Tosefta על ברכות 4:5

A blind person and someone who cannot recognize the directions, [should] direct their hearts towards God, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And they should pray to Hashem…” (I Kings 8:44)4 Those that are standing outside of the Land of Israel [should] direct their hearts5 towards the Land of Israel, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And those that pray to You by the way of their land…” (I Kings 8:48) Those that are standing in the Land of Israel [should] direct their hearts towards Yerushalayim, and [only then] pray, as it is said, “And they will pray to Hashem by the way of the city that You have chosen…” (I Kings 8:44) Those that are standing in Yerushalayim [should] direct their hearts towards Bet Hamikdash (Temple), as it is said, “…and they should pray towards this house.” (II Chronicles 6:32) Those that are standing inside the Bet Hamikdash [should] direct their hearts towards the Holy of Holies and [only then] pray, as it is said, “… they will pray towards this place.” (I Kings 8:30) It comes out that [all of those] standing in the north will be facing the south, [all of those] standing in the south will be facing the north, [all of those] standing in the east will be facing the west, [and all of those] standing in the west will be facing the east. And it will come out that all of the Jewish people will be praying towards one place.

A person should not stand on top of a bed, and not on top of a chair, and not on top of a bench, and not on top of [any] high place and pray [Shmoneh Esreh], because there are no high places in front of God, as it is said, “From the depth I called out to You Hashem.” (Psalms 130:1) [However,] if he was an elderly person or sick then it is permitted [to pray Shmoneh Esreh on top of a high place]

[If a person] was riding on top of a donkey [and it came time to pray Shmoneh Esreh], if there is someone there who can hold his donkey, he should get down and [only then] pray [Shemoneh Esreh], and if not [then] he [should] sit in his place [on the donkey] and pray [Shmoneh Esreh that way]. Rebbi says, “Either way he should pray [Shmoneh Esreh while sitting] in his place [on top of the donkey], as long as he will be paying attention.”

[If a person] woke up early to go on a journey, he [should] take the Shofar and blow it [at dawn], [or he should take] the Lulav and shake it [at dawn], [or he should take] the Megillah and read it [at dawn], [or he should] pray [Shemoneh Esreh at dawn], and when it will come time to read the Shema, he should read it [then]. [If] he woke up to [travel while] sitting in a coach or on a ship he should pray [Shemoneh Esreh first at dawn], and when it will come time to read the Shema he [should] read [it then]. Rebbi Shimon Ben Elazar says, “Either way, he [should] read the Shema [first] and [only then] pray [Shemoneh Esreh].”