The Light Belt Voice: What It Is and How to Train It

Written for musical theater singers with lighter voices — and for the teachers, coaches, and music directors who work with them.

For years, I tried to belt like a heavier voice, and I felt like I was shouting. (I was.) I was a light soprano with classical training, and every time I reached for a bigger, thicker sound, my voice pushed back.

What I wish I'd known back then is that a lighter voice isn't a lesser instrument. It's a different one — with its own strengths, its own path to power, and its own long list of roles. So this post is for the singer with the light belt voice: what it is, who has one, what roles may fit you, and how to train it. If you teach, coach, or music-direct, it's for you too — the same framework works for the voices in your studio.

Voices that belt come in different types

We tend to talk about belting as one thing, but voices that belt come in different types. Musical theater professor Matt Edwards divides them into three weights: light, medium, and heavy. (If you want the deeper dive, look up his "Common Misconceptions about Belting" talk on YouTube.)

Knowing which one you are changes everything, because so much vocal frustration comes from a light belt trying to sound heavy. When you stop fighting your instrument and start building on what you actually have, the work gets clearer — and usually a lot more joyful.

What the light belt voice is

If you're a light belter, your belt sits closer to your head register, with a little bit of press. (The technical term for that press is firm vocal fold closure.) It's bright and forward rather than warm and thick.

That brightness is the whole point. High notes probably come to you fairly easily, and when you need power up top, you find it by turning to brightness rather than mass. You're not trying to add weight — you're adding ring.

What it sounds like

Bright, clear, and forward, often with a youthful quality. If you've ever been told your voice sounds like a "Disney princess," that's the light belt voice people are hearing — though, of course, there isn't really one Disney or princess sound.

A few things tend to come easily to this voice: agility, clarity, and text an audience can actually understand. Register blending. A top that stays free. And twang — that bright, focused, ringing resonance — is your engine. It's what lets your upper belt carry without force.

Other things take time, and that's worth naming honestly. Your belt builds gradually. A thick, heavy sound may never feel fully comfortable, and that's okay. You're not building somebody else's voice slowly — you're building your own sound, your own way.

Who has one

You share this voice with a lot of singers you already love: Kristin Chenoweth, Laura Osnes, Christy Altomare, Kerry Butler, Phillipa Soo, Liz Callaway, Olivia Newton-John, Mary Martin, Anna Kendrick, and Ariana Grande, to name a few.

And four more you may have known since childhood: Jodi Benson as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas, Kristen Bell as Anna in Frozen, and Mandy Moore as Rapunzel in Tangled.

If you want to hear the whole range of this sound in one place, I've gathered it into a listening list. Have a listen to my Light Belt Voice Spotify playlist and notice how these singers find power through brightness instead of heft.

What roles may fit you

Plenty of high belt roles suit light voices, and these are not small parts. They're title roles, female leads, and co-leads: Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the title role in Anastasia, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Cady Heron in Mean Girls, Glinda in Wicked, Natasha in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Sandy in Grease, and Sophie in Mamma Mia!

And light belt roles aren't just for ingenues. A light voice often carries a youthful quality, but there are roles for women of all ages — adult Alison Bechdel and Helen Bechdel in Fun Home, Amy in Company, Miss Honey in Matilda, and Nellie Forbush in South Pacific.

How to train it — and why common belting advice might not work

Here's where a lot of light belters get stuck: most belt training begins with big chest voice sounds, and for a lighter voice, that approach is fatiguing. The advice isn't wrong — it's just built for a different instrument. Here's how I approach it instead.

Avoid loading up heavy chest voice. Musical theater is speech-based, so start with everyday speech sounds. Then move to sung pitches while keeping that speechlike quality. Play on the breathy-to-pressed spectrum, add a little twang, and keep it light.

Explore a range of chest voice sounds. Chest voice can be heavy or light, loud or soft, warm or bright, simple speech or a call. Play with all of it — just don't add more weight than your natural speaking voice. A little glottal fry (that low, creaky sound at the end of a sentence) can steady the very bottom of your range.

Navigate the break by lightening, not muscling. Where chest voice runs out, lighter voices actually have room to play: a whine, a cry, an animal noise, a character voice. These sounds help you bridge the transition where most singers crack. My motto through the break is "lighten and brighten."

