centre of how you heal. Does it also influence the way you parent?

I don't think it's possible to separate them; it's more a way of life than a conscious decision.

I aim to use food as medicine every day for my children, because as we know, it's the foundation of health. When they're unwell, we reach for herbs, nutrients, and vitamins first, and they are so good at taking their herbs; they actually ask for them each night.

We also have a very outdoor lifestyle, lots of sunshine, grass, dirt, and a real focus on adequate sleep to help their little bodies grow and feel their best.

I feel genuinely fortunate to carry this wealth of knowledge into motherhood. It's one of the greatest gifts my training has given me.

Rapid Fire:

What is Orchard St. to you? Family, friendship, nourishment, inspiration, and healing, all under one roof. I have so many beautiful memories.

A book everyone should read: The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.

A plant every gardener should grow: Basil. It's endlessly versatile, it's always in my garden, and it finds its way into so many dishes I make.

A podcast episode to listen to: A conversation between Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee on Feel Better, Live More… I believe it was titled something like The Five Life Lessons People Learn Too Late. He explored the top regrets of the dying through his own lens, and it was just so moving. As a parent especially, it really landed. A powerful reminder not to waste your energy on the wrong things, or your life on the wrong priorities.

Your favourite place for healing: The beach. Always.

Your dessert of choice: Apple pie or crumble, with cream. Yum.