There is nothing I love more than my ritualistic morning walk outdoors. I make it a point to avoid screens and other distractions, opting to walk in silence, or with my favorite meditation playing in the background.

My morning walk is a gift to myself: the quiet of the morning breeds creativity, calm, and allows me to bring my awareness back to my body and emotions.

Exercise has always been one of my outlets for stress. Whether it’s going for a morning walk, jogging, doing some yoga, or hitting the gym, I always feel more peaceful afterwards.

In this age of constant stimulation, distraction, and stress, there is hardly a moment where we have the time to truly return to our bodies, and to move with mindfulness.

In fact, the word mindfulness is truly foreign in today’s hustle culture. We are more likely to strive to emulate people’s “5-am morning gym routines,” and to fall for a consumer driven wellness culture, than to move with authenticity, intention and love.

There are many times I have gone to the gym, or gone for a walk, and I find myself surrounded by people spending their time with their eyes glued to their phones: whether it’s between sets or outdoors.

I will not pretend to have never spent time on my phone at the gym, or on my outdoor walks. But sometimes I wonder: why can’t we look up once in a while? Why can’t we sit in silence at the gym, or put away our screens when we step outside?

Are we truly reaping the benefits of exercise when we move without mindfulness?

Where do we draw the boundary between the online world, and reality? Because the way I see it, we are slowly escaping the latter. Our uncontrolled consumerism is doing us no favors—it is only teaching us the art of escapism. As a result, we are losing ability to genuinely connect with others, think for ourselves, and to heal a suffering planet.

The other day, I chose to sit in silence at the gym. I decided to sit with how I was feeling; to notice the thoughts going through my head and the sensations in my body. Even if they were uncomfortable. And I became mildly aware of how half the people in the room had their faces glued to a screen.

It was in this moment that I realized, sitting in silence isn’t so bad–it is surprisingly healing. In those minutes between sets, I wasn’t losing myself looking at another gym influencer’s post, or some girl’s “day in a life.” I wasn’t trying to escape the fact that I was taking care of my body, Now.

Being present, is one of the most powerful things we can do for ourselves, and for our own happiness. To treat our body with the love and respect it deserves, we must have an attitude of intention and mindfulness. Today, our society is increasingly desensitized to reality, and we are struggling to see ourselves, our experiences, and our emotions (both the good and the bad), in their true light.

So I challenge you this week to enjoy the silence. Whether you’re going for a walk, hitting the gym or simply sitting outside on your porch, reconnect with what it means to be alive.