Ladedah&TaThaTa: Join us on a journey

In a few days I (Colleen) will be heading to India to meet up with my sister (Erin). Erin and I will be traveling mostly by bicycle with no intended destination or path in mind. This way we can move slowly and intentionally.

This is not just our adventure but a journey that we want to share and spread to all who we have the blessing to share with. Being able to share through words, pictures and videos is quite a remarkable opportunity. It is so neat because as we will be learning through experiences and interactions day by day and moment by moment we can further share these experiences to allow for us to all grow together. In every interaction and experience there is such an opportunity for learning and sharing.

Our hope is to spread light, love and kindness wherever our path takes us. To so deeply embrace the uniqueness of each being and each culture as well as to sense the oneness that truly connects us.

I would like to tell you a story. One that I think puts in perfect clarity this sense of oneness….

Erin and I traveled together in India for a month about a year ago. Towards the end of the trip together we were staying a couple nights in Bhagsu, which is located up the hill from Dharamshala. On a walk down to McLeod Ganj Erin and I were talking about meditation and mindfulness. This must have caught a travelers ear because the gentleman in front of us had turned around to add to the conversation. He ended up telling us a story about an encounter with a young monk. While in town a young monk had approached the traveler and asked, "where do you come from?" The traveler responded: "I come from my mother. Where do you come from?" Upon that response the young monk looked down at his feet perplexed. Confused, he asked again, "I don't understand. Where do you come from?" Again, the traveler replied: "I come from my mother. Where do you come from?" Initially looking down towards his feet again the young monk then turned his head up to face the traveler. With a beaming smile the young monk exclaimed, "I come from my mother too!"

Erin and I chose to name our blog Ladedah&TaThaTa to resonate and remind ourselves and others the deep peace and empowerment of simplicity that makes up these concepts.

Ladedah

The way this is done is really quite simple and can be done at any point and any place.
Stand up and give it a try!:)

Letting your arms become heavy by your side, releasing the tension in your neck, your jaw, your shoulders. Then…. Let go!

Let your body flail around, allowing for your arms to move side to side, up and down, knees to bend, feet to walk… really however you want to ladedah is up to you and your body:)

All the while saying/singing LA-DE-DAH-DE-DAH-DE-DAH….
Reminding and giving ourselves permission to not take ourselves too seriously
Life is meant to be enjoyed

TaThaTa

"The suchness of life is no more than the suchness of this moment." (Buddha)

Suchness or as-is-ness

Tathata, as a core concept within Buddhism that brings to light and awareness the present moment that is now. This is a concept that we would like to embrace throughout the journey, throughout our interactions, within our beings.

Erin and I are not sure when we will have internet access but we would like to write, draw, take video/pictures everyday to be able to share our day to day with you all. When we do have access to internet we will post the blogs to catch up to the point we left off…. or so that is the thought.

It will be quite amazing to go back through these posts… to be able to so tangibly see how much there is to learn through the willingness of others to share.

We are grateful to have you on this journey

Each and every one of us holds great beauty and abundant power to connect and love

Thank you for your beauty