quoting myself from another thread --
BClark wrote:i've learned about all sorts of different "techniques" and the one thing for certain this this - meditation is something that each meditator must come to understand on their own terms. at least for the most part; learning how others do it can be helpful, but in the end you really just have to do what you can to sit still, maintain posture, and breathe.
place to do it: somewhere without noise (though some people find soft music to be helpful), without too much bright or flashing/moving lights. outdoors can work well in good weather.
a few things i know: the lotus (cross-legged) posture has been done successfully by hindus and buddhists for quite some time, and it ensures easy balance/posture, but it hinders circulation. anything that involves crossing limbs is generally bad for your circulation. to free up your circulation is a big part of meditation. try just sitting in a chair, feet parallel, back straight. some people are into standing meditation, which can be helpful, although it requires exertion, and if you want to meditate in the way that, say, taoists have meditated, you should keep in mind that exertion in general is "anti-tao"...
there's also the question of: what, if anything, do you focus on. some say that you shouldn't focus on anything (the counter-argument being that this might be impossible). if you try this approach, the flow-chart of your behavior should be like this: assuming you start to think about something or become distracted, don't think of it as "that's it, i've failed," but view it as it as "ok, i'm trying to clear my head of thoughts, this one thought just entered my mind, and it's just like any other thoughts that might come to my mind, i'm going to treat all such thoughts the same as they come and go - i won't attach my attention to any specific one of them." obviously you can't force yourself to not think. but you can train yourself to just let thoughts come and go without committing your focus to any of them.
the alternate to not focusing on anything is to focus on something. an easy one is breath. breath-counting is not necessary but if you have a system for counting, go for it. some people meditate with eyes open and focus on an object or candle flame. some people focus on single-syllable "mantras" ("om" being the most famous - this is the chest voice).
the muscle tension exercise mentioned in the above post can be helpful. maybe stretch a bit beforehand so you don't cramp as you tense up.
aside from all that stuff, what's left is to just clear your mind, relax your body, maintain posture, and allow your circulation and breath to get in a good flow. 10 minutes really should do it. more intense people go for longer.
as far as what you were saying about an "ultimate goal" of all this... some people have higher spiritual or mystical aspirations when meditating, and i don't criticize them for it. but i don't think it's out of the question to only be concerned with what this does for your cognition, relaxation, circulatory system, focus, awakeness, and other day-to-day/non-spiritual matters.