Belt high with brightness, not weight. For light voices, high belt usually comes from adding brightness and finding firmer vocal fold closure — not from forcing a bigger sound. The goal is to find your own ring up top. If you're not sure how to get there, experiment with heightened speech, and add some whine if you need it.

Choose songs that fit. You know that feeling when you love a dress but the cut is wrong? Forcing your voice onto a song that doesn't suit you feels the same. The song isn't the problem, and neither is your voice — the right repertoire makes a lighter voice sound effortless, while the wrong repertoire feels like a struggle.

Manage your nerves. High notes are where nerves sneak in, and light voices tend to go one of two ways. Some singers panic and push into a shouty "panic belt" that doesn't feel good — that's the over-doer's temptation. Others panic in the opposite direction and back off into a weak, breathy "panic head voice" — the under-doer's version of the same fear. Building a solid mix is the answer to both, but it takes time and experience to solidify, so be patient with yourself.

If you want somewhere to actually practice all of this, I've put together a set of Light Belt Voice exercises you can sing along with. They're built specifically for this voice — speech-based, bright, and light — so you're training with your instrument instead of against it.

Learn to love your sound

Broadway loves a big belt, and it's easy to measure yourself against that and come up feeling short. But a lighter voice gives you agility and brightness and a beautiful ring that cuts without force. When you stop fighting it and start building on it, everything gets easier.

And if you teach, coach, or music-direct: the same framework works for your studio. Build on the voice in front of you, and don't ask it to be something it's not. Some teachers aren't sure what to do with a singer who struggles to belt, other than steering them toward legit soprano repertoire. Those roles are often a wonderful fit — but many of these singers want to sing contemporary belt rep too, and they can.

Which belt voice are you?

Light, medium, or heavy? If you're not sure, I built a short quiz that will point you toward your belt voice type, the singers who share it, the roles that tend to fit, and a Spotify listening list to match.

Take the Belt Voice Type Quiz here.

More learning opportunities

• Check out my Vocal Exercises for the Light Belt Voice

• I’ll be offering The Light Belt Online Course in 2027. Interest has been strong, and people on the waitlist get priority when the course goes on sale in November 2026. Get on the waitlist here.

Can anyone learn to belt? The honest answer.

It's a question my younger self was obsessed with. I was a light soprano with classical training, and I was just starting to teach voice. Everyone who walked into my studio wanted to belt — and, if I'm being honest, I had no idea how to teach it.

After more than fifteen years of teaching and a lot of intensive work on my own voice, my answer today is a qualified yes. Here's why.

Belting has changed

Belting used to be heavy and chest-dominant, but it didn't go particularly high. Early belters rarely sang above C5. Now belters are expected to soar to the top of the staff. (Thanks, Idina!) But that contemporary sound is also a lighter-weight sound than the old-school version.

You'll hear a lot of people talk about the different ways to belt — chest belt, mix belt, speech mix, soprano mix, and just plain mix. These are helpful concepts, and I genuinely love teaching them. But today I want to take the conversation in a different direction.

The part almost no one talks about: different types of belt voices

Voice professor Matt Edwards recently broke this down in a free webinar (the replay is on YouTube), and it's a framing more singers need to hear. Because there isn't one belt voice — there are, broadly, three: light, medium, and full (heavy).

The light belt voice. Think of a bright, soprano, Disney-princess-type voice. It's bright and light, and it doesn't sound or feel particularly chest-dominant. For this singer, taking chest voice too high — or making it too heavy — is fatiguing. The key to power is embracing a lighter mix and exploring brightness.

Vocal role models: Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell, Christy Altomare, Erika Henningsen, Kerry Butler, Lea Salonga.

The medium belt voice. Your typical Elphaba is a medium belt voice (per Matt Edwards). This singer has real vocal heft and versatility. She can take a chest-dominant sound fairly high and get a thrilling mix up top — and she has more options than the other belters. With the right training, she can comfortably add more chest voice for extra power or go for a lighter mix.

Vocal role models: Cynthia Erivo, Lea Michele, Renée Rapp, Joy Woods, Taylor Louderman, Sherie Rene Scott.

The full belt voice. Here we have old-school, classic musical-theater power — think roles like Mama Rose in Gypsy. The voice is rich and chest-dominant, but the trade-off for all that sound is less flexibility. These warmer voices may struggle to access the brightness that drives most contemporary high mix, but they thrive in lower belt repertoire.

