Today I was sitting in a coffee shop where I sensed quite a relaxed ambience; people were enjoying their meals and talking in ?normal? tones. Sometimes I like to just sit alone in coffee shops to try to get inspired or simply to blend myself with the surroundings. Just as I was beginning to receive some very nice ideas, my mental flow was brutally interrupted when a young man entered with a woman who appeared to be his girlfriend, and he was conversing with her in a tone that can only be described as shouting. So there they were: this couple was facing each other at a small table, and he was talking to her as if she were sitting 10 meters away from him. Everybody in the shop could hear their entire conversation. Much to my surprise, she didn?t say anything about his loud tone, and he continued to maintain this terribly loud volume.
Okay, why do I tell you this little story? I tell it because the chances are very low (perhaps he had a hearing problem) that the young man was even aware of the high volume of his speech.
When you practice yoga regularly, your body and mind changes, and you become more and more aware of yourself and the others around you. In the Yoga system of Raja Yoga, this change is part of Niyama, and it is called Svadhyaya (exploration of oneself or self-awareness).
Moreover, the limits between yourself and others gets lost, and you begin to perceive a whole new definition of yourself. You become more sensitive to noises, smells, touch, and tastes. (Perhaps you might even become a vegetarian without having a sense of sacrificing your eating habits.) These are just a few of many other things that will change when you practice Yoga regularly.
What are your experiences with self-awareness or changes that occur when you practice yoga?