There is a moment that happens every morning when we first wake up, before any conscious thought takes over, when we know deep stillness. It may only last for a second, or a bit longer than that, but in that timeframe, however short it may be, we’re only aware of our existence and nothing else. We have both an open heart and a quiet mind. In the sequence of events that follows, it’s our emotions that hit us first, and we suddenly feel happy, or sad, or worried, or excited. The reason for those emotions follows next, and we remember why we’re feeling the way that we are. I’ve always thought that the combination of these two event feels like a wave. If we’re deeply happy on this particular morning, or terribly sad, then we will feel as though we’ve been knocked right off our feet by one of those big, breaking waves that you have to catch just right. If it’s a quieter morning, and our emotions and the reasons behind them are not quite as intense, the wave will feel like one of those little rollers. It’ll still hit us, but we’ll manage to stay on our feet. Once we’re fully awake, our conscious mind takes over and begins to dissect, organize, and catalogue our emotions in an effort to get them under control. We’ve got a day here, people, let’s get moving. Sometimes our emotions push back, oh just two more minutes please, and we stay in the place we’re in for just a bit longer. In either instance, we’ve lost that earlier moment of stillness.

It’s certainly not a novel idea that we should seek that calmness that we experience each morning. We should all learn to meditate, and we should all do yoga, so that we can quiet our minds and open our hearts, and learn to recognize who we truly are. It occurs to me, however, that there are times in life that are so sweeping and big, that even the daily practice of these disciplines is not enough to keep us grounded and focused, no matter how hard we may try. The fact of the matter is that sometimes the universe wants us to feel some pretty massive emotions, and it wants us to rail against these emotions with every logical thought that we have. Sometimes it will hold us in this place for what seems like far too long because we still have something to learn from the lesson we’re being taught. And then one day it will happen. Maybe an event will occur that is the final straw, or maybe we’ll get there on our own, but we will suddenly know what we were unable to see. We will find that moment of stillness, and we will realize what our next step needs to be, and we will find the strength to see it through.

The interesting thing that happens after one of these major life occurrences, is that we’re given the chance to hold onto that sense of calm. It’s a lot like the quiet that comes after a storm. If we’ve really learned all that the lesson was meant to teach us, we will value that peace, and we will do everything we can to avoid things that threaten it. Even once the newness of that quiet has passed, we can continue to seek it and find ways to cultivate it in our lives. We need to find those moments in our daily work that truly have meaning, and to feel profoundly grateful for our families and friends, and to appreciate our partners even more deeply. If something is not right in one of these areas and that’s what caused the storm, then we need to set intentions to find a remedy that we believe in completely. We must repeat those intentions as often as we can, without fail. And then once again, one day it will happen. We will find the work that is a perfect fit for us. We will mend the problem that has occurred in our families or with our friends. We will fall deeply in love in the most unexpected way. Why now? Because we have experienced stillness, and we’ve learned that we can find that same sense of peace in work that’s done well, in the affection and support of those who know us best, and in the eyes of a person we thought we’d never meet. We have found a quiet mind and an open heart, and that will change everything.

For today’s cocktail, I went with simple ingredients brought together in equal parts. I used a cucumber infused vodka from Crop as my base spirit for its cooling, almost soothing, taste. I followed with Dolin Dry vermouth for the same reason. I added St. Germain because it has such a natural affinity for anything cucumber, and because it represents compassion and peace. And finally, I used lime juice as my citrus component. In terms of energy healing, the color lime green signifies manifesting what you deeply desire, an end to loss, and finding all that you truly deserve. The ingredients blended together beautifully. I might even say peacefully. Cheers everyone. Happy Friday! I wish you stillness.

Stillness

¾ oz Crop Cucumber Infused Vodka
¾ oz St. Germain
¾ oz Dolin Dry vermouth
¾ oz Key lime juice

Combine all the ingredients together in a shaker tin with ice and shake until very cold. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cucumber and lime slices and a pinch of sea salt. Enjoy!