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Meditation is a practice that trains mind to perceive reality as it is instead of blindly reacting to (often imagined) external stimuli. This is done by developing mind's ability to be calm and focus on an object without evaluating it. Here is a longer answer.
Meditation is a religious practice exactly to the extent you want it to be. Many schools of meditation are agnostic. Some religions recommend meditation, some tolerate it. Buddhism neither denies nor propagates the concept of a "higher power".
Meditation is a tool that alleviates suffering. Its ultimate goal is to liberate the practitioner from suffering entirely. This is achieved by training mind to perceive reality. Most suffering happens to an imagined "person" that is separate from the rest of the world. By experiencing the absence of this "person" (also called "self", "soul", or "ego"), the imaginative nature of reality as most people experience it is exposed.
Many people these days meditate in order to "calm themselves" or "improve their concentration" or just to "feel good". While these are valid reasons to meditate, this is not what this text is about.
Here is the shortest possible version (from my book, An Introduction to Mental Development:
This should be done in a silent place. In the beginning, minutes of uninterrupted concentration would be a worthy goal.
All you really need is a silent place and something (preferably a sturdy cushion) to sit on.
The place does not have to be completely silent, just quiet enough to not distract you.
Meditation works best when sitting on the ground on a mediation cushion (filled with spelt or kapok), but anything works in the beginning: a chair, a stool, a meditation bench, or even a thick blanket that has been folded multiple times.
Wear comfortable clothes and no shoes.
Most gurus will tell you that a guru is indispensable.
However: these days there is a lot of great literature covering many subtle and advanced aspects of meditation, so it is certainly possible to make good progress on your own.
While there are many possible single points to focus on, the breath has many advantages: It is not associated with anything, you are already used to it, it calms down automatically when concentration improves, it does not induce trance (which is not meditation).
(Personal experience: I have tried many other single points and in retrospect it was an unnecessary detour.)
("Guided meditation" is meditation that is "guided" by a voice from a cassette tape (or CD or audio file or app or teacher.)
Meditation is the systematic exploration of the phenomena that appear in your body and mind. Only by understanding these phenomena is progress possbile. By listening to a voice (or music, or ambient sounds, etc), you create an external stimulus and explore that in the place of those phenomena. Perceive the things that arise by themselves. Do not add anything.
Do not play any music or ambient sounds or anything at all while meditating. See the question about guided meditation.
You do not need any of these, and in the end they will distract you more than help you. All you need is a cushion and a silent place. There is one exception that I would make, though, and that is a pair of noise cancelling headphones, if you really cannot find a silent spot.
First try to find a time where you can meditate in silence. For example, getting up before everybody else does might be an option. Do not place your main session late in the evening, you will be sleepy and it will be very hard to focus.
If there really is no place or time where you can meditate in peace, using hearing protection may be an option. Foam earplugs work well, but may become uncomfortable after a while. Custom-made silicone earplugs are much more expensive, but also much more comfortable to wear.
If you can afford them, a pair of high-quality noise-cancelling headphones can work pretty well. Connect them to an audio source (to stop them from powering down), but do not play anything. Most NC headphones will produce white noise when idle, which some people perceive as neutral or soothing and others perceive as unnerving. Try a few models before you make up your mind.