Well certainly. I am glad you asked. I have meditated for about thirty years and am quite sure what little sanity I can honestly lay claim to is attributable to my practice. I have never taught meditation or proselytized for even one convert, but I do have strong opinions about it and am happy to share them with you since you asked. I am certain it would do you a world of good. Let me just mention a few random thoughts first because you sound from your email that you are totally new to the subject. How that could be I don't know but there is a very old saying: "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." So you are starting at the right place, Beginner's Mind is what you are after. The thoughts:
It is not about thinking, it is not about trying not to think. It IS about not trying.
The habit or hobby of meditating is called a practice (As in a "spiritual practice.")
The act or activity is called "sitting" because that is all that you do, you just sit. (As in: "If you are to busy to sit, you are too busy."
The type of sitting I do is called "Vipassana" or "Mindfulness" or "Insight Meditation". It is totally irreligious, secular, atheistic, non-ritualistic. Vipassana has some ritual flavor left in it. It claims a direct lineage from "The Buddha". "The Buddha" was an atheist as far as I can tell. "Buddhism" is the religion founded on his teachings against all his known teachings much like Catholicism is "The Christ's" teachings having about 1% of what Jesus taught, if anything.
Insight meditation uses the technique of "looking" at the breath, or noticing the breath, as a means of quieting the mind or at least noticing what the mind is up to and who and what it is, and thereby, who or what we are. It will be obvious to you by now that you are not your body, and that you are not your brain. After sitting a while you may form some observation or conclusions as to who you are and what the mind is or isn't. The insight is just that. The technique lets you see into the workings of your mind.
Some big names in the field are Jack Kornfield and John Cabot Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh. Zinn is the most western (secular) and very into western medical applications for the practice. Kornfield is a traditional western Buddhist. Hahn is a Vietnamese Buddhist priest teaching in the west. Very touchy feely, fruits and nuts. Probably not your bag.
Approaches: 1)you could look up Vipassana or Insight Meditation in your area and find classes. These are about $90 or $125 and typically would be an hour and a half one evening a week for 7 to 9 weeks. These are usually at a center for the purpose but they are also offered in many hospitals and clinics as adjunct or alternative medicine for headache, pain, or nausea mediation. 2) you could buy a book on "How to Meditate" for $4.95 or $24.95. 3) I could just tell you. Each approach has different merits for different people. It all depends on will power and discipline and mental habits. It is hard to predict what would work for you. The mind is curiously idiosyncratic, not surprisingly. In any case, the first insight you will have is what kind of rationalizing, quitter, undisciplined, lazy, aversive personality you have. Or, conversely, what kind of attraction need, dependence, addiction to peace and quiet, and stress reduction you can build up. You will have many opinions on the practice. They will usually fall into the group of reasons why you don't have to sit today, or this minute, or any more. You will find it boring, tedious, painful, upsetting, tiring,. You will fall asleep, get restless, etc. EVERY reaction is just that, another thought, another attraction, another aversion. They are all irrelevant. The best thing to do is just make a mental commitment to do it regardless of your opinion. Decide, if you will, to put the decision off for say a month or two. Then just sit a half hour in the morning or the evening or (this is what really works) both. It will change your relationship to your self.
Technique: really, really simple, but profound, you ready? Sit.
That is it. That is the hard part. You don't chant, you don't focus on a point, on a light, on an icon, mantra, koan, deity, flame, nothing. Just to have something to do, one brings the attention, gently, to the breath, To the sensation of the breath entering the nostrils, (or, to the sensation, the physical sensation, of the chest or belly inflating) Pick one or the other and stick with it for six months or a year then try the other if you must. It doesn't matter which, some prefer one or the other. One is more subtle. In either case, one does not try to breathe fast or slow, deeply or shallow, or direct the breathe to start or stop. Just breathe naturally. You will find that after a short time you breathing will be extremely slow and shallow but don't rush it. If you are just sitting there breathing and focusing on the breathe, there isn't much oxygen consumed. It takes very little if you are just on the cushion relaxing.
Speaking of cushions: forget lotus position, it's for foreign born 5 year old pretzels, NOBODY does it. Nobody but Indian Indians do half-lotus. Nobody but fanatics do American Indian cross-legged. Most mediators sit on either a Zafu (round cushion about 12" diameter 4"-6" high. This also sucks. Some use a bench with their feet bent under it. Just one more thing to get used to.
I recommend a plain old chair. Feet slightly apart, flat on the floor. Back comfortably staring but not arched or bent requiring muscles to hold it erect. Comfort is good.
One "goal" if you will (besides not having any goals) is to not move around or change positions. Eyes lightly closed. Chin about level. If you get too sleepy, raise your chin slightly. If you get to restless, lower it slightly. Some people find if they pay attention to the breath going in the nose, they have too many thoughts. Some if they watch the stomach rise and fall, they snore. Most little pains go away if you try to just watch them awhile. The mind gets distracted by some other thought and the itch or minor pain or hair follicle or whatever is quickly forgotten and old monkey mind is onto the next stray thought. Then- back to the breath! That is key, no matter where your mind drifts off to, no matter, gently, ungrudgingly, bring it back to the breath coming in, the breath going out. The breathe going in, the breath going out. That is it. Your mind will try to do anything, absolutely anything other than watch the breath. I know it sounds simple but if you can keep your mind on the breath for even a minute at a time, always coming back from noticing that you were thinking, planning, talking, criticizing, designing, defending, anything but just watching the breath; you will be amazed at what from there comes, what a feeling of contentment, equanimity, calm and joy is possible. Your sense of well being will increase. To put it mildly.
It is all in the mind.
Happy hunting.
Brother Brad