I have been chanting, reading, listening, etc. and am very interested and invested in this process. I am feeling an increasing amount of affection for Krishna, Prabhupada, and the devotees. But, I feel like I am missing the “personal” connection I felt with God before I began this path of Krishna consciousness. I used to do guided meditations, hatha yoga, journaling, etc. and felt a real personal relationship with God. And while I am enjoying this new process, I am having difficulty connecting the idea of chanting Krishna’s name with my old feeling of communing with God. Any insights or suggestions you may have would be extremely helpful.

Perhaps the fact that you are engaging in a more structured spiritual practice has affected your “personal” connection. I suggest that you try to remember that even with a highly structured practice, it’s really all about Krishna. I suggest that you talk to Krishna about this issue. Open your heart, reveal your mind, and just tell Krishna that you are loving Krishna consciousness but that you really want Him to be more personally present for you. I’m sure Krishna will be happy to have that conversation with you. Krishna really is a person and He will really listen to everything you say. So, as the saying goes, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.”