No Right Way, Many Ways: Why Variety in Movement is Essential for Resilience.

I still remember the first time I heard someone say: “There is no right way to move.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

That certainly wasn’t what I learned in the years that shaped how I viewed my body and movement. 

In ballet, there was always a right way—the perfect line, the precise angle, the exact shape. Anything else felt wrong. And in my young mind, if I couldn’t achieve it, it meant I was wrong.

I internalized the belief that there really was a “right” way to move. But it had nothing to do with my body—it had everything to do with that perfect body, the one that did indeed move the “right way.” That body became my reference point, and in many ways, the silent critic I carried into every practice for years.

So when I first heard those words—“there is no right way to move”—they cracked something wide open in me. They were at once liberating and unsettling. If there wasn’t a right way, then what was I supposed to aim for? How would I know if I was “doing it correctly”? And if all movement had value, where did that leave the years of rigidity, striving, and self-criticism I had internalized?

What those words did, though, was invite me into a different kind of inquiry. Instead of asking: Does this look right? I began asking: How does this feel? Instead of worrying about whether my body was conforming to the “right” way, I began to explore what happened when I let it move differently, even imperfectly. I noticed the subtle cues my body offered: where it wanted support, craved challenge, needed softness and to relax, and where it wanted play and freedom.

That shift in perspective has guided my personal practice and how I teach. And over time, I’ve come to believe that variety in movement is essential.

A Circle of Friends

The best metaphor I’ve found for this is friendship.

Each of us has a circle of friends we’ve gathered along the way. There are childhood friends who knew us before we became who we are today, colleagues who share our professional world, travel companions who live in our memories of adventure, and neighbors who help us through the everyday.

They’re not interchangeable. We don’t expect them all to be the same. In fact, it’s their differences that enrich our lives. One friend brings humor, another brings perspective, another brings comfort. Together, they create a community of connection, presence, and support.

I believe our movement practices can—and should—be similar to our friendships..

Strength work brings power. Yoga cultivates grounding and presence. Walking clears the mind. Playful movement sparks joy. Breathwork restores calm. Each “friend” in our circle of movement offers something different. Together, they make us more balanced, adaptable, and resilient.

And just as part of being a good friend means allowing our friends to be who they are, we can practice being good friends to ourselves by letting each movement practice be what it is, rather than demanding that one method do everything.

Why Variety Matters

When I talk about variety, I don’t just mean “do a little bit of everything so you don’t get bored.” I mean that variety is inherent in the design of our bodies and nervous systems. It’s not optional—it’s vital. Here are a few key reasons:

1. Progressive overload builds strength.

To become stronger, we must challenge our muscles, tissues, and bones in a way that gradually increases over time. This is called progressive overload. Our bodies adapt by building new capacity—but only when we give them a reason to. Adding an external load, whether through weights, resistance, or even gravity in new ranges of motion, helps us move beyond maintenance into growth.

Without strength work, we miss out on one of the most fundamental capacities we need for life: the ability to carry, lift, stabilize, and meet the physical demands of our environment. Strength isn’t about aesthetics or numbers on a barbell—it’s about creating a body that can support you in living fully.

2. Our nervous system needs stimulation as much as resetting.

That ahhh feeling after a yoga class or restorative practice is wonderful—and necessary. It’s the reset, the exhale, the moment where the nervous system shifts into calm.

But just as important is learning to tolerate stimulation, intensity, and challenge. Our nervous system strengthens, too, by expanding its capacity to handle stress and then return to balance. Without opportunities to “amp things up,” we risk becoming fragile in the face of life’s intensity. By blending practices that both soothe and stimulate, we build true adaptability.

3. Variability creates resilience.

Resilience isn’t built by repeating the same thing over and over. It comes from experiencing variation and learning to adjust. Just as ecosystems thrive on biodiversity, our bodies thrive on a diversity of inputs. Moving in different planes, speeds, and qualities gives us a broader base of support to meet the unpredictable demands of life.

When we only move in one way, we become specialists—but specialists can be vulnerable. Variety helps us function in the world on more than one frequency.

Presence Over Perfection

All of this comes back to the question I started with: Is there a right way to move?

When we approach movement rigidly—expecting one style to provide everything, or expecting our bodies to conform to a single “correct” image—we not only miss our body’s cues, but we also enter our practice with fear.

When we invite variety, we permit ourselves to explore. We let go of perfection and cultivate presence. We become curious again. And we remember that movement isn’t a performance to get “right”—it’s a relationship to nurture.

The Role of Strength

Out of all the “friends” in my circle of movement practices, strength is the one that continues to surprise me. It has taught me that empowerment doesn’t come from chasing perfection, but from expanding my capacity—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

That’s why I created my Somatic Strength Workshop, where our goal is not about lifting the heaviest weight or following rigid rules. The goal is to experience strength as connection, presence, and resilience. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to add load in ways that support your body, stimulate your nervous system, and expand your ability to adapt.

Because strength isn’t separate from the rest of your practice—it’s an essential part of the circle.

The Somatic Strength Workshop is coming up on October 12th!

👉 Register here to Learn more:

✨ There might not be one right way to move. But there are many ways to move—and each one has something to offer.