Despite the minimal instructions for meditation—sit still and pay attention—it somehow becomes much more: watching for this, avoiding that, practising this technique, taking that attitude. A new avenue of self-improvement. Each of these attitudes comes with its own expectations that can drag us away from the core directive of meditation: doing less but seeing things more clearly. The idea of “less but clearer” was something I recently came across again in Pema Chodron’s poignant When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, which I highly recommend if you’re struggling with any kind of upheaval in your life.