I'm also a new yogi - and in our Hot Yoga studio, cell phones are not permitted in the silent room. I've only heard a few whispers between couples, and the occasional whispered 'bless you' when someone sneezes.

The changing rooms open into the common area where people gather before class - and the door to the studio floor clearly states that you are entering a silent room.

While the conversation just outside the silent room can sometimes get animated with laughter - it is just a murmur when the studio door is closed.

There has only been one class out of my 120+ practices where an instructor verbally gave a reminder that we were in a silent room - and I had not heard people talking prior to the reminder...