The Welsh singer, aged 11, became a soprano after singing “Pie Jesu” over the phone on This Morning. She has sold over 10 million albums since then, trained as sound healing therapists, founded a community of free learning in south Wales and opened Wellness Retreat this year. She is married with three kids and lives in Wales.

My morning routine is…

It depends on the time of year. In the autumn and winter I wake up around six. I may go swimming, journal or dance in the garden. In the spring and summer I don’t get up. I like to watch the night turn into day and wake up early in the morning. But in summer, it happens so early that I lose motivation and sleep in.

I am optimistic about…

I have so much faith in people and nature. We can create something much more utopian than what we have now. We can live a full, abundant, and joyful life. It doesn’t need to be so hard. I think The Dreaming is all about that. It’s all about connecting people with joy, fun and each other.

What makes you angry?

[British Politics] is a shitshower. Keir Starmer strikes me as a very dark character. The NHS and education system are deliberately undermined. It’s getting quite precarious.

I would have loved to be a…

Scientist I’m a huge fan of cosmology and particles physics. I love the tiny quantum world, the vast cosmic expanse and the interplay of the two.

The habit I have found most useful in my life is…

Kindness. I consider myself to be a nice person. I give my time to anyone who asks. The greatest gift you can give anyone is your attention.

The habit that I’ve successfully…

I read Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken and it blew me away. I have stopped eating ultra-processed foods, which are in almost everything. I feel more in control and cleaner. I also turned my phone to greyscale. It’s amazing how much it loses its appeal without those colours. Everyone should switch their phones to greyscale.

My sources for joy are…

Let me find a great Kurt Vonnegut quotation, it’s brilliant: “Practicing an arts, no matter how badly or well you do it, is a way for your soul to grow, for goodness sake.” Sing in the bathroom. Dance to the music. Tell stories. Even if it’s a bad poem, write a poem for a friend. Do it the best you can. You will be rewarded in a big way. You will have made something. I love to craft. The things I make look like a GCSE project but I love it.

When things get tough, I…

When things get difficult, I like to be outside. It has completely changed my life and enriched it so greatly. I know that whatever is going on I can go outside and talk to a sapling or a tree if I am upset or angry. I lay on the ground, and release my frustration or pain to the sky.

The book that I wish everyone would read

I have two. James Nestor talks about the importance of breath as a pillar of good health in his book Breath. There is a lot of info on nutrition and exercise, but breathing is equally important. And there are better ways to breathe, such as by using your nose. Gabor Mate is the author of the other book. It’s called “Hold on to Your Children”, which is a great book for parents.

I’ve made a big change in my life.

Most likely the trans stuff. I never was a terf but I was very protective of the female experience when I was expecting my third child. After listening to a number of trans people speak, I realized that I was acting as if there was no room. There’s plenty of space and these people are so marginalised, why would I do anything to make their lives harder?

My parents taught…

I think my parents gave me a capacity to take risks that few people have. They were both quite fearless and like: Fuck it! Let’s go, lets do it.

I believe that…

Change is the only constant. This is the best way to survive and thrive. Everything is constantly changing. All the neuroses and fears you have will become less important if you can do this. You can then conduct yourself with more calmness, acceptance and joy.

Images: Rekha Garton