Vocal role models: Ethel Merman, Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Adele, Amy Winehouse.

So, can anyone learn to belt?

Let's start with the easier questions first.

Can anyone learn to mix? Absolutely. Can anyone learn to sing in a contemporary style? Of course. Can anyone make a mixed-belt sound? Yes — though for some singers it will be a lighter mix than they hoped for.

But the full answer is bigger than that. Anyone can learn to belt within their own voice type. Understanding this can help you stop fighting your instrument and start building on what you already have. No, you can't belt as a different voice type, and you won't be right for every belt role ever written. But those limits are part of what makes you and your voice unique.

So much vocal frustration comes from a light belt trying to sound heavy, or a heavy belt reaching for a brightness that was never going to come easily. When you know which voice you actually have, the work becomes clearer.

Which belt voice are you?

Light, medium, or full? If you're not sure, I built a short quiz that will point you toward your belt voice type, the singers who share it, the roles that tend to fit, and a Spotify listening list to match.

Take the Belt Voice Type Quiz here: https://catherinekaybrown.netlify.app/

The Thought Inventory: An Exercise in Building Mental Awareness

 Do you find that you are particularly hard on yourself — and your voice? Are you struggling to cope with the vocal changes you've experienced? Here's a mindfulness exercise that may help. I call it the Thought Inventory.

• Step 1: Simply notice the thoughts you have about your voice. Are they anxious or judgmental? Are they more factual or strategic? Are you focused on the past, present, or future? Do your best to simply notice the thoughts without judgment and without trying to change them. Try this for one week.

• Step 2: If you find that your thoughts are particularly judgmental, see if you can shift them. Turn “My voice sounds awful” into something factual and specific: for example, “My voice is hoarse today” or “I'm having more trouble speaking than usual.”

• Step 3: Offer yourself compassion for your struggles, as you would to a friend or child.

If you'd like help exploring this or other mindfulness exercises, you don't have to do it alone. My drop-in sessions are a relaxed, guided space to practice with others living with voice disorders.

The Hidden Reason Voice Use Can Hurt

One of the hardest voice disorder symptoms to treat is chronic pain. Some voice disorder patients experience constant throat pain. Others feel it every time they speak or after times of overuse. For some, it is their only symptom. It can present as a dull ache, stabbing or sharp pain, or a constant sore throat. Others experience tension that borders on pain. Many are given diagnoses of Muscle Tension Dysphonia or Laryngeal Hypersensitivity (also known as Irritable Larynx Syndrome). Voice therapy may or may not make a difference.

I recently learned about a mindfulness-based modality, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), that may help. The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) just hosted a panel titled, “Integrating Pain Reprocessing Therapy Into Multidisciplinary Voice Care.” You can read my summary below. 

In my next my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders, I plan to include specific insights and exercises from PRT to help participants with chronic pain and muscle tension. 

WHAT IS PAIN REPROCESSING THERAPY? 
PRT is a mindfulness-based modality designed to help people overcome neuroplastic pain. Neuroplastic pain is pain that is not caused by tissue damage or a structural issue in the body. It is an unconsciously learned pattern of pain that is based in fear or similar emotions. 

Neuroplastic pain often has the following characteristics:

• originated during a stressful time

• originated without injury or lasted past the time in which the injury should have healed

• symptoms are inconsistent and worsen with stress

• symptom triggers are unrelated to the body (may be tied to specific activities, places, or stressors)

• pain has a delayed onset (begins some time after an injury)

• patient experienced childhood stress or adversity

• patient displays certain personality traits (perfectionism, people-pleasing, high conscientiousness, high self-criticism)

• lack of physical diagnosis or a diagnosis that doesn’t account for symptom severity

Neuroplastic pain is real pain. The brain generates all pain whether or not there’s tissue damage involved. Understanding the neuroplastic component simply opens up new treatment options.

PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY PAIN

It’s useful to distinguish between two types of pain: primary pain, where neuroplastic pain is the only issue, and secondary pain, where a structural problem exists as a root cause but neuroplastic processes layer on top, creating “mixed” pain. (It’s worth noting that many vocal fold “abnormalities” appear in pain-free populations.) PRT is most effective against primary neuroplastic pain, but it can reduce the severity of secondary pain as well.

