I’m sure you know that the age-old practice of meditation has many wellness benefits: It can improve heart rate, ward off illness and reduce stress, depression and even insomnia.

Surprising as this may be, it can also increase your ability to burn calories throughout the day! Studies show that meditation slows down the release of cortisol, a steroid in the body that slows your metabolism.

Meditation also stabilizes your mental state and helps control eating binges. So how do you meditate? It’s simple. Just sit comfortably for 10-15 minutes and close your eyes. Silently repeat a mantra – a sound, word or phrase – to calm the mind and body.