Space Is The Place

Summary: On December 11, 2023, I began my Spiritual Jazz and Meditation Jam Sessions, a series dedicated to manifesting liberation and freedom through music, meditation, movement, and life. My premiere session dove into Sun Ra’s “Space is the Place,” using its cosmic tones to guide our meditation on freedom and the journey to self-discovery. Ra’s music is a part of the soundtrack of my life, 1965-75, ages 19-27.

As part of my celebration of my 76th birthday in December 2023, I started my exploration of “The Spirit of 76.”

What is this? 

It’s my journey to bring liberation and freedom to life through music, meditation, movement, and everyday existence. 

I’m using the music from the soundtrack of my life. I’m exploring what would be called “Spiritual Jazz.” 

I’m revisiting the music from 1965-1974. I graduated from high school in 1965. I received my master’s degree in 1974. The period covers ages 19-27, nine years.

On December 11, 2024, I held my first virtual Spiritual Jazz and Meditation Session. We dove into the profound depths of our inner landscapes through sound and silence. 

My session’s tagline is: Making Liberation and Freedom Happen in Music, Meditation, Movement, and Life.

Spiritual Jazz, as a genre, invites us to step away from the ordinary, urging us to encounter a realm where freedom is the norm and the humdrum of life fades away. 

Within this genre, instruments become vessels to rouse our innermost spirits. They beckon us to reach past the material world and grasp the untouchable core of our existence.

In this context, liberation is an emancipation from the physical chains that bind us and the psychological, social, economic, and political forces that often keep us in shackles. As I propose, freedom is the profound capacity to live authentically and exert one’s will with purpose and self-direction. Consequently, we must work tirelessly to make liberation and freedom happen.

Our session focused on Sun Ra’s “Space is the Place,” a composition that encapsulates the spirit of freedom and boundlessness. The lyrics speak volumes:

A place that’s really free

There’s no limit to the things you can do

There’s no limit to the things you can be

Your thought is free, and your life is worthwhile

Ra is a monumental figure in the annals of Spiritual Jazz, an artist whose music and very being relayed messages of peace and enlightenment. 

His pioneering work laid the foundations for Afrofuturism, highlighting the rich potential for cultural and technological evolution within the African diaspora.

Ra’s legacy, along with the works of other spiritual jazz maestros, lights the way forward, encouraging us to rise above the mundane constraints of earthly existence and move toward a reality replete with harmony and awareness.

Through the lens of Spiritual Jazz, we explored how these artists articulate a vision where freedom, creativity, and spiritual awakening are not just ideals but tangible experiences and how they offer us a key to unlock the cosmos’ vastness and delve into our spirits’ profound depths.

During our session, we employed  “meditation” to delve into Ra’s “Space is the Place.” We let his music become the focal point of our meditation, allowing it to be the object that guided our inner exploration.

Our virtual gathering provided a forum for discussion on interweaving Spiritual Jazz with meditation. 

Participants shared their unique meditation experiences, contemplated music’s influence on the meditative process, and delved into the intricate folds of Spiritual Jazz. 

These conversations deepened our collective understanding and practice of meditation, all through the soul-stirring medium of music.

Participants shared their practical applications of meditation and how they utilized it to achieve specific life goals, whether it was preparation for job interviews or pathways to healing.

Our discussion illuminated the practicality of meditation as a transformative avenue for personal realization.

We inquired into the essence of Spiritual Jazz. Our inquiries prompted rich discussions about the music’s response to societal challenges and its potential to guide us toward a more equitable society, underscoring the genre’s profound social and spiritual resonance.

As we explored various meditation techniques, we contemplated the importance of reaching a meditative state free of judgment and how such practices can enhance focus and mental control, particularly as we navigate aging.

Questions arose about the synergy between Spiritual Jazz and other meditation models, which led to enlightening conversations about how Spiritual Jazz can serve as a conduit for delving into the core of human relationships and transforming our world through the fusion of new music and cultural expressions.

The session was a microcosm of the boundless nature of meditation and Spiritual Jazz, showcasing their convergence with personal growth, societal evolution, and cultural articulation. The depth of engagement from the participants painted a vivid picture of music and meditation’s power to enlighten and transform ourselves and our world.

A traveler asks the master, “How do I find the place that’s really free?” The master hands them a map without boundaries and says: “Begin your journey.” (The Meditativist)