THE PAIN-FEAR CYCLE

The central mechanism PRT targets is the pain-fear cycle: pain generates fear, which causes the brain to misinterpret safe signals as dangerous, producing more pain, which generates more fear. Avoidance behaviors — such as speaking or singing less — may reinforce these danger signals rather than resolving them.

WHAT DOES PAIN REPROCESSING THERAPY INVOLVE?

PRT follows five stages and participants see results in as few as 8 weeks.

1. Assess for neuroplastic pain using the indicators listed above.

2. Educate the patient about how pain develops and persists, and the importance of breaking the pain-fear cycle.

3. Gather and reinforce evidence that the patient’s condition is neuroplastic. This psychoeducation is essential for buy-in and creating a sense of safety.

4. Pain safety learning through exposure and reappraisal. This means helping patients reappraise sensations as safe, leaning into positive sensations and joy, and getting back to doing what they love.

5. Address other fears, threatening emotions, and stress to calm the nervous system overall. (Mindfulness is an excellent tool for calming the nervous system.)
   

THE 8-WEEK MINDFULNESS COURSE. One of the central practices in PRT is a mindfulness-based exercise called Somatic Tracking. I have always incorporated similar exercises into my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders. However, in the next course, I plan to include specific insights and exercises from PRT to help participants overcome chronic pain and muscle tension. The next class begins on April 12, 2026. Participation is limited. Sign up today. 

Reappraisal: How Mindfulness Helps Us Reframe Difficult Experiences

If you've attended any of my classes for people with voice disorders, you know that the first mindfulness class is usually quite emotional. We start by having each person tell their story. Common themes include illness or surgery gone wrong; a struggle to find a diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment; and the difficulties of living with a chronic, life-altering voice disorder. 

Feelings of grief and loss surface, and a sense of solidarity emerges. Participants nod their heads as they recognize themselves in other people's stories. 

As the 8-week class progresses, people start to integrate the skills we've been building. They notice their breathing and learn to slow it down. They stop patterns of tension before they become entrenched. They are better able to manage their emotional reactions to difficult experiences. Eventually, they may start to see a shift in how they view their voice disorder.

There are two emotional regulation strategies that can be helpful here: reappraisal and acceptance. 

• Reappraisal is the process of reframing the meaning of a difficult situation to alter its emotional impact. This could take the form of shifting negative thoughts ("I hate my voice ") to find a deeper purpose ("My voice disorder has made me more empathetic").

• Acceptance is the process of letting go of the need to change, control, judge, or fix something. When we are suffering, we often feel that we would do anything to make the suffering stop. But mindfulness invites us, when we are ready, to accept what is without trying to change it.

Mindfulness can help us engage in reappraisal and move towards acceptance. And sometimes, to our surprise, these strategies dramatically reduce our suffering. 

Sign up for the 8-week mindfulness course. Over and over, my mindfulness students tell me that my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders has changed their perspective on what mindfulness is — and has helped them practice it in ways that are accessible to them. The next class begins on April 12, 2026.

Returning to Mindfulness: Renewing Your Commitment

 It's been quite a while since you've heard from me. My last newsletter went out around the beginning of the fall semester. In addition to teaching mindfulness classes for people with voice disorders, I run a private voice studio and work as an adjunct voice instructor at a university. It was the university work that kept me particularly busy. They gave me a record number of students. I'm not complaining. I love my work, and I continued my own mindfulness practice. But I was too busy to keep up with the newsletters. 

So what do you do if you've taken some time away from mindfulness? The wonderful thing about mindfulness is that you can begin again at any time. 

I have had several times in my life when I stepped away from my regular practice (after giving birth, for example). But even when I'm not practicing regularly, mindfulness still infuses how I think and live. I never fully leave it, and it never fully leaves me. 

Life experiences change us in many ways, and you may find that your relationship to mindfulness changes with time. Practices that were once favorites don't seem as relevant, and exercises you never enjoyed suddenly feel just right. 

Ask yourself what you need now. Is there are particular practice that appeals to you in this time of life? Maybe you've always enjoyed mindful movement, so you join a yoga class. If the sitting meditation is a favorite, experiment with different ways of sitting. If tension or cold whether have been bothering you, try the body scan while wearing a heat wrap (Amazon affiliate link).

Attend a drop-in class. These $15 sessions are ideal for people with voice disorders who are unsure about or new to mindfulness, can't commit to a longer course, or completed the course and want to keep practicing. As always, the ability to speak clearly, loudly, or consistently is not required.

