The Art of Reconnection: Reflections from Our Post-Movement Stretch

Right after we wrapped up our Wato Movement workshop with a slow whine flow to “Go Go Remix” by Karole Kasita and Elijah Kitaka (a special request from one of our community members) we concluded the session with a deep, grounding stretch. The room softened. Breath slowed. And in that collective exhale, something powerful surfaced( a reminder of what it means to truly reconnect.

In a world that constantly demands motion; progress, achievement, output, we often forget the stillness that gives movement meaning. The stretch became more than a physical cool-down; it became a moment of remembrance. As bodies settled into poses, hips opened, and breath deepened, there was an unspoken understanding: that reconnection is not about doing more, but about returning to what has always been there.

Each inhale reminded us of presence; of being here, now, alive. Each exhale released tension, expectation, and noise. We spoke briefly about how the mind shapes vision, but it’s the body that carries it into the world. The body tells stories the mind often forgets to listen to… stories of endurance, joy, exhaustion, and renewal. And when we stretch, breathe, and listen, we are not just caring for muscles; we are tending to memory.

At the Wato Movement workshop, movement is more than exercise, it is medicine.

It is a homecoming to the self. Our slow whine flow, inspired by rhythm and rooted in African embodiment, allows women to explore both softness and strength to move sensually yet intentionally, to find healing through the dance between release and resistance.

That evening, as the final breaths lingered in the air, we reflected on what reconnection means. It means forgiving your body for how long it’s held you together. It means choosing rest as a ritual, not a reward. It means remembering that strength is not always loud; sometimes it hums quietly in your bones.