Today is a writing day. I have some notes on a few meditations and guided practices i'd like to record so i now i need to sit down and write the scripts. 
What does that process look like? Well, it happens a couple ways:

Way #1: 

• I (usually) hand write notes to get a general idea of content and flow.
• Then i try it out and see what works and what doesn't.
• Then back to writing and flushing out. Sometimes, the try and edit goes back and forth a few more times, and sometimes it is quick.
• Then i record.

Way #2:

• I will suddenly get inspired and writing will be too slow so i will press record on my phone and just start talking. When i do this, it is part dictation and part process.
• For some moments i am in the flow or what i call "verbally meditating" - i am not thinking, i am reciting.
• And then there are moments when i will realize i missed something earlier on or i have another hit of inspiration to change it around, so i record that too. 
• Then comes transcribing - listening to my words and typing them out to make a script. This can be slow as i never really learned how to type plus i experience dyslexia when typing. So listen and type and listen and type and listen and type..... etc and then edit, try it out, edit, etc
• and then record

Today is "Way #2". A few days ago I recorded a Savasana idea i had after a Yoga in Bed practice. Today i will transcribe. And we will see where i get to. Wish me luck!
and Happy Tuesday!
​:)

Happy Friday everyone! i have 3 things to chat about today...

1. My field trip was fairly painless - only minor confusion at both pick up locations (with them, trying to find the item i ordered/reserved). 
Here they are...... A lovely, light, very adjustable tripod and the phone holder attachment! Thanks again to everyone that contributed!

2. I uploaded a video guided meditation/relaxation/breathing practice last night. Head over to the "expand" page to check it out or click here. And, i learned how to edit things out of the middle of a video too! There was a goof while i was recording so i decided to start that part over and then see if i could snip it out later. And i did! Hooray! This new skill/tool, i think, will create a little more ease in me while i am recording now. 

3. I am excited to start using my new tools BUT the tripod is super stinky- strong chemical &/or plastic smell. I will wipe it down later but for now it is outside airing out. AND.... It is an admin day. I need to put my excitement of new toys to the side and finish some other important tasks.

• Write my April newsletter for my email list. 
• Make a weekly plan! Now that the BIG learning curve has peaked (ha ha ha - let me live in denial for a little while please), I need to take a look at the rest of my "life". What i mean by that is, i have been nose to the grindstone for a whole month! Wow. Many other projects were put to the side - I needed to sharply focus my attention in the direction of this on-line learning. Now though, i need to remember, i am not just an on-line business person!   
  1.. I am also a yoga teacher & student - i have not read a yoga book, looked at a yoga magazine, watched any yoga videos in this whole month!! I haven't really "studied" yoga - I did minor prep/planning for my videos. I have kept up my almost-daily practice but it has been pretty much the same practice every time. So i am going to create some windows of Yoga Learning into my weekly flow.   
  2.. I am also a student of self-growth - one of my study groups has fallen to the side and i have not kept up with reading/learning on my own. So i will add this practice into my day timer as well.  

So have a fabulous day! I send all you good vibes and big virtual hugs!
And, May all good things come your way! 
​:)

I awoke full of beans again today and started work around 9:00am What?! Yup. This not a morning person was up early again! I knew that i would have at least an hour with an empty house in the late morning so i knew i had to take advantage (and be prepared). My goal was to shoot one video and record one meditation. I also knew that set up would take just as long as the recording itself (see yesterday’s post) so i had to "get on it".

The video:
I have been teaching a monthly chair yoga class to a lovely group of people for almost 10 years and i really missed seeing them in March. And i don't know when we will see each other next! It is a short, gentle routine that we do, and it is all sitting on a chair. (I thought) set up would be easy and I know the routine in and out, so I hoped it would be a quick process. HA HA HA! My chair-pod (see Day 6 - a bull clip, blue goo & an office chair) is too tall for recording a chair yoga session so time to MacGyver a new phone holder. The recording went smoothly, I think. For what ever reason, during playback, my phone no longer plays the audio (only the video). So I will have to disassemble my phone and check the recording on my computer, but I will leave that for tomorrow.

The Audio:
My experiment today was to record a relaxation/meditation audio, but in video format. I am curious if it will be an easier way to upload meditations to my YouTube channel. I figured I would not be moving and “you” would not need to see me so I set up my new desk decor (the photo included in today's post) as the visual. Again, I had to MacGyver a way to hold the phone in front of the flowers and I would hold the mic. I did several takes - I jumbled up my words a few times and had to start over. I have no idea if it worked. This item will also go on to tomorrow’s list.

Lesson learned?
Just do it already! I have my plan (see yesterday) so i am going to get on it! It is research time!
 
But first I need to go put my room back together now that recording is complete ​for the day.

I send you all big hugs!
And I hope you are well! 

I had another brain storming session with myself today. I needed to look back at what i have done so far and assess. I asked myself the following questions:

• what is working-ish? 
• what is working well? 
• what is NOT working?
• what can be easily improved? 
• what is going to take some "elbow grease" (a.k.a. capitol &/or learning) to improve?
• what is the smallest/easiest change that i can make to improve turn around time of shooting videos and recording audios? 
• what is the most important next step?

my biggest challenges/priorities:
1. I have been frustrated with the time it takes to set up my phone for recording videos. I don't seem to have the right type of "things" to create an easy to use, fast set up, flexible camera holder at home. Set up is agonizingly slow and often takes just as long (or longer) than the actual recording does!!
 
2. I have an ancient mic that plugs into my phone. It works pretty well considering its age (I’ve had it for at least 4 years and it is 2nd hand). It is a tiny mic and I need to hold it while I speak into it - I usually get a hand cramp part way in and have to switch hands, and it usually picks up the noise from this simple switch. I have tried to make a mic stand and I have one set up that works when I sit at my desk, but it is not transferable. 

So what is my plan?
I am going to use the gifts from you, my dear ones, to buy a phone tripod and possibly a new mic (that comes with a tripod). I have done a bit of research on a couple mics that will work. Next I will research a phone tripod. Hopefully someone has them in stock and can ship/deliver or maybe locally and I can pick up soon! I am ready ready!

So keep on sending those good vibes!

Hugs
:)

Some days are easier than others.
Some days i am able to just go with the flow.
Some days i can comfortably sit with discomfort.
Today is one of those days.

All messages pointed towards "no work" so i listened. After that, a whole pile of "lovely" flowed into my life.
I had a great phone walk with a friend only to come home and have an offer of a coffee phone date, followed by another lovely phone date.
So blessed am I to have these experiences!!! So grateful for the gift of still being able to connect with friends even though i can't see them face-to-face. 
So today i share the pretty scene at my work desk, that will hopefully stay fresh for one more day, until i return. 
hugs to all!!
​:)

Testing time:
A couple people have offered to loan out some equipment to me during this "at home" time.

• are they compatible with my current equipment?
• will they work with the programs i'd like to use?

Also, i jumped in, downloaded and tried out Zoom the other day. It was a last minute and hurried adventure because Pema Chodron was offering a meditation and Q&A through Tricyle - The Buddhist Review. I had signed up for it the week before but as i am not on a schedule for much these days, it slipped my mind. Thankfully a friend sent me a reminder text a few minutes before it started. I do not yet have a web cam, so i joined in "silently". Practicing "live" with Pema has been on my "Ooo that'd be special" list for many years. It was eerie and good at the same time. Although i am not Buddhist, her wise words have helped to guide me through many times, joyful and uncomfortable, in my adult life.  I feel recharged and inspired. She reminds me of why i do what i do. Woo hoo!

Here is my favourite snippet from many years ago that i watch when i need a laugh and a nudge:

HA HA HA HA!
Yesterday was not the "forward" motion day i was hoping it to be:

• had a few moments of mass confusion re YouTube that lead down a rabbit hole of
  learning... a couple hours of "blergh!" and then walking away
• the realization that the editing program on my computer that i thought would work fine.... will not

Today:

• with my learning from yesterday, i finally created a yoga with Sheron YouTube channel!!! You can subscribe to this channel and get updates when new videos are posted.
• i have let go of adding an opening screen to my videos. Because the editing program on my computer will not work for me to trim my videos (it is not sensitive/detailed enough) i have to upload my videos to YouTube to trim them. But, YouTube Studio doesn't have any fancy features like adding an opening or closing screen. It would be many steps of uploading and downloading.So i am letting go.   *I know there are other free programs out there but i do not want to use my time to learn yet another program which will delay posting videos even more.*
  
• once trimming or otherwise editing a video on YouTube, it takes at least an hour to upload it to the channel.
• and the final product... well, head over to my "expand" page and see for yourself!! The image quality was poor to start and after uploading, it seems to be worse. Oh well, more learning to be had. But the audio is good and i am going to accept it for what it is. 

Happy Monday everyone!
It was not my intention, but i ended up stepping away from the "on-line" production for a few days. I realized that i had fallen behind on my admin and accounting work. I am all caught up and ready to return to the on-line world. The time away was a good thing. I had time to process where i've been and where i am going.

Here are my updates:

• that yoga video i recorded is satisfactory - there are clumsy bits but i will let that go - if i don't i will be stuck at this very point for eternity! 
• I uploaded some more videos to my test YouTube station and my comfort & understanding is growing.
  
• I received my first gift via PayPal and it was a success! Woo Hoo! So thank you "M" for being my guinea pig and helping me learn AND thanks, for the generous gift! 
• i am loving this new Secure Auto Deposit E-Transfer account that i have set up!!! It is so much fun to log in to my account and see that the money fairies have delivered a surprise for me while i was doing other things!  A big thanks to M, P, and C for your gifts! 

So what is on my list for today:

• all the editing jobs i didn't get to on Friday
• i am rearranging my site. I want to have all my yoga and meditation offerings in one place, without too may other things, so that they are all easy to find. So i am going to make one page dedicated to those. 

Both of these are going to be time consuming jobs - and i hope i have not bitten off more than i can chew... But you will know soon enough if it was! 

Thanks again for joining me on this ride! and yes, Please do keep posting comments here, and sending me emails. It is nice to know that someone out there is reading some of the words i am sharing!

HUGS!
:)