Commit to a longer mindfulness course. Over and over, my mindfulness students tell me that my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders has changed their perspective on what mindfulness is — and has helped them practice it in ways that are accessible to them.

Book Recommendation: The Lost Voice by Greta Morgan

Have you ever read a book that described your own experience so completely that you finally felt seen and understood? For me, Greta Morgan's memoir The Lost Voice is that book (Amazon affiliate link). 

My story isn't exactly like Greta's. She was a successful songwriter-singer touring with a rock band when Covid triggered what would eventually be diagnosed as spasmodic dysphonia (also known as laryngeal dystonia). I was a high school student and aspiring classical singer when the flu weakened my vocal cords and decimated my high range. (You can read more of my story here.)

Still, similarities abound. Years of vocal struggles before finally receiving a diagnosis. Undergoing vocal rehabilitation. (We both worked with the wonderful Lori Sonnenberg, who specializes in rehabilitating singers with vocal injuries.) Turning to mindfulness. Pivoting to a different career path.  

Most people with a voice disorder don't know anyone with similar struggles. If this is true for you, Greta's memoir will hold a mirror to your own experience. 

So much of what Greta describes in her book reflects the themes that both I and my mindfulness students with voice disorders have lived:

• the disorienting sense that your voice has betrayed you

• a frenzied search for answers, both medical ("What's wrong and can it be fixed?") and metaphysical ("Why me?")

• an overwhelming sense of loss

• grieving the old voice

• struggling with identity and sense of self ("Am I still myself without my voice?")

• confronting social isolation

• turning to mindfulness

• settling into acceptance

• finding new purpose in living with a voice disorder

Greta's book is a poignant tale of human struggle: first, a constant striving for career success, and then a gradual acceptance of the vulnerability that a voice disorder brings. Her prose is powerfully descriptive and deeply emotional. She is a talented songwriter, after all — and she finds beauty and humanity everywhere.

One of the best parts of my mindfulness work is connecting people with voice disorders with each other while also modeling mindfulness skills that can help them cope with their condition. Greta's gorgeous memoir accomplishes a similar task in story form. And I think it's a must-read for anyone with a voice disorder. 

I love watching my mindfulness students listen to each other's voices. People who are shy about speaking up in work meetings feel comfortable talking to others who sound like them. And this brings me to my favorite thing about Greta's book: in the audio version, she reads the introduction and acknowledgements herself! As someone who loves seeing people embrace a beautifully broken voice, this touched me deeply.

Struggling with Mindfulness: Mindful Activities for People Who Don't Like Meditation

Let’s say you’ve tried a few meditations or taken a mindfulness class, but nothing clicked. Maybe you felt like you were doing it all wrong, or there was a feeling you expected that never came. Instead of mindfulness being relaxing, it became an exercise in frustration and failure. 

You are not alone. A lot of people have misconceptions about mindfulness that involve unrealistic expectations. (For example, “mindfulness means clearing your mind of thoughts.” Um, that’s not going to happen — and that’s okay.) 

Mindfulness can be particularly difficult for certain people (neurodivergent brains, trauma survivors, people with mental health challenges). Some of us just need different ways in. 

Below is a list of mindfulness practices you can try if traditional meditation has been a struggle. 

• Engage your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Engage sight by setting aside time to look at artwork, a colorful object, or a beautiful view. Try listening to a video of ocean sounds. Use essential oils to engage your sense of smell. Do the raisin exercise for taste. Enjoy the touch of a soft pillow, blanket, or pet.

• Deprive your senses. If sensory experiences overwhelm you, try depriving your senses of input. Lie still in a dark room and simply notice your breathing or your body. Wear comfortable clothing. Cover your eyes with a sleep mask. Use noise-canceling headphones to block distracting sounds. Some people even enjoy using a sensory deprivation float tank.

• Try mindful movement. Some of us just can’t sit still, but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from mindfulness. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are all forms of mindful movement. You can also try a walking meditation.

• Turn everyday activities into mindful experiences. Explore mindful eating or mindful walking. Practice the STOP technique.

• Do calming, single-focus activities like gardening, needlework, crafting, puzzles, or coloring (Amazon affiliate link). Notice your breathing and your body as you engage in your chosen activity.

