Ghil Dirthalen describes these tenants in the context of Dragon Age very well in her video about the Qun, but the basic premises of Aqun and Issqun as I understand them are:
Aqun, or Balance, is true strength and derived from understanding. To listen is to know, to know is to understand, to understand is to act with knowledge and purpose. You know some things are wrong, so you don’t do them. And you know some things are right, so you do those instead. Aqun is a deeper understanding of right and wrong and choosing right over wrong for every level of your life, from your health to your impact on the world.
Issqun, or Mastery, is will or volition to attain and maintain balance. To act without knowledge or mindlessly is to be weak but to act mindfully in your life choices is to maintain balance. It is maintaining the will to have true strength. You know you feel great when you do something right or accomplish something, so you apply yourself over again to achieve that sense again; and continue to do so, even on days you don’t want to. Mastery is the willpower to more forward and it is built upon balance.
You need a strong sense of balance to attain mastery. Together, balance and mastery build mindfulness in your thought and actions.
This February marks one year of vegan living in my Skyhold kitchen. It is hard to believe it, for two very different reasons. First, my mind is having a hard time grasping and remembering that it has indeed been a full year since that fateful home-theater night that featured such intense cupcake and popcorn bingeing that I had to remove myself to a clinic. And second, it is equally difficult to believe that I did not make the choice to eat and live healthier sooner. Really, it has only been a year and I feel like I have been vegan for ten!
The last year of this age was a year of health drama for me in other ways, too. First, I discovered the oil and fat intolerance I mentioned and then in the fall I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Living and eating vegan has helped me cope and grow immensely as I face these new life-altering challenges. I have a renewed sense of physical and emotional awareness, cognitive control, and self-discipline since I made the choice to eliminate animal products from my diet and instead fill my body and mind with whole foods, like beans and vegetables. I have also developed a strong routine with plenty of room for meditation, physical therapy and exercise, and Dragon Age.
I also have a new sense of understanding, a refreshing sense of peace about my place in and impact on the world. I do not contribute to the suffering of animals. I am not complicit in their agony and slaughter. And knowing that, lifting that guilt from my conscience, has left me feeling freer and happier than ever before. My moral center has shifted to a more compassionate place. While I have always considered myself a pacifist, I did not fully analyze the "why" and "how" behind my moral convictions. This left me ignorant of how to put broad morals into actionable practice and promotion. Taking dairy and meat out of my diet helped me breakdown and realize the depth of my morals. I chose to turn inward to build up a stronger sense of morality and purpose as I outwardly made positive, mindful choices that had positive outward effects.
Eating dairy and flesh was a gross hypocrisy and completely counter to the image of the world I want to promote: a peaceful, mindful world worth saving for generations to come. Over-consumption of meat and dairy products is one the largest contributors to global climate change and current health epidemics like heart disease, coronary artery disease, and obesity. I have learned to balance my choices, learned to master my impulses to take small steps that I believe will lead to a healthier, more peaceful world.
Mindfulness and self-discipline have always been my chief battles, since I was something of a life-long daydreamer who struggled to find herself and her place, so I am particularly proud of these accomplishments. I am proud of the balance and mastery I have achieved through a vegan lifestyle. Balance and mastery, aqun and issqun.
Is my active, vegan lifestyle right for you? Right for others? Maybe? Maybe not. But mindfulness, balance, and mastery are life-changing aspirations everyone can have and maintain.
In this entry, I want to highlight Balance. Below are three mentality choices and changes that can give you greater balance, and thus true strength, for the short and long term. We will go over Mastery in another Demands of the Qun blog entry another day.
Start Thinking About 'Replacing' Rather than 'Removing'
For many, the idea of "going vegan" means taking food out of your life, rather than diversifying the foods your eat. There is this undeserved characterization of veganism being a lifestyle of deprivation when it is the opposite; it is a lifestyle of variety and plenty. We can easily get caught up in negative thinking when focusing on taking flesh, eggs, pasteurized milk meant for baby cows, etc. out of our daily diets. But if all we did was take things out of our lives when we want to make healthier choices, we would then be left physically hungry and mentally unfulfilled. Instead, it is important to shift your perspective to one of replacement. You can't just think about taking things out, but must add to your thinking what you gain to sustain a lifestyle change. You are replacing the meat and such with a greater variety of grains, fruits, vegetables - all of which by the way have lots of protein. By shifting your focus to one of "replacement" versus "removing," you build positive-focused willpower and can in turn balance your decision making process as you purchase and prepare food. Vegan eating is no drab affair when you take into account the 40,000 types of rice, 40,000 kinds of beans, and thousands of kinds of vegetables that are currently known. (I have heard there are over 20,000 vegetables, but I cannot find a specific credible source for that figure. However, there is a list of about 220 vegetables on Wikipedia - which is fun to scroll through and leaves you with a "huh" kind of feeling.)
