There are a lot of different meditation techniques and teachers, and they are as different as are sports and coaches: your body gets exercise, but that's the only common ground. But here it's the mind.
I can only tell you what I have done, the cost and benefit I personally experienced. I cannot make recommendations as it would be utter B.S.
I'm pretty good with my brain, but my attention was lacking to say the least. In search for a solution, I tried meditation on my own. I read books, and tried to sit down by myself.
I failed. Repeatedly.
Frustrated by what was the first time not being good with my head, I ask my doctor, who I knew was a Buddhist doing meditations retreats in caves, to help me find a teacher.
I insisted I wanted meditation only. No mantra or singing. No mythology or holly texts. No prayer or God. No offering, ritual or altar.
She told me the closest thing to what I was looking for was a course of "Vipassana Meditation, in the tradition of S.N Goenka".
It's a meditation technique that you learn during a 10 days courses. Shorter periods are NOT available as a beginner, and the 10 days are really necessary. I advice strongly against quitting in the middle of a course, for your own mental health, even if you believe you can. Once your are in it, you should finish.
You _will_ want to quit. Almost everybody does. Sometimes, I still do on the first day, when I start a new course.
The 10 days are not devoid of mysticism, religious undertone, etc. but they do teach you a technique that can be practiced as an atheist, or a practitioner of another religion, with minimal fuss. Keep in mind, though, that if you are scientifically inclined, the 10 days will grind your gears in many ways. After so long, it still triggers me sometimes, but I've being involved with those people quite deeply now, and I find solace in the fact they are benevolent and dedicated to helping.
I actually lived a year in one of the (numerous, almost 200 in the world) meditation centers, I dated one their accountant (!), and being part of a lot of their activities. They are just regular human beings, with the good, and the bad, but they really want to help, and they do. The accounting books are clean too ^^
The course is free, and you don't need to pay for the teaching, nor the accommodation, or the food. Ever. They will regularly remind you they need donation, and even tell you it's good for you :) I do donate, but it is completely optional, and some people never give anything. It's considered perfectly ok.
As for the 10 days course, it is _hard_. The discipline is strict:
- waking up at 4 am
- no food after 12
- you put any distracting object in a safe you can't access before the end, including your phone, books, wallets or notebooks
- you can't talk, do much exercise
- you meditate 10 hours a day
The hardest part is not the silence, the food or the sleep though. It's the meditation. Provided you practice correctly, it will be extremely challenging. Boredom, physical discomfort or pain, distress, depression, break down, sadness, etc. are only a fraction of the things you may, or may not have to face. And that's only what you can put words on, which is, to my surprise, only a very tiny part of the experience.
The cost, hence, is high.
It's even higher if you decide it's worth it for you to carry on with it daily. It takes time, and effort.
Also, it's a slow process. A steady one, mind you. My life has changed in ways I believe would have not been possible otherwise. Some progresses fade without practice. Some gains are for life even if you stop.
But I've been at it for some time now, and I will continue for the rest of my life. The trade off proved worth it for me.
The most obvious benefits that I personally experienced:
- my social, love and professional life have completely shifted. I had what looked like autistic traits, but they have melted. I'm considered an extrovert now.
- I am happier. It was not a straight transformation. I had depressive periods. But the trend on 15 years is that, all in all, I'm much, much happier than when I started. This by itself makes the technique worth it, as it leads you, little by little, to decouple happiness from circumstances.
- I know myself better. This means I accept myself more as I am, I have less illusion about myself, and also I live my life according to that knowledge, instead of hitting an invisible wall. If I'd share what I learned with you, you would think it's trivial, obvious things. But making them yours make all the difference.
- I'm more productive. It's a small detail compared to the rest, but a nice boost.
- I am more at peace with the suffering of our human condition. Less afraid of death, less angry with people destroying things, less depressed by the state of society. I forgive a lot now. Including myself. I'm ok hurting people too, which is strange to say, and not what you think would be the result of meditation.
In fact, I became less minimalist and more materialist with time. I don't look the stereotype of a wise, zen person. Also, some areas in my life I desperately wanted to work on didn't move at all. I eat too much, I still get angry for some things that are so superficial in retrospect. So be careful with expectations.
You can find more information about this particular technique and the related courses here:
https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index
Yes, I'm well aware that the website looks like a cult.
It's even worse when you are in a course, with the Pali wows and the recordings repeating again and again the same instructions.
You will have to assess that by yourself.
Whatever you chose to do, I hope you'll find something that works for you.