• Engage your mind by learning about mindfulness. If you enjoy books (printed, electronic, audio) or podcasts, there are numerous options. My favorite mindfulness book is Jon Kabat Zinn’s Wherever You Go There You Are (Amazon affiliate link). Favorite podcasts include Tara Brach’s podcast, Sharon Salzberg’s Metta Hour, Gil Fronsdal’s AudioDharma, and On Being with Krista Tippett.

• Take a mindfulness class. Over and over, my mindfulness students tell me that my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders has changed their perspective on what mindfulness is — and has helped them practice it in a way that is accessible to them. The class begins on September 21, 2025.

Voice and Stress: How Mindfulness Can Reduce the Stress of Living with a Voice Disorder

If you’ve been following my work, you know that I am passionate about mindfulness as a tool for helping people with voice disorders. A few years ago, I ran a study on the subject, which was eventually published in a peer-reviewed journal as “Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course in People with Voice Disorders.” Since then, I have continued to lead mindfulness courses and study the relationship between stress and voice. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:

• Stress alone rarely causes voice disorders. It can be part of a perfect storm (along with viral illness, surgery, voice overuse, or genetics) that can lead to a voice disorder. However, it’s almost never as simple as “stress caused this.”

• Having a voice disorder is extremely stressful. In their book Psychology of Voice Disorders, psychologist Deborah Rosen and laryngologist Robert Sataloff write that new voice disorder patients exhibited stress levels that “were comparable to that of newly diagnosed cancer patients in outpatient cancer care clinics.”

• Stress can show up in the body in numerous ways. These can include physical tension, pain or discomfort, shallow breathing, digestive issues, and fatigue.

• Mindfulness can reduce the stress of living with a voice disorder. It can help us respond differently to stress, which reduces suffering. Mindfulness can also make us more aware of our physical patterns of pain or tension. Awareness is the first step toward resolving these entrenched patterns. This may reduce some vocal symptoms.

• Mindfulness can help us release the stress of other people’s expectations. By focusing on what is, we learn what we can’t control (other people) and what we can (our responses to others).

• Voice disorder patients respond positively to exploring mindfulness in community with others who understand their struggles. My students frequently tell me that being part of a community is their favorite part of my mindfulness course.

Consistent Practice: Making Mindfulness Part of Your Routine

What do you do when you want to practice mindfulness more, but you find it hard to be consistent? Below are a few ideas. 

• Anchor your mindfulness practice to another event such as waking up, eating lunch, returning from work, or going to bed.

• Figure out how long and how often works for you. Sometimes establishing a big, new habit feels overwhelming. Commit to a goal that feels achievable. This might mean 5 minutes a day, 30 minutes twice a week, or an hour every weekend. You can always add more time if you wish.

• Take a class. An 8-week mindfulness course is an excellent way to develop consistency and explore which practices feel most accessible to you.

• Find accountability. Log on to Zoom and meditate with a friend. Find a meditation studio. Or attend a drop-in session.

• Experiment with meditations of different lengths, depending on how much time you have. Sometimes it's easier to get started if you're only committing to 5-10 minutes. The meditation recordings I sell are 20-minutes long, but you can find shorter versions elsewhere.

• Give up something (social media, TV, alcohol) to make room for mindfulness in your life.

• Explore informal mindfulness. If you feel too busy to sit for 20 minutes, try incorporating informal mindfulness awareness into every day. Engage your senses. Spend time in nature. Tune into your body and breath. You can be mindful anywhere at any time.

Informal Mindfulness: Being Mindful in Everyday Life

Mindfulness is more than meditation, yoga, or formal practices for which we have to set aside time and space. We can practice mindfulness wherever we are. Formal mindfulness practices help build our mindfulness awareness, but we can tap into it at any time. Drinking my morning tea is my favorite informal mindfulness practice, but there are many forms this can take:

• tuning into our bodies during an activity

• pausing to notice and acknowledge our emotions as we are experiencing them

• focusing on the present moment, rather than the past or future

• deliberately slowing down to observe the world around us

  • stopping to smell the flowers

  • savoring the taste, texture, and smell of our food

  • listening to birds sing or the sounds of traffic

  • tuning into any of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch

  • gardening or engaging with nature

  • pausing to notice pleasurable events as they occur

Are you looking for more ways to weave informal mindfulness into your life? Jon Kabat-Zinn's book, Wherever You Go, There You Are (Amazon affiliate link), is a beautiful collection of essays on incorporating mindfulness into everyday experiences.