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Dealing with Periods of Dryness or Dullness in the Yogic Sadhana · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  It is a frequent and Universal experience that when an
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  individual takes up the practice of yoga, there are periods of
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  great. Enthusiasm aspiration is active
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  and progress is palpable. It is however virtually
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  impossible to maintain the intensity of the sadhna at all
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  the times. So as the action of the three
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  gunas brings about changes in the inner psychology, the
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  feeling of aspiration, the feeling of focus and commitment
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  Fades and the individual is left feeling empty or dry experiences
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  withdraw and there can be periods of time.
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  I'm sometimes uncomfortably long where one feels like nothing is
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  happening, and there is no progress nor chance of progress.
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  The famous Christian Narrative of Pilgrims Progress, takes the
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  devotee, through various stages of discontent, despondency and
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  despair. It is a true relation of the
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  long dry road that is part of the sadhna and which the Seeker
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  must be prepared to withstand and push on through until he
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  comes out the other side. at that time, the seeker can look
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  back and see the actual progress that has been made as nothing is
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  lost in the sadhna and Times of inactivity, dryness, dullness
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  actually represent periods either for consolidation of
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  deeper experiences, or as times when the basic Thomas of the
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  physical Consciousness comes to the Forefront and needs to be
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  addressed. SRI aurobindo notes, quote
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  naturally the more one pointed the aspiration of swifter the
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  progress. The difficulty comes when
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  either, the vital with its desires or the physical with its
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  past habitual movements comes in as they do with almost everyone.
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  It is then that the dryness and difficulty of spontaneous
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  aspiration come. This dryness is a well-known
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  obstacle in all sadhna, but one has to persist and not be
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  discouraged. If one keeps the will fixed even
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  in these Barren periods, they pass.
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  And after their passage a greater force of aspiration and
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  experience becomes possible. And quote reference SRI
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  aurobindo in the mother growing within the psychology of inner
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  development. Chapter 6 growth of
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  Consciousness difficulties and pitfalls Pages 119 21.