There are many techniques of meditation, and the result of all is to help you still your mind so that you become more aware and conscious.

Guidelines for practice time usually range from 20-30 minutes per sitting. Practice twice a day with one early morning practice and another in the afternoon or before you go to bed.

One of the most popular techniques is from the Buddhist tradition, Vipassana meditation. In this meditation, the meditator focuses on his or her breath. There are various ways of focusing on the breath, but the focus of concentration on the breath is to become aware of the mind-body complex just exactly as it is. This "mindfullness" of the body allows a connection of the mind-body and there are specific methods of guiding your awareness. There are entire books on what medtiation is and isn't, but I do recommend this site because it is thorough in its presentation of the subject. Besides reading about the subject, I recommend that you find a group to work with to get started, but you will have to practice on your own as well.

http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english_7.php

Jack Kornfield, one of the premier Buddhist teachers, also a Buddhist monk in the US, has a compassion meditation which is a derivative of the mindfullness technique. I highly recommend reading his site, because in all of the meditations, a compassionate attitude is most helpful in attaining advancement in the practice.

http://www.jackkornfield.org/index/meditations?id=compassionMeditation

If you are Christian, I would also recommend the meditation practice of Centering Prayer. This is a silent prayer, which is somewhat similar to what Jack Kornfield presents in his "compassionate mindfulness" meditation approach. This practice initiated with the Desert Fathers of the Catholic tradition, but it is an ecumenical Christian practice which has been adapted to modern times. Here are the guidelines:

1. Choose a sacred word that best supports your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you (i.e. "Jesus" "Lord," "God," "Savior," "Abba," "Divine," "Shalom," "Spirit," "Love," etc.). Alternatively, you can also follow your breath, which is a divine gift, as a means to return to remind yourself of your intention. Once you have chosen this sacred word, it is important to stick with it during your practice.
2. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, relax, and quiet yourself. Be in love and faith to God.
3. Let the sacred word be gently present as your symbol of your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you. It is important to use the divine word in a gentle fashion to bring your awareness back to your central intention.
4. Whenever you become aware of thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, associations, etc., simply return to your sacred word, your anchor.

Father Thomas Keating teaches workshops across the country and there are regional organizations that support this practice. I highly recommend this technique.

http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_practices_centering
Source(s):
in text and much personal experience

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