MARS

 Named after Mars, the Roman god of war and agriculture, March is a month of transition, action, and awakening. It serves as the bridge between winter’s dormancy and spring’s renewal, influencing both the natural world and human rhythms.

Biologically, the shift in daylight during March—marked by the Spring Equinox—helps to regulate circadian rhythms, mood, and energy levels. The body responds to the increasing sunlight by adjusting hormone production, metabolism, and sleep cycles, making this a time of both physical and mental recalibration. Spiritually and emotionally, March invites an internal awakening, much like the thawing earth, as we begin shaking off the inertia of winter and preparing for the renewal ahead.

In alchemical terms, March embodies dissolution—the breaking down of rigid structures to allow transformation. Just as ice melts into flowing water and dormant seeds begin to stir beneath the soil, this month encourages the release of old habits, outdated beliefs, and emotional stagnation.

Dissolution is not destruction but rather a necessary softening, allowing space for growth, movement, and renewal. It is a time when we are called to surrender to change, trusting the natural rhythms that guide both the earth and our own inner evolution.

March reminds us that for transformation to flow through us, we must release our desire to control.

The daily mantra I use for March is: “to move forward, I must first let go”.

The Lateral Line

The Lateral Lines are the body's secret to finding “wiggle room”.

These lines serve as a system of adaptability, balance, and resilience, running along the sides from head to foot. They enable us to remain upright, responsive, and fluid in the face of external forces. In a season defined by transition, these fascial pathways mirror the necessity of dissolving rigidity, learning when to yield and when to engage.

Much like a shark cutting through water, the Lateral Line allows one to undulate, pivot, and stabilize—these are the pathways of lateral motion, side bending, and counterbalancing.

The Lateral Line thrives on a balance between stability and mobility, resistance and surrender. When too tense, it restricts motion, keeping one rigid and unyielding; when too slack, it compromises the ability to stand strong and move with intention.

Tuning into the Lateral Line through movement, breath, and awareness helps me to embody grace in transition, navigating change without collapse or unnecessary resistance.

Snakelike movements, full-length side bends, lateral shifting, sways, or even actually wiggling, are all great ways to understand the lateral line in my body. (These are motions rarely seen in rigid society.)

March serves as an important pride self-check to help identify what I call “movement tyranny”: “Is how I think I will look, preventing me from truly moving freely?”

Adaptability

March, a month characterized by the transition from winter to spring, embodies the theme of dissolution—the breaking down of old structures to make way for new growth. In nature, ice melts into water, trees shed what remains of winter’s dormancy, and the earth begins to stir. Likewise, within me, March invites the release of rigidity, dissolving what no longer serves so that I may move forward with greater freedom.

The Lateral Line, running along the sides of the body, mirrors this process—allowing for lateral movement, fluid transitions, and the balance between yielding and stability.

Just as I must surrender to seasonal change, my body must also learn to adapt without losing center. Too much rigidity in the Lateral Line restricts my capacity to respond, while too little integrity leaves me unstable.

March calls me to refine my awareness of balance in motion, and to cultivate/ polish a dynamic adaptability that allows me to meet change with both resilience and ease.

By engaging with the Lateral Line through mindful movement—such as side stretches, lateral shifting, and counterbalancing—I practice this adaptability in real time. I learn to trust my ability to pivot, adjusting to life’s currents while maintaining a grounded presence.

The Lateral Lines do not act alone; they integrate with the rest of the body's fascial system, just as my adaptability is strengthened by my ability to remain both centered and responsive.

As I walk further into the year’s unfolding, embracing dissolution and adaptability in March lays the foundation for the deeper transformations ahead—an invitation to move, not with resistance, but with intention, awareness, and flow.