You can take this mindset of replacement further when you think about the kinds of habits you practice or the products you purchase and use. Balance is awareness of your personal habits in the moment versus floating from moment to moment. This practice can empower you and strengthen your decision-making skills as well as your sense of self-discipline. Think carefully next time you shop about how much plastic your purchases contain and consider what alternatives are available. Ever wonder what happens to your toothbrush when you throw it away? It likely ends up in a landfill or in the ocean. Same with your plastic freezer, sandwich, and shopping bags. Most plastics are not recyclable and single-use plastics are the least so, thus our planet's ecosystems are at risk of continued degradation due to this massive overuse. Think instead of how to replace these items, like using your own shopping bags or purchasing a bamboo toothbrush meant to last. Also consider investing in glass mason jars instead of freezer bags and choose paper products over plastic when available.
Start A Food Journal
Really. Write down everything you eat. Even if you are not interested in living vegan but want greater control over your diet, and mental and physical health. However you keep notes or lists, add food journaling to it to see just what you eat and how much everyday. If you are unhappy with what you read, it is time for a change; time to balance your food variety and intake. You can just list food items as you go about your day or you can organize it into meal groups. My list is ordered by meal group: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks. I leave the Snacks section open-ended for either morning or afternoon (or sometimes late night) snacks. And when I run out of space on the page for snacks, that means I am done eating snacks. When I decided to live vegan I also decided that I would no longer feel guilty about snacking. I chose to balance my impulsive cravings with prepared, healthy, tasty snacks like a nut mix with coconut chips or half an apple with a couple of crackers versus a whole plastic tube of Ritz crackers or a candy bar. And this leads me to the next and final aspect of Balance in this entry:
Choose to Give Yourself a Break
We all make mistakes and missteps. We all have bad days and make choices in the moment that we later regret. We all are capable of being betrayed by ourselves from time to time. But what helps us recover from missteps and mistakes is our ability to forgive ourselves and get over our own guilt. Being mindful of your choices and choosing to accept your mistakes as you progress forward can give you a sense of peace. Because going back is not an option and neither is standing still. Give yourself a break and move forward.
Transitioning to a fully vegan lifestyle took me about 8 or 9 months and during that time, I made mistakes. I still do (vegan is easy, oil-free is hard, I admit it). I had and still struggle with those "screw it" moments and then the regret sets in, sometimes immediately or much later. Long before my lifestyle changes, I was generally a person who was always very hard on myself and communicated it poorly. I always used to feel guilt and shame over my actions and choices, whether mundane or extraordinary. My mistakes and the consequences of them were always emotionally earth-shattering. I would react angrily to my sense of shame and failure, and others around me would erroneously think I was angry at them when I was in fact angry with myself. I drove away a lot of friends because I would not give myself a break, center myself, and move on appropriately. I started down this path of emotional regulation versus dysfunction long before I chose to eat and live vegan, but veganism has helped me refine my sense of balance as well as help me live a guilt-free life. Giving myself a break has in turn helped me make healthier, happier choices for the short and long term. Because I am more forgiving of myself, I make fewer mistakes. And I no longer groan and wallow in shame when I make a choice counter to my chosen lifestyle. I'm not perfect and neither are you. Give yourself a break, you've more than earned it.
In a respect, choosing Aqun, choosing to balance your life and choices, is the next step after that initial choice one makes when "converting to the Qun" or living mindfully: choosing to be. Though thankfully many of us have the freedom to choose to be according to our own standard and morals. How you choose to be is entirely your choice. And only you are capable then of making the next choice: the choice to balance, to think objectively about the knowledge you have of yourself and the world around you, to act based on your understanding of right versus wrong within the scope of yourself and your place in the world, and to free yourself from inner negativity. Choosing to balance yourself over your impulses or unfocused compulsions can open your mind to a more fulfilling existence as we all continue forward. Choose for yourself a positive mindset focused on replacing the wrong with the right, listing and analyzing what you eat and do, and giving yourself the space to make mistakes without shame or guilt. Take actionable steps to improve yourself, for yourself. However you choose to live, choose balance.
Thanks for reading this far! I have a couple updates about the blog before concluding this entry:
Around the New Year, I announced a mukbang or eating series. Unfortunately, I will not be able to follow through on this commitment. Around the time I wanted to test the series out, I experienced some debilitating side effects from a drug treatment plan for MS. As I switched medication and my routine, I realized the eating show kept falling off my to-do list. I assessed my priorities and reflected on the kind of content I want to create and release, and thus I have decided to dedicate myself to the written word over a visual show. This blog means a lot to me. It is a commitment to myself and my love for Dragon Age, and something I enjoy writing for Dragon Age fans. Taking my content in different directions could bring back that burn out that forced me to knock back my blog posts from once a week to once a month, and with a vengeance (in hindsight, I probably can MS to thank for that). I want to focus on writing and posting quality Dragon Age food and lore blog entries for your enjoyment. I have my niche, I have my enthusiasm, and I have you, dear reader. I'm set. I hope you find my content thought-provoking, entertaining, and (most importantly) delicious.
If you are a long time reader, you may have noticed that the asterisk has disappeared from the blog title. That is because my Skyhold has transitioned to a meat-free household! My roguish partner has moved to a vegetarian diet. We still have some dairy products on our weekly grocery list but for the most part, there was no need for the asterisk anymore.
And finally, I am debating a name/brand change. I have realized there is some confusion on Twitter over my handle (at)FoodsofThedas and my blog name, Gourmet Vegan Thedas.
So I want your opinion:
Keep Gourmet Vegan Thedas or switch to Foods of Thedas here and on other social media.
What do you think? Please comment below or keep an eye out on Twitter for a poll.
Thanks again!
Walk always in the Maker's light.
Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!
Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at @FoodsofThedas on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @gourmetveganthedas.
If you try out any of my recipes, please share your results on social media using the hashtag (#)gourmetveganthedas.
Sources:
Ghil Dirthalen: www.youtube.com/channel/UCUWYiR2a5iD0cZktuODPoVw
Ghil Dirthalen, the Qun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-DAOL1qVFQ&feature=youtu.be
The Guardian: www.theguardian.com
The Guardian, Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth: www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth
NBC News: www.nbcnews.com
NBC News, Study explains how red meat raises heart disease risk: www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/study-explains-how-red-meat-raises-heart-disease-risk-n946241
Micha, Renata, Michas Georgios, and Mozaffarian Dariush. (2012). Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes – An Updated Review of the Evidence. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 14(6), 515–524.
*The source above was initially found through the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Search database, and listed with the National Institute of Health:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483430/
Wang, Y and Beydoun, MA. (2009). Meat consumption is associated with obesity and central obesity among US adults. International Journal Obesity, 33, pp 621–628.
*The source above was initially found through the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Search database, and listed with the National Institute of Health:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697260/
The Rice Association: www.riceassociation.org.uk
Types of Rice, The Rice Association: www.riceassociation.org.uk/content/1/18/types-of-rice.html
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, Beans: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean
Wikipedia, List of Vegetables: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vegetables
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, Plastic pollution: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_pollution
Medium: medium.com
Medium, The environment, the oceans… and your toothbrush: medium.com/@toothcrush/the-environment-the-oceans-and-your-toothbrush-9c418e1e0534
Get your free Rainbow Bamboo Toothbrush from Giving Brush:
givingbrush.com/products/free-rainbow-themed-eco-friendly-giving-brush
Last notes: If you are interested in learning more about the science of veganism, health, and the environment, I recommend checking out Mic the Vegan on YouTube. And if you are interested in eating vegan but unsure how to begin, I highly recommend checking out the Cheap Lazy Vegan on YouTube. Both of these content creators are highly regarded in the online vegan community and they both release new videos every Wednesday.
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