Expect some obstacles

When an aspirant enters upon the spiritual life, he naturally does so with great enthusiasm. The first steps he takes are almost always accompanied by feelings of peach and delight. Everything seems so easy, so inspiring. It is therefore very important that he should realize, right form the start, that this mood will not continue, uninterrupted, throughout the rest of his course. [Practice] is not simply a state of euphoria. There will be relapses; phases of struggle, dryness, and doubt. But these ought not to distress him unduly. Conscious feelings, howeer exalted, are not the only indications of spiritual progress. We may be growing most strongly at a time when our minds seem dark and dull. So we should never listen to the promptings of sloth, which will try to persuade us that this dullness is a sign of failure. There is no failure as long as we continue to make an effort. –How to Know God, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, by Christopher Isherwood.