Editors Note: The vibrant and eclectic nature of NYC has me feeling like I am growing with every step I take.  Instead of rushing to the next appointment in your calendar, take an extra moment to soak in your surroundings.  Our newest contributor will give you great places to bring happiness to our favorite concrete jungle.  If you aren’t in NYC, feel free to take these tips to your home town! ~Nitika~

What I love about New York is also what starts to chomp on my last nerve at times. The constant noise is the soundtrack for my 20-something urban life. The litter on the street can feel like a strategically placed Post-it note from the universe to remind me of this, that, or the other. At the corner of walk and don’t-walk is the buzzing of planes, trains, and automobiles, a mass of humanity singing into each other.

So where can I go and what can I do when I want to reconnect with my love and escape the chaos? Grab your journal and scribble down these tips. Finding peace in New York does not have to be as elusive as finding an available taxi on a rainy night.

First stop. Public transportation.

No, I’m not kidding. I believe that the bus and the subway are ideal hot spots for me to zen out if I set the intention to do so. Public transportation in New York provides me with an incomparable cross-section of people. Why focus on my watch and the tick-tock of dragging from point A to point B when I can zoom in on the cinematic experience right before me?

First, take off your iPod and live in the present. Then, open your eyes and your heart. Tap into the unexpected, while inhabiting the expected routine of your day. Indulge in the natural beauty of people and their uncomplicated behavior: a young boy grabbing his mother’s leg, a couple holding each other instead of the pole, a businessman reading the paper while on his way to work. One-by-one, bless each person as your glance moves over them. In that moment your lives touch, and you want to make sure that the universal embrace is harmonious.

If you want to be fearless (don’t we all?) then I double dare you to smile at anyone and everyone the next time you’re hopping around this city. The responses you ignite will spark the first heat wave of summer.

Next up. The water.

Let’s not forget that Manhattan is an island. If you’re living in another borough or the tri-state area then you’re not too far from the water either. The presence of water in our lives can have an incredibly healing effect.

Take yourself to a spot by either river and get comfortable. Visualize the waves washing over you, tickling your skin, and breaking down any old thought patterns. The imagined change in texture can be sensual and energizing.

See yourself on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Close your eyes and ask yourself, In my wildest dreams, who would be with me on that boat? What would I be doing? Where would I be going? Have fun daydreaming about how your days would unfold on that boat.

Breathe in deeply and exhale consciously. Open your eyes to the day. People, I’m here to tell you that this lifetime is our boat, and our dreams are the current supporting our journey. Grab your oars and start paddling because co-creating requires two forces at play: you and the universe.

I look forward to seeing you soon. I’ll be the one smiling at you on the subway.

“Break me off a peace of New York” is just the beginning of your new found life of calm in New York. Every month Meredith will clue us in to her suggestions for how to maintain your zen in the most intense and spectacular city in the world.