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I have been practicing yoga on and off for over 10 years. I've completed a 200 hr yoga teacher training and I've practiced a range of yoga styles including Vinyasa, Hatha, Baptiste, Bikram, Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, etc. What I've learned in this time and with my practice is that even with years of yoga experience that I sometimes need to go back to the fundamentals every now and then. Additionally as a new yoga teacher being in a fundamentals class gives me great ideas on how I can cue and structure my own classes for beginners when I teach.
I am able to look at poses in a new way and have several aha moments such as learning that my stance was too short in my downward facing dog pose . I also sometimes find that I am given suggestions on my alignment that I may not be aware of. This results in personal improvement and development. There was a time when I would feel as if I was "too good " or had been doing yoga for "too long" to go into a beginners/fundamentals class. Fundamentals, yeah that's for people that don't know the difference between a down dog and a hot dog I would think. I thought I was already way past that stage but what I am realizing is that it is important to continuously go back and review the basics over and over again and there is always something new to learn.
I've been really lucky and grateful to recently become part of a great studio with amazing teachers in Sunnyside NY called Suryaside Yoga. I've found myself taking a few of their fundamentals classes in addition to other classes that they offer and I plan to continue to take more.
So my suggestions for all of you "advanced and experienced" yogis out there... try out a beginners or fundamentals class and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you learn and experience. Furthermore share the last aha moment that you had about a particular yoga pose that you thought you knew well but then learned something new. For those new to yoga share how a fundamentals class has benefited your learning process as a new practitioner.