Beginning a Meditation Practice

Since 2020, Jigar Thakarar has managed marketing and partnerships at MusiCares, a nonprofit based in Santa Monica, California. In his free time, Jigar Thakarar enjoys philanthropy and meditation.

Most people are aware of the benefits of meditation, which include decreased stress and anxiety and increased focus. Still, despite awareness of these benefits, many people struggle to begin a meditation practice, often because they don’t know how to begin.

It is important to begin your practice by discarding any assumptions or stereotypes you’ve acquired about meditation, which might include unrealistic ideals such as meditating for hours and becoming enlightened. Instead, start small. Like running or doing other exercises, a meditation practice should be built up slowly. Even a few minutes of meditation a day can be beneficial.

If the idea of sitting in silence and observing the breath is unappealing, consider other types of meditations. Meditation apps and YouTube offer guided meditations that can provide new approaches. You can also find a group meditation or try meditating outside.

Be patient with yourself throughout this process and don’t expect change to come overnight. Like most health-related endeavors, the benefits of meditation develop and compound over time.

Researcher Selected by AHA for Research

An accomplished California-based business executive with over two decades of experience working with multiple companies in the entertainment sector, Jigar Thakarar serves as the managing director of marketing and partnerships at MusiCares (The Recording Academy). Previously, Jigar Thakarar served as the vice president and senior account supervisor of talent at United Entertainment Group, where he oversaw contracts and talent relationships for corporate clients, including the American Heart Association (AHA).

The American Heart Association has selected a University of Iowa professor who researches the origins and consequences of hypertension for an excellence award. Alan Johnson, the researcher, has a background in integrative physiology, neurology, and behavior. He's been studying the role of the central nervous system in maintaining bodily fluid and cardiovascular homeostasis for decades.

His selection was based on his substantial contribution to the scientific knowledge of hypertension. The AHA's Council on Hypertension presents the Excellence Award for Hypertension Research. The Council on Hypertension aims to promote hypertension research and education at the highest level to enhance treatment of the disease, minimizing its complications such as stroke and heart disease.

How AI is Becoming a Popular Marketing

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Jigar Thakarar is currently managing director for The Recording Academy’s MusiCares Foundation. In the past, he also served as the vice president of United Entertainment Group, where he oversaw contracts and endorsement deals for celebrities and talents. Jigar Thakarar‘s work is primarily focused on marketing and maintaining strategic relationships, a field that has evolved greatly with the assimilation of digital trends.

AI-powered optimization has grown popular for firms across industries, for the increased capacity to develop targeted marketing strategies and content. AI tools aid in data analytics, sifting out what consumers gravitate towards or seek out, and streamline their services accordingly. One of the most ubiquitous examples of this is in search engines prioritizing their results and analyzing a user’s search intent, depending on what keywords they type in; for instance, if one enters ‘depression help,’ a search will prioritize showing locations to mental health services nearby, as well as definitions and commonly asked questions related to the keyword. It provides information that is more accessible and easier to read and understand, rather than academic articles that may also fit the keyword criteria but show less popularity in terms of what users click on after the results show up, indicating that their intent is likely for more immediate resources. Another example is in digital writing assistants, which use AI to not only correct a user’s spelling, grammar, and syntax, but also to provide insights on the tone and readability of an overall piece depending on the combinations of words used. This can help content creators craft work that resonates with their audience better, whether it is the casual reader, the client needing a persuasive sales pitch, or a professional evaluator.

Chatbots are another AI-driven tool that is fast becoming a marketing mainstay. These are particularly popular in customer service, where programmers set bots up with responses to questions that sound like a human is speaking. At the same time, they can deliver detailed information about a topic or product a potential client is interested in, and increase brand awareness.