You can meditate anywhere.
If you come to know the universe as yourself,
Then you can go anywhere and do anything in comfort.
And if you love the world as you do those dearest to you,
Then you'll be able to care for it properly.
Meditation doesn't have to be confined to a chair or a cushion,
Though those are great places to start.
But don't delude yourself into thinking that meditation is an isolated practice.
When you're meditating in your chair or on your cushion,
You are developing a skill that you can carry with you anywhere and everywhere.
Next time you're sitting somewhere and waiting,
Such as in the doctor's office or at a bus stop,
See if you can practice meditation in that very spot.
You can try it with this guided meditation in your headphones for the first time to help you get going.
But after that,
Try it again without them.
Keep your eyes open,
But soften your gaze.
You can close them for a moment or two if you need to.
But let's see if you can get into the rhythm while they're open as well.
Position them downwards,
The general area in front of you,
Preferably not in an environment that's too distracting or titillating,
Not in a spot that is particularly bright or overwhelming from a stimulus standpoint.
Sit up straight with your spine erect,
Or at least as erect as is comfortable,
And put your hands on your thighs or lightly clasp them together in your lap.
Slow down your breath and begin to become aware of it.
Now this next part is important.
Become aware also of the noises around you.
Let them merge into your being.
What I mean by that is that I want you to accept them fully.
Drop any resistance to these noises.
They're not distracting you from anything.
You don't have to react to them at all.
Not only do you not have to respond verbally or do anything physically in response to the noises around you,
You also don't have to respond mentally nor emotionally.
You can just be aware of them.
Accept that they are part of the world just like you.
In fact,
They come from the same essence as you,
And someday they will return to the same place that you will.
There's really no separation at all other than your ego,
Which creates a false divide between you and the other things that you encounter in this world.
Intuitively,
You understand that the water from your faucet is fundamentally the same as the water from a lake,
And I'm sure that you also would accept that the table made out of oak shares the same essence as the oak tree.
There is no real divide between the two things other than time and circumstance,
But your ego makes it very difficult for you to accept that when it comes to yourself.
The person sitting next to you is fundamentally the same as you.
It comes from and will return to the same place.
The noises those people make,
The noises that anything makes,
The things that those noises emerge from,
Only your ego is creating duality in your mind.
Ego is putting up resistance to accepting the oneness,
Deluding you into the idea that you are separate and apart from them.
Know the universe as yourself,
And you can live absolutely anywhere in comfort.
Love the world as yourself,
And you'll be able to care for it properly.
