The Power of Intention: How I Meditated My Way on Stage with Wyclef Jean
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen the proof in phot and video format – I freakin’ rapped for Wyclef Jean!
Let me back the story up a bit to give you some context. A week prior, my boyfriend received a call from a venue he works with asking him to provide sound equipment and guitars for a private event with an alcohol company. As he put the phone on speakerphone, I heard his name “Wyclef.”
It took everything in my to not start jumping up and down and screaming like a crazed fan girl. I grew up listening to The Fugees and wanted to be Lauryn Hill. I sang every song and mastered each rap in the mirror. I perfected my hip shake to be like Shakira in “Hips Don’t Lie.” I took a deep breath and thought “I’m going to rap for Wyclef.”
The idea slipped away as work priorities and other gigs filled my time. Then Wednesday rolled around. I spent the whole day working on a 2-minute intro video (I’ll save this one for another post) and took my dog for a walk. Then everything went black. I couldn’t see clearly. Black spots covered words and faces and a throbbing pain started at the base of my neck and sinuses. “Not today, Mr. Migraine!”
I decided to lay down and play a Yoga Nidra recording. If you haven’t tried it, download InsightTimer and put 30 minutes aside (it’s free too!). Yoga Nidra is amazing (Thank you, Kate Wiggins for introducing me J ) It’s a guided meditation that puts you in a yogic sleep where you focus on your intention as if it’s already happened. I’m probably addicted to it. Oh well!
I awoke from my meditation relaxed, still with impaired vision, but a clarity on what I saw. I was on stage at the venue performing. I pointed at Wyclef who was sitting as he raised his arms in approval. I knew it was going to happen.
We arrived at the venue and my full sight returned after a coffee and Tylenol. After an hour of set up, we waited for the guest of honor to arrive. He rolled in casually with a blue hoodie covering his hair and white jeans with zipper embellishments. He said hello to a few people and posed for pictures before getting comfortable on stage. He sat on a stool with a classical guitar and I noticed something was missing – a tambourine!
I approached the stage. “Hi! Would you like some tambo at your feet?” I asked.
He looked at me slightly intrigued, but puzzled. “Yes! How do you know about this?”
“My boyfriend (pointing at his direction) is a musician and likes to keep it near someone in the band’s foot to make a fuller sound.”
His eyes widened. “You guys are musicians?! Do you play?” He asked with increased enthusiasm.
“I rap.” I responded with a confident playfulness.
“I gotta hear this!”
After about five or six songs, he paused. “I hear these guys play music and she raps. I wanna hear this!”
The crowd erupted in applause and we took the stage. I felt like Taylor Swift at an awards show. “Me??!?! Oh my god!?!?!”
Justin started playing my favorite song “This is Love” after a couple of verses I came in and went full blown JRZ FRSH with my rendition of “Big Poppa.” After the first lyric, I saw it. Wyclef’s arms in the air as he shouted, “Oh Shit! She’s doin’ Biggie!” Before the song finished, Jean came to the mic as we closed it out with a harmonized chorus. “I remember when we used to say. This is Love. This is Love. This is Love.”
The room was buzzing as the final chord hit. Applause filled the room as Wyclef came back on stage. A huge smile was on his face as he turned to the mic. “That shit was cold. Country. Rap. She’s Doing Biggie. Harmonies. What the Fuck!” Then he started strumming and presented his own rendition of “This is Love” that transitioned perfectly into “No Woman No Cry.”
After a couple more songs, he asked us back on stage. “Is this really happening? Are we having a show WITH Wyclef?!?” And that’s exactly what happened.
I didn’t feel nervous because my intention was set. I knew it was going to happen as needed to. I knew it was going to be amazing and a night I would never forget.
Hmm. What else should I manifest through my intentions?
Here is the video from Facebook Live.