[RemiVedia]

Your approach is right, regarding approaching Guru. I envy you and recommend it.
Ideally everything must be learnt from a Guru, even if he is a servant in the house or one's own parents. The purpose of a Guru is to learn the real way of reciting a shloka or a mantra and for other purposes such as understanding its import. Some mantras when received as an upadesam start an ignition process and the realization is quicker, even though methods for the mantras are available in books. You mentioned saundarya lahiri. My suggestion - Please approach anyone who has learnt it in a proper manner, be it a sastrigal or a saint or an uncle, and learn it from them. Learning from books and cassettes/cds alone, is not recommended, it only inflates the ego of the devotee. At the minimum learning from the guru, at the guru's own pace teaches humility. Once you have learnt as per guru's satisfaction practice as much as you want using other aids! Learning from books may have positive effect but 100% satisfaction will not be there.