MEDITATION for people in MEDIA

Have you ever heard of it being unprofessional to pray and/or meditate? (There must be a good reason why entertainers pray before they go on stage) In this multifaceted show business, I kind of think it should be as highly required as making comp cards, head shots, business cards, epk's, etc. If you're not a newbie and you've been in this business for a good while, you'll know what I mean. In fact, if you're in the spotlight, you probably wish you could keep your personal life personal because of all the gossipers, news reporters, and blogger's who love to tell a juicy story off your trials and tribulations. Thus, when life's challenges get so hard to overcome that you don't think you'll ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, (partly because everywhere you look, the tabloids or professional contacts won't let you forget) have faith... And make time for prayer. I'm personally not a church goer myself, and although I don't discourage anyone from following their beliefs, I'm just going to simply share what has proven to work for me.

Firstly, people sometimes forget that celebrities, public figures and artists have a personal life too. That's ok. The media has set things up to make public figures seem larger than life in order to sell more units, collect more votes, and/or build an audience. The danger with this however, is that everything a public figure does in their personal life is scrutinized more deeply because of a specific image that exhibits higher expectations. But what did we think??? They're not human? Sheesh... I guess the image thing really does work --- to a fault.

The five time Grammy Award winning artist, Lauryn Hill, made many points about getting caught up in a fake lifestyle just to keep up with her public success, but it was eating her alive because it was so tiring to have to play perfect all the time. Other artists have also been known to share this same concern; there's a lot of pressure trying to be perfect when you know you're not. And in order to keep a fan base to earn a living, you're not allowed to slip up.

What's worked for me is prayer and meditation. Being in this fast paced entertainment industry can become a little chaotic at times, and when you meditate, you let go of excess energy that you might've absorbed from the crowd. Between photographers capturing your every move, journalists asking off guarded questions, a million agents and managers trying to persuade you to work with them, it can become tiresome. People will also talk about you. What you're wearing, how good or bad your new projects are, how long or short you're career will last, and of course ---- who you're dating!!!!

Multimedia Artist Jasmine Clemente

When receiving all of this energy, it's so important to shield yourself from absorbing other people's thoughts and opinions. Remember, no one knows you personally, but that doesn't mean that opinions don't hurt or effect us. Especially as artists who are sensitive in nature, we're extremely susceptible to the energy in our environment. So I say, make time for prayer and meditation at least once a day or week, but don't skip longer than a week!!!! Prayer keeps you centered and grounded with the real you, so that you don't get lost in all the hype.

Here's the thing with prayer though. Number one, the amount of energy you put into prayer is the amount of energy that will come out, meaning, you can't pray with a doubtful mind an expect to see miracles happen. Secondly, I'm not suggesting that you pray to a specific kind of God because I'm not about to fit God inside of a box. So.... let's try something like this:

• Pick a quiet place where you will NOT be disturbed for at least 20 minutes
• Close your eyes and let go of every thought & memory of the day
• Silence your mind chatter and only listen to your breath
• Remember that there are things in this universe that can not be explained
• There is energy in light bulbs, energy in a fetus, and energy in the sun, etc.
• There is an intelligent life force that you can tap into, something that gives life & creates
• Start by being thankful for the positive things you have. Your health, an income, the ability to communicate, clothes on your back, food to eat, etc. Raise your vibration by being thankful and happy for your current blessings. 
• Know that you are connected to this life force and that it can move your spirit. Sharpen your intuition. Try to feel if whether your spirit is full and growing, or weak and diminishing.
• Ask your higher power for guidance on your divine path, and to remove any & all negative people that will block you from achieving your best life.
• Believe with all your heart that this mysterious universe filled with miracles and wonders will make a way to answer your prayer, and when it does, pay attention!!! 

Artists get a lot of perks for being in show business and it can really go to our heads! We get free clothes, free jewelry, and free shoes - just to name a few, in order to promote up and coming fashion brands. We also get invited to some of the nicest places, five star quality suits, VIP sections, free bottles, and complimentary gifts to keep the venue's name afloat. But with all of this, we are still human beings! We are not above any other person, nor are we excluded from society. Just like everyone else, we experience loss, sickness, sadness, failure, and we're constantly reinventing ourselves as we learn life's lessons. The only difference is... we have a larger audience that gets to criticize our high's and low's because we're in the public eye. This is why I recommend... prayer and meditation. It will definitely shield your spirit from unwanted energy and keep you connected to your higher power & true source so that you don't go astray.