You’ve probably heard that meditation is great to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, and that meditation helps to increase feelings of calm and relaxation. But did you know that this ancient mindfulness practice can actually help you look younger? It’s true. Meditation can make your skin look younger and fresher. Namaste, anyone?

How does meditation help you look younger? One study evaluated the effects of meditation on the aging process. The researchers measured things like hearing, eyesight and blood pressure in people who meditated.

For people who practiced long-term meditation, their biological age was 12 years younger than the general population.

So, how is this possible? Researchers concluded that meditation can influence neural mechanisms which have an impact on age-related physiological factors.

Other studies also help to pinpoint how meditation influences these physiological factors.

For one thing, it seems that meditation has a strong impact on telomeres. Telomeres are compounds found at the edge of chromosomes. With age and stress, telomeres shorten, compromising chromosome expression, too.

Meditation, however, helps to lengthen telomeres and improve their function, and in this way, helps to reverse this aging process.

Another study shows that meditation can also influence your genes and help to lower inflammation, helping your skin remain fresh and less inflamed.

Finally, the cortisol-reducing effects of meditation help to calm stress-related skin conditions, too, which include things like acne, psoriasis, eczema and more.

Therefore, along with your arsenal of anti-aging beauty products, consider adding meditation to your routine. By reducing stress and inflammation, as well as strengthening telomeres, you can help your skin look younger.