Walking on the spiritual path is not exactly a bed of roses unless one is fortunate enough to hit the jackpot in the very first attempt and find the right path and Guru. For most people it is like walking in a maze that can sometimes prove to be more twisted and warped than the world itself and one wonders if spirituality is over sold!
However, for the fortunate few it can be a cakewalk too! Or to put it more in perspective, the higher the readiness to let go of old (beliefs, ideas, lifestyle, people etc) the easier the path is to find and walk on.
Broadly these are the following types of obstacles and almost all will fall under one or the other category:
Not knowing what path to take
Absence of a Guru/good teacher
Lack of purpose
Limitations of the body
Limitations of the mind
Social afflictions
Fear of letting go
Not knowing what path to take: This is clearly the very first obstacle. One may be interested in taking the spiritual path but does not know where to begin, who to ask, what to do. Best way to deal with this obstacle is to first check what brought you to spirituality in the first place. If it is a person who has impacted you, start from there. If it is a book you read, or video you watched, then find more about it. Somewhere somehow you would be introduced to some practice or tradition and if it seems reasonable and not too much out of the place, get started. It is important to begin and get going. Give it your best and see where it takes you. Once you begin the journey, the path starts appearing.
Absence of a Guru or Teacher: For a beginner a living Guru or a Teacher is indispensable. Whomsoever you may listen to or whatever great stuff you may read, you need guidance of someone who has walked that path. If you are fortunate enough to find someone, then the path will be easier. Even if the person is not a Great Guru but knows more than you, you can start there. As you will rise higher in your understanding and experience, you will be lead to right people naturally. However, do not be foolish to follow blindly and be wary of people who demand complete surrender or indecent amounts of money. Most importantly follow your heart. Ask yourself how you feel when you are with that person or talk to that person.
In case you are unable to find anyone at all (although it is kind of impossible today in the virtual world) then pray to the Great Gurus to guide you and wait. If you are longing enough, someone will surely come your way.
Lack of Purpose: Often people jump into a spiritual path because it is fashionable or because of some disturbing event in their life, however, as soon as other priorities in life start picking up, they are lost. This is because they do not have clarity in terms of what they want to achieve.
Be very clear what is your purpose of taking the spiritual path and then work towards it with full determination. It is also possible that the purpose may change as you progress and let that happen naturally. When I learnt Reiki I wanted to be a great healer and be a Reiki Master. For a few years I was completely devoted to Reiki and was able to do almost every kind of healing and teach others. Then came a plateau where I realised that I wanted more and Reiki could not take me there. After reading 'Autobiography of a Yogi' I was immediately drawn to Kriya Yoga and devoted my life to its practise. Had amazing experiences and life took a 180 degree turn. Kriya Yoga gave me what it promised- experience of the Ultimate. Yet the experience did not last, like no exotic experience is supposed to, and while it brought amazing clarity, I was clearly missing something that I could not point my finger to. The longing then finally landed me in Path of Knowledge/Gyan Marg and I am just ever so grateful.
Limitations of the Body: Body is treated as a vehicle on the path of spirituality and if it is healthy then it can prove to be a big blessing. All the practices need to be performed by the body so it essential that it works for you than against you. There can be times when one falls sick or is low in strength and energy to perform practices properly and at such times it is advisable to do those mentally. However, if a person has serious or chronic ailments then one has to choose a path accordingly that has relatively lesser engagement of the body.
For regular seekers it is advised to take care of their body through right eating and exercise. Taking simple, nutritious, vegetarian and fresh food in appropriate amounts is a good practise. Regular exercise and yoga, which is neither too less nor too strenuous is good to keep the body fit. Regular sleep cycle is also important.
Limitations of the Mind: Mind can be a big trouble maker on the path of Spirituality if you do not know how to manage it well. To start with, it will create thousand excuses and very valid ones too, why you should not practise today. Most seekers face this huge hurdle where they do not find time to do their practise. Well, I completely believe that if you are finding excuses to practise then you have not selected the right path! It is then time to go back and analyse your path. Your practices should be such which energise you, you look forward to doing them, you can let go of anything but them.
Other times, when you are sitting for your practise and all set to go deeper, mind will throw up unresolved conflicts and useless stupid conversations on the very top of your attention! Before you even become aware you are lost. Bye Bye Meditation! One of the simplest cures for this is to clear your mind space before sitting for meditation. If you maintain awareness you can even do it when mind attacks you during meditation. Whatever seeks your attention, acknowledge and park. Do not fight or resist it since you will give it more power. Just simply ask it to wait until you complete your practice. It may not work every time but if you get it right, you never need to worry about mind throwing muck at you.
Social Afflictions: These are the most irritating and energy consuming obstacles which are very difficult to avoid as a member of society. And if you are a social person who has many friends, relatives and acquaintances then it can slow down your progress in the initial years.
It is very important to understand here that spiritual journey means a journey into yourself. Now you are seeking inside, not outside. And if you want to maintain your social agenda then it would become counter productive. Those on spiritual journey have few friends and they are most likely to be on a similar journey themselves. If your friends and relatives are coming in your way of spiritual practices, if possible walk away in as dignified manner as possible. If you cannot then be as diplomatic as comfortably possible for you and keep conversations to a minimum. If you cannot do even that then continue your practise in whatever best way you can manage.
Some relationships are difficult to let go because of dependancies. Either you are dependent on others or they are dependent on you. These could be physical, financial or emotional dependencies. If such is a case, do your best to make yourself independent and make other person independent. Sometimes we cannot let others go because there is some sense of security we derive from them. Analyse what it is and free yourself from it.
Fear of Letting Go: The most troublesome obstacle of course is the fear of letting go! Whether it is letting go of your old ways of doing things, your lifestyle, your friends, your relatives, your beliefs, and most importantly your spiritual experiences.
Spirituality is exploring the unknown. To jump into the unknown one has to let go of the known. Known can be seen, unknown cannot be seen; that is why it is unknown. How to do that? It becomes very easy if there is a Guru or a Teacher who comforts and encourages you to take the jump. Jump means letting go of what you have cherished for so long. There cannot be any suggestion here. Either you jump or you don't. However, every small jump that you have taken earlier will pave the way for this last jump. So start small, start letting go, it will build your confidence for the last jump.
I have been consciously seeking for last 20 odd years and fortunate enough to find right Gurus and paths that pulled me like magnets and embraced me as their own. The seeking continues since it is a never ending process, but hand in hand with the One who is only watching.