Vanderbilt Beach Yoga Schedule

A new week of beach yoga is here, and this one has a few teacher updates to note as you roll out your mat.

Detours Along the Way, Junction Points in Life

This past week, we took my dad to a neurology appointment to check his cognitive state. The appointment was a big wake-up call to the reality of life and to some of my own blind spots.

When we are so close to someone, or so close to a problem, sometimes we lose clarity about the gravity of a situation. I think things are normal and perhaps stick my head in the sand. I deny that change is happening because, in some way, I’m not ready to see it.

I know I can’t control this change—or much of any change—but I can remember to have grace.

A friend told me, “Time to buckle up. You’re at a tough age. The sandwich age.”

The sandwich age. Caught between caring for our parents and raising our own families, while trying to navigate our own lives somewhere in the middle.

Since the appointment, I’ve been working with my dad for about an hour every day, doing things to help improve his brain function. I didn’t realize how much the results of these cognitive tests can determine which medications someone may qualify for. There is so much I don’t know.

What I do know is that I can show up.

I can show up with love and support. I can meet my dad where he is. I can meet my family where they are. I can learn what I need to learn and do what I can do.

I can’t say I was surprised by the appointment, but my heart felt it in a way my mind couldn’t prepare me for.

These blind spots can hurt because they reveal what we aren’t willing—or perhaps aren't ready—to see.

And maybe bringing those blind spots to the forefront is part of how we mature. How we become wiser. How we learn to face the reality and fragility of life instead of looking away from it.

Our minds are incredibly good at filling in the blanks. They take the pieces of information we can’t fully process and create a picture that makes sense to us. Sometimes, that picture is what we want to see rather than what is actually there.

Think about looking at a tree. You could never consciously take in every nook and cranny of that tree. There is simply too much information for your eyes and brain to process at once. So your brain fills in what you don't consciously see, creating a complete picture from an incomplete amount of information.

I think we do this with life all the time.

We fill in the blanks.

We create a version of reality that feels familiar, comfortable, or manageable. And sometimes that creates a barrier between what we believe is happening and what is actually happening.

Maybe the detours and junction points in life are invitations to pause and look again.

To take our heads out of the sand.

To soften around what we see.

And to remember that we don't have to control what is changing. We just have to be willing to meet it with grace.

This schedule begins with the update posted on Sunday, August 30, 2026, and covers the week ahead. The big thing to remember, besides who is teaching each class, is parking. Keep an eye on your beach stickers. The parking lot police have been on a roll, and nobody wants to come back from savasana to a parking problem.

A calm beach morning sets the tone for the week’s classes.

This week’s Vanderbilt Beach yoga schedule

Here is the schedule for the week at a glance. All listed classes are at Vanderbilt Beach and begin at 9:00 a.m.

Day	Date	Time	Class	Teacher
Monday	August 31, 2026	9:00 a.m.	Gentle Yoga	Alex teaching for Sheila
Wednesday	September 2, 2026	9:00 a.m.	Hatha Vinyasa	Lo
Friday	September 4, 2026	9:00 a.m.	Vinyasa	Alex teaching for Lo
Sunday	September 6, 2026	9:00 a.m.	Restore and Rejuvenate	Alex

Beach sticker alert for Vanderbilt Beach parking

Here is the practical reminder for the week: check your beach sticker before class.

The parking lot police have been on a roll, so take a moment before leaving home or stepping away from the car. Make sure your beach sticker is current, visible, and placed where it should be. If you are using a lot where a sticker or permit applies, do not assume you are fine just because you have parked there before.

A quick check can save a lot of frustration.

See you on the sand at 9:00